3 Herbs You Should Grow at Home 🌿

Author: Constance Chan Yuin Shau

Editor: Pixie Tan Xin Ni

With the recent increase in companies and organizations offering their employees the option of WFH, the amount of time spent at home is now more than ever before. Before long though, you might tire of how your home looks – after all, you are staying indoors for longer hours than before.

Well then, why not plant some herbs to spruce up your home? Not only can they serve as ornamental plants to liven up the atmosphere in your rooms, but they also come with unique flavours and immense health benefits. Here we talk about why you should grow these 3 herbs at home.

🌶️ Number one: chilli 🌶️

Chillies come in various colours and sizes. Therefore, brighten up the dullness of your home with pops of colours here and there. The contrast in colour and appearance is what makes them an interesting choice for decorative purposes. Although there are over 200 different types of chillies, each species ripens with a unique set of textures, colours, and flavours.

Additionally, did you know that these berry fruits can help in the prevention of several common lifestyle diseases? For example, we all know that chillies can create heat within the body. What we didn’t know might be the fact that this somehow contributes to weight loss and lowers the risk of type II diabetes. How fascinating is that? The red varieties also generally contain lots of beta-carotene and pro-vitamin A, which stimulate immunity and improve mucosal membrane health, e.g. lungs, nasal passages, urinary and intestinal tracts.

Such a small plant, yet so much to offer - what a steal!

🌿 Number two: curry leaves 🌿

Spiciness is considered the ‘life and soul’ of Malaysian cuisine, which is often contributed to by the distinctive aroma and hints of citrus-y flavours from curry leaves.

For people who enjoy richly flavoured dishes, it is fairly easy to include this herb into their diet. Always in popular demand, this herb can be found in many meat dishes, spicy varieties of curries and many traditional Indian recipes. Feel free to experiment with this flavourful ingredient in your cooking.

Curry leaves also contain a variety of plant chemicals such as linalool, myrcene, mahanimbine and more, all of which provide a number of benefits for our health apart from culinary purposes. Many of these substances play the roles of different antioxidants in our bodies which keep us free from diseases and help to maintain our health.

Despite the rather simple appearance of the curry tree, fragrant tubular white flowers will bloom during the summer period. Imagine working hard at your desk in the late afternoon as a sudden, sweet, citrus-y scent wafts by. It really wakes one up! See, it’s not such a shabby plant to grow after all!

🍃 Number three: mint 🍃

Regardless of the heated debate about whether mint chocolate is considered a sacrilegious creation by men (or not), we still see mint in almost every edible (e.g. mint-flavoured soda) or non-edible (mint-flavoured toothpaste) product sold in shopping aisles. This is due to their special ability to give off a cooling sensation when consumed. The leaves are also commonly harvested and used in various dishes and beverages, including desserts, teas, sauces and even cocktail garnishes.

By the way, what’s the first thing we reach for when we have bad breath? That’s right, mint-flavoured products. By chewing on fresh mint leaves, we are able to mask foul-smelling breath for a few hours. However, it is important to note that this method does not have antibacterial properties, so it is not a good long-term solution for bad breath.

Another additional advantage of mint is that it can be inhaled via aromatherapy during mediation sessions at home or directly applied to your skin for relaxation purposes. In contrast to the previous plants, mint is more commonly grown as an indoor leafy ornament as opposed to being for consumption purposes. The pleasant light-green mint leaves are easy on the eyes when taking breaks in between work. Refreshing, don’t you think?

And there you have it folks, some of the highly recommended herbs to grow at home and why you should grow them. From cuisine to medicine, from ornaments to garnishes, these herbs are both useful and beautiful.

What are you waiting for? Start planting today! 🌱