Words By: Ivana Chiles
Gardening
Plugging into nature always offers people the clarity of mind they need to achieve a balanced life. Experience and harness what nature offers. Join me on a journey to become a passionate gardener ala “Earth Healer” and contribute to continuity on this planet. It is a wonderful experience to watch things grow and harvesting your own fresh herbs and vegetables is a delight. Your salad will not only taste delicious, but you will also be able to enjoy vegetables and herbs at their peak nutritional value.
In this issue I will be sharing my passion for gardening and give you few tips how to start your own little garden, even if you live in an apartment. I will look at some great herbs and give you some amazing tips that all lead to a healthier lifestyle. Next month, I will continue the gardening theme and look at delicious vegetables that you can grow and harvest yourself.
Audrey Hepburn said: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
If you have ever considered doing a bit of gardening here in UAE, but somehow never got round to it, now is the perfect time. The weather is still cool and you will be amazed how fast the things grow in this climate. In fact, I call it “fast track gardening”. Herbs are a simple and easy way to add edible plants to your garden. And they grow well in containers and the ground.
Why garden?
There is nothing more rewarding than having your head in the sun while your hands are in the ground. Watching plants grow and participating in the wonders of life is something we should all consider as a part of daily life. It is rewarding on all levels.
It is an activity, which can exponentially increase your happiness and bring stronger health, vitality and spiritual practice.
Gardening is like a meditation to me. I feel blessed to have been brought up on a small farm in Czech Republic. From early childhood I have been able to experience an abundance of fresh organic fruits and vegetables. My parents have always been passionate gardeners and my mum would grow pretty much anything from flowers, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and even beetroot. The problem was, that she ended up harvesting everything alone, because the rest of us seemed to be too busy with other activities. I have never really appreciated how hard her gardening job was and why she would always get so upset when we would accidentally damage some plants while playing. She has never given up though and I am so grateful for that.
Since I have moved to Dubai, I make sure that I take an empty suitcase when I go home, so I have enough space to load up on all delicious veggies, homemade pickles and marmalade. It is difficult to explain, but the taste of something grown with passion, love and tons of hard work is unimaginable.
After all those years being away and missing mum’s fresh fruits and vegetables, I decided to give it a go myself. I started off with a small herb garden in pots, added some indoor tomatoes but soon realised, that whatever you grow, you need to look after it. It is the same with any other creature. You give it the right food and nu-trition and you will be rewarded with healthy plants and vibrant health for yourself.
Here are some tips how to start your own garden and at the same time treat nature with integrity.
What to consider?
Seeds:
It is essential that you look for a good quality seeds. There are three kinds of seeds available on the market. Heirloom is the seed that is produced through open polli-nation by natural means meaning that plants are like the parent of the seed. Although not disease resistant, these are the best seeds you can use.
About 99% of the seeds available in UAE are so called hybrid, meaning that the seeds were produced by artificial cross-pollinating. They will provide better yield and will be more disease resistant, but nutritionally the potential cannot be considered as good as from heirloom seeds.
The third type of seeds are GMO seeds, which I strongly recommend you avoid. The seeds have been produced by artificially altering their DNA with unrelated genes. The result is an artificial plant, which could cause hormonal havoc in your body and diseases.
I recommend that you test all seeds by germinating a small amount on a wet paper towel, because you want to make sure that they are worth planting. If they are, then go ahead and prepare the soil and place the seeds in, according to instructions on the packet. It is also a good idea to keep the pots with seeds in a shade for the first few days and once you see the plant coming out, you can slowly introduce some sunshine. If you plan to repot any plant, remember to water the plant properly and do that in late afternoon, as the plants become weak with sunshine during the day. The cooler night temperatures will give them time to recover and they will become stronger.
Soil:
Leave the soil in better state than you had found it! You can make your own good quality soil by mixing 1/3 of potting soil with 1/3 of sand and 1/3 of compost.
Turn your kitchen waste into an organic compost soil conditioner. If you have not started composting, I recommend you get yourself a Bokashi bin. Using a specific group of microorganisms to anaerobically ferment all food waste, you can throw in everything from your fruit and vegetable waste, egg shells, tea, coffee and even meat and dairy. You will be rewarded by good quality composting soil and a precious juice full of microbes, which you can tap about two times a week from the bottom of the bin and use it as a plant food. The juice has to be diluted before using in your garden or on your indoor plants. I was shocked what a difference it had made to my plants since using it. Bokashi bins are available from selected dealers in UAE, so don’t panic!
After you have mixed all ingredients for your planting soil, it is a good idea to wait for about a week to make sure all nutrients have been well integrated and microbes have time to work.
Good pots:
There is a huge selection of pots in stores, but be aware that thick, ornate ceramic pots will get very hot with sun and you will have a hard time keeping your plants hydrated. Try to look for non-toxic unglazed terracotta pots, which will keep your plants cooler in summer and warmer in winter. They are not easy to find though.
Organic fetilisers and totally clever gardening tips:
I have already mentioned Bokashi, but there are many more options for you.
If you wish to add minerals, you can use my good friend Epsom salt. Not only will it work great in soil, but it is also the best thing you can add to your bath when you are feeling sick or after travelling. Epsom salts draw toxins and radioactive compounds from your body and everyone should have them in their bathroom! They are available in pharmacies all over UAE, even though, annoyingly, in very small containers.
Crushed egg shells are great for soil that is deficient in calcium (tomatoes need calcium rich soil, for example) and believe it or not, you can make an herbal remedy for your plants like I do. You will need a large bucket filled up with water and can soak all sorts of herbs in there. I use nettle, chamomile, raspberry leaf, dandelion and elderflower. You will need to cover the bucket with a cloth and place a rubber band around. You need to stir it once a day, keep it in a shade and preferably in the garage or front garden, as it might attract some flies during the first few days. Your plant homeopathic remedy will be ready for use in just one week. You will need to dilute it with water (50/50) and add it to your plants every 2-3 weeks. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of biodynamics would be proud of you, trust me!
Here is another tip. Next time you cook or steam your vegetables, don’t pour the broth down the drain. Instead, let it cool down and give it to your plants. The broth is full of vitamins and minerals and it would be a total waste throwing it.
Herbs:
Start your gardening off with a small herb garden. It is always a good idea to do a bit of research, as some herbs and vegetables are easy to grow and look after, while others need more attention. I recommend you start off with basil, thyme, rosemary and mint. The fact that you can add them to your cooking will encourage you to look after them.
Allow about 4-6 weeks for each of them. Herbs are excellent in your vegetable patch, as they keep the insects and bugs away. The perfect example would be basil planted along with red chard and spinach. Basil also grows fantastically next to coriander. If all of the above still seems too complicated, simply buy some watercress seeds, throw them into a shallow container filled up with well watered soil and in four days you will enjoy its profound taste and an abundance of vitamins. Hippocrates, the father of medicine considered watercress “the cure of cures” and built his first hospital near the river where he could grow watercress to help treat his patients.
Related: What are medical coatings?
Watering:
The way you water your plants will influence the development of the root structure and overall strength of plant.
Ideally you should use rain water (unlikely in UAE) or get a large watering can, fill it up with fresh water and let it sit for at least 24 hours. This will ensure, that chlorine present in tap water will settle down.
If you provide your plants with too much water, the roots will not need to make an effort to reach deeper into ground for moisture and will become shallow. This could be crucial in case of draught, heavy rains or wind. The deeper the roots reach, the more stability the plant will have and the stronger it will become.
While it is understandable with a bigger garden to build an automatic irrigation system, be aware of the above issues and keep an eye on the amount of water used, particularly with raised beds. Too much water will result in rotting of the roots and possible early flowering in crops like lettuce, spinach or kale.
Organic weed killer:
So now you have your plants in the ground, you have put a tremendous amount of effort and energy into them and suddenly you find bugs. This is the nightmare of every gardener and the sooner you deal with it, the less damage the bugs will cause. Here is a recipe for natural bug killer. It does not necessarily have to work for all bugs, but you should at least try before reaching for any nasty pesticide spray. I find, that people don’t realise, that once you have sprayed your herbs or vegetables with any sort of pesticide, it gets absorbed through the cell structure of the plant literally everywhere, including the roots and soil. And there is no way back! Remember, you should always leave the soil in the better state than you had found it! Be a mindful gardener.
Natural bug killer:
1 tsp cayenne pepper
The seeds of the hottest chili
pepper you can find
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
Optional: a dash of washing liquid
Blend all ingredients (except washing liquid, if you are using one) in a blender, place in a spray bottle and spray effected plants, ideally in the evening.
Treat your plants with love and care, learn from your mistakes, so next time you will get it right. Just like me. You can find some more tips and links on my website www.ivanahph.com or follow me on my Health Powerhouse Facebook page for some more gardening tips, delicious recipes and natural cosmetics.
Ivana Chiles has been living in the UAE for almost 15 years. Her passions are nutrition, healthy cooking and gardening. Ivana is a certified health coach, member of American Association of Drugless Practitioners and also a keen outdoor enthusiast.
