The Sheraton Herb Garden

Hi, my name is Susan and I am the wife of Chef Robert – many of you will know me and have seen me working in the garden area by the Speke Steps.

When I came to Kampala to stay, which is last year September, I brought along a few packets of seeds – the idea being to  grow some herbs for use in the kitchen, especially items which could not easily be found in Kampala. 

This has been a wonderful project for me so far and a great learning experience too.  Seeing how easily seeds can pop up in this lovely warm climate and also some plants which do not want to grow!  The few herbs we started with have now increased and we now have a bigger variety and have also started another garden (behind the pool area). 

I took on the project with enthusiasm and with the assistance first of all from Jackey and now Wilson, whose help I greatly appreciate, to grow and provide, useful and interesting herbs and salad items for the Sheraton kitchen – fresh produce which we can be proud to say has been grown in our own garden and that diners can appreciate and respect.

                         

The garden teaches us many things about life.  We plant a seed – we want it to grow, so it has some requirements – we need to nurture it with good soil, water, of course sunshine (warmth), some nutrition and most important – love. We tend the garden, remove the weeds, and make sure the conditions are right so that the plants can grow.  Once we have kept them happy, they reward us with providing fresh and healthy edible leaves and roots.

Because this is an edible garden – absolutely no pesticides are used – no poisons at all – because we are eating our produce.  We are aiming to work with nature, so what we do is to plant certain flowers – for example nasturtiums and marigolds which will attract insects to them rather than to the plants, which they like to eat.  We can also spray our plants with a simple soap solution to keep certain bugs away.  This is important because once you are putting poison into the soil, it is staying there – so we rather try to work with nature –planting flowers to attract butterflies and other insects which will eat the ones which may destroy our plants.

 Of course the garden is also about change – the plants have a life span, the plants are not there for ever.  Some plants will grow and be removed for use – example spring onions, then their life is over -  some will be with us for a while longer- such as lettuce, you can pick the leaves and then they will produce new ones, until the plant has finished its life – perhaps about 6 weeks.  Other plants can last longer, such as parsley, rosemary, sage, origanium – all very flavourful herbs - are more permanent.  So it is constant change in the garden with the chance for new and varied plants.

                     

Its so rewarding to plant a small seed and see it grow into something we can take to the table, something we know is nutritious and without chemicals – indeed, organic.