Homegrown Herbs

What do you do when your herb plants grow so tall that they could almost touch the ceiling?  This is what's happening to our Cuban Oregano  (Indian Borage / Mexican Mint / 'Por Ho Yip') plant. We had trimmed the plant and it re-grew at an amazing speed. I didn't know that this herb grows so well in a pot, using organic soil and watered with washed rice water and regular tap water.

Below - picture on the left shows our Cuban Oregano plant, sprouting high and mighty.  Cass calls it the "Jack And The Beanstalk" plant coz of its unusual height in comparison with other plants in our garden.  Next to Cuban Oregano  is kafir lime leaves and on kafir's left is an herb that boasts many medicinal properties. I don't know the name of the plant though. The mil recently bought it from a nursery.  There's also a 'stinky grass' herb plant in our balcony garden that the mil loves boiling mung beans with, which is touted to be a good detox herb.




It's such a waste to see the Cuban Oregano plant growing so tall and unutilized.  So I have been plucking a few leaves once a week to chew on them, treating them like salad leaves. The leaves are minty and has a pleasant taste.

Health Benefits of Cuban Oregano:
If you are suffering from a cold, a sore throat, congestion, a stuffy nose, or painful sinuses, you can chew on the leaves of Cuban Oregano or brew a tea from the leaves. The compounds contained in the herb act as a powerful expectorant to eliminate mucus and phlegm from your respiratory tracts and clear out your sinuses. This can also help to boost your immune system by preventing bacteria or other pathogens from lodging and developing in your tracts.





Below: there's also a sand ginger plant (Galangal) in our little garden (in elongated pot, picture partly hidden below left). We got it from my parents' garden in Ipoh but it's not growing very well here. It grew so freely like weeds at my parents' garden in Ipoh but sadly not when it's replanted here. Guess it misses its home ground. My dad can whip up a very delish chicken dish using the leaves and root of sand ginger.



I love my parents' garden in Ipoh the most. The garden has a thousand and one types of herbs and spices growing in it that have medicinal properties to treat almost all types of ailments. Well, on the healing claim, I am not sure whether these herbs can indeed heal diseases and ailments.  I guess one would have to eat a lot of herbs to see a significant improvement.

If we ever move to a landed property, I'll fill my garden with lots of pandan leaves, herbs, spices, vegetables, fruits trees and flowers.  And definitely a dog too! ;)