Let's look at what is growing in this garden.These fabric planters are made out of recycled plastic bottles and natural fibres.In this particular planter you will find lemon grass, mint, ginger, saw tooth coriander and Thai Basil.

Are any of these herbs familiar to you?Gently pinch and smell these Asian aromatic herbs. Try growing these on your balcony or corridor, these are simple local and regional herbs that do well in Singapore.

Pinch and smell these aromatic herbs

Smell some mint (Mentha). How does that scent make you feel?Frequent harvesting of mint is a simple yet important task. Harvesting mint is key to keeping it&nbsp; at their best. Young leaves have more flavor than old ones. Mint can be harvested by pinching or sniping the top of a stem. Cut it at about 3-4 layers of leaves from the top.&nbsp;Can you spot more mint growing elsewhere in this garden?

To propagate mint, keep sprigs or stem cuttings in a container of water for a few days. Replace the water every two days. Once the sprigs root you may plant them in a pot filled with healthy potting mix.&nbsp;

More about mint

These plants make vibrant coloured botanical drinks.

Flowers from the Hibiscus, Rose and Globe Amaranth and the calyx from the Roselle make lovely teas and vibrant coloured drinks. Gardening Tip: These sun loving plants do need loads of care and natural fertiliser in order for it to flower.

Tea and tonics from the garden.

Hibiscus sabdariffa or Roselle is a plant of the hibiscus family.Harvest calyces that are plump by snipping the base of a calyx from the stem. The fleshy red petals from the calyx are edible.Carefully pluck out the petals on a calyx and observe the pod in the middle. The pod holds seeds which pop open when the calyx is old and dry.Leaves are used in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. Fresh calyces can be tossed into salads, chopped into fruit bowls, made into jam, sprinkled over dips or made into a robust and red tea!

Carefully pluck out the petals on a calyx and observe the pod in the middle. The pod holds seeds which pop open when the calyx is old and dry.Leaves are used in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. Fresh calyces can be tossed into salads, chopped into fruit bowls, sprinkled over dips or made into a robust and red tea!Gardening tip: Remember to harvest it otherwise the weight of the fruits will weigh the plant down.

Robust roselle

These planters are filled with herbs that can be used both for cooking and for their <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_oil">essential oils</a>. Here, we have sweet basil, indian borage, rosemary and jasmine.&nbsp;An essential oil<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil"> </a>contains the essence of the plant's fragrance and chemical compounds. Essential oils are usually extracted by distillation, often using steam, and is used for various health and medicinal purposes.

Essential oils are known simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as jasmine oil, borage oil, rosemary oil and so on.The video clip showcases the jasmine plant. Inhale the scent of a jasmine flower. Often used across various local cultural and traditional medicinal practices.

Scented patch

The Indian Borage (Coleus amboinicus) plant is a semi-succulent plant with fuzzy leaves. The leaves are used to make a lovely tea with honey to beat a flu or cough.It is also used for essential oils.&nbsp;Gently pinch a leaf to get a sense of the aroma.

Gardening tip: Simple to grow through stem propagation. Simply cut a young stem of about 10 cm in length at an angle. Remove most of the leaves and soak the stem in water until roots start to show or stick the stem into soil. Prune and harvest to ensure continual growth.

Try to propagate this

Harvesting is essential for the Sweet Basil plant and encourages the plant to stay bushy and grow abundantly. Watch the video, to harvest you can simply pinch the stem close to the top of the stem.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch the video to learn how to harvest sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). Try making some home made pesto with sweet basil from the school garden to your kitchen!

Make some pesto

Do look out for these lovely Mulberry (Morus nigra) fruit. Immature fruits are white, green or pale yellow. It is ready for harvest when the fruit is crimson red.Mulberry trees were well known in the ancient civilizations of the world. The history of mulberries is connected to the growth of the silk industry. Mulberry leaves were used to fatten the silkworms in China. The spread of mulberry trees across the world can, in a way, be attributed to the need of mulberry leaves for the silkworm industry.

The Mulberry bush needs pruning often. Pruning helps it produce more fruits. The leaves can be used to make tea.Deep red and plump mulberries are ready to eat after a quick rinse. Muberies are rich in flavonoids and is considered "brain food".

Mulberries are great brain food

Plants can be protectors in the garden. We are not planting these for food but to keep the bugs away naturally.

Natural farming techniques include growing plants that either repel pests or attract predatory insects to help manage pest problems such as aphids, mealy bugs, white flies, mosquitoes and more. Examples of plants that can help with pest control include chives, ruta, marigolds, citronella, &nbsp;lemongrass and more.

Plants as protectors

Observe the spiky edges on the leaf of the Saw tooth coriander (Eryngium foetidum). Touch the leaf and smell your fingers. Describe the scent.The strong fragrance of this sawtooth coriander can attract beneficial insects and encourage them to stay in your garden to prey on other pests.&nbsp;Gardening Tip: Planting them in rows bordering your garden can help as a natural pest control.&nbsp;

Can you spot more sawtooth coriander growing elsewhere in this garden? This is a herb often used in Vietnamese cooking.

Spiky aromatic sawtooth

This <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_plant">perennial </a>herb is a long lasting herb that is extremely easy to grow. Chives (Allium tuberosum) regrow without much fuss after harvesting or prunning.

Useful and handy in the kitchen. This herb is essential in countless dishes from dumplings to Mee Siam to Kuay Teow. The white flowers are edible too. And you guessed it, it is garlicky in flavour.&nbsp; Gardening Tip: To harvest, simply cut about an inch from the base and it will grow back in a couple of weeks.

Garlicky gift from the garden

Do visit the garden from time to time. We respond and work with nature as such this will be an ever evolving space.

This garden was created using permaculture design principles. Find out more at www.cultivatecentral.com.