Leaf Celery (Kinchay)

Fennel is a perennial herb which belongs to the umbelliferae family which includes dill, celery, cilantro and parsley. Umbelliferae refers to how the flowers are formed. Used in ancient times as a treatment for arthritis and nausea, and as a sedative. It is also one of the three main herbs in making the alcoholic drink…

Lavender is my favorite amongst the herbs that I grow. I love the smell of the flowers. It reminds me of my childhood days where everything is perfumed with lavender like soaps and lotions and perfumes. I always spray my handkerchief with the perfume and smells it every time and it always make me feel…

Galangal – Alpinia galanga – is a rhizome in the family of ginger. We call it “langkawas” in the Philippines from the Indonesian or Malay word “lengkuas”. It is used mainly for Asian or Thai cooking but it has some medicinal properties too. It is considered an stimulant by homeopathic practitioners. It is also a…

Laurel or Bay Leaf is an important spice I use in my recipes. I have to buy a small seedling from a nursery for this one because obviously it won’t have seeds and I know it would take a long time for me to even try to grow it from cuttings. I just have to…

Spearmint is the most commonly used type in the family of mint. They refer to it as mint in recipes like the Vietnamese summer rolls or in the cocktail drinks like mojito. There are other varieties like peppermint, pineapple mint and chocolate mint. I just like to have them in the garden to use as…

Lemongrass is a perennial plant with grass like leaves. I like to grow them for my sometimes urge to cook Thai cuisine like Thai chicken curry, red or green. I also use lemongrass for tea by boiling the leaves instead of throwing it away after taking the bulbous part which is the main part that…