Herbies for hobbyist @ Hortpark

It was a meaningful date with Hortpark 0n 18th September 2011. A group of hobbyists gathered there learning how to grow culinary herbs without the use of SOIL!
Yes, I found my name.
As the clock ticked away, hobbyists started strolling in, some with family members while others came with friends.
The response to this workshop was so overwhelming that it had to be repeated after the first session.
The first session kicked off at 9.00 am with a short talk on the culinary and medicinal values of the herbs that they would be growing with the hydroponic kit. The 2nd session was conducted at 11.00 am with Tony as the instructor.Sweet basil, Italian parsley, Dill and Lemon Balm are the 4 types of herbs to be grown in the hydroponic kit.

Sweet basil is widely used in pasta, pizza and pesto sauce. It is also frequently used in salad and in food dressings as well. It is also added into meat dishes or omelet to give that extra flavour. The Lemon balm has a unique lemony smell, best use for infusing in tea. When taken, it helps to soothe tension. This is especially useful for stressful working people.
Dill provides a healthy alternative for relieving the body and the mind of insomnia. Certain flavonoids and vitamins that are abundant in this herb may help to speed up the production of hormones in our body and which in turn provide us a relaxing and calming feeling.
Italian parsley is used to prevent bad breath. The chlorophyll in parsleys is excellent for breath freshener, that is why it is used as a garnish for meals.
Once the hydroponic kit is set up, it must be left at a place where there is sunlight but without any rain drops -- this to ensure the rain water will not be collected in the kit as rain water may dilute the concentration of the nutrient which will affect the pH of the nutrient solution.

What is left is going home and get it started....

It is always good to add some herbs into our cooking as this will enhance the flavour of food. At the same time we should use less oil, less salt and seasonings for a healthy diet. Hopefully through these sessions of sharing, more will learn how to cultivate plants without using soil and more will come to know the wonders of culinary herbs!