Isabelle Palmer
Ginger is best grown either indoors or in a sunny spot. To grow your own ginger, simply plant the “rhizome” (the root ginger that you buy from the store) in a pot. It needs regular watering and should be brought indoors in winter. Holy basil: Although often used in salads, I have found that holy, or sacred, basil tastes delicious in Thai curries. Like many herbs, it enjoys full sun and free-draining growing conditions, so add some horticultural grit to the potting mix as well. The leaves bruise easily, so take care when harvesting.
Curry Window Box What you need • Window box cks” or • Polystyrene “cro small stones • Potting mix rbs suitable for • A selection of he f ‘Apache’ Thai curries (dwar ro, garlic, chilli pepper, cilant e and holy basil, kaffir lim lemongrass
This aromatic window box is planted with some of the most common ingredients in Thai curries. All of these Thai herbs and spices are simple to grow at home. Here, I’ve put together some helpful advice on growing each of these ingredients: Cilantro (coriander) is an annual herb, which is best grown from seed sown directly in the potting mix. It’s quite a sensitive plant and won’t appreciate being moved around too much. The leaves can be harvested as soon as the plant is big and robust enough to cope. Chilli peppers are easy to grow in most climates and similar to tomatoes in that they grow well in pots. The chillies used in Thai cooking are known as “bird’s-eye chillies” and can be bought from most garden centers. Often, the cooler the weather, the milder the chillies will be. Keep picking in order to let new chillies come through. Garlic and shallots are alliums that like growing in a mixed climate. It’s said that you should plant them on the shortest day of the year to harvest them on the longest day.
Kaffir lime trees can be bought as a standard tree or a starter one. You can use the leaves in Thai green curries. If you also want fragrant, zesty fruit, then choose a mature tree and place it in a sunny, sheltered spot in the ground. Lemongrass is often an expensive ingredient to buy and rarely has the same taste as fresh lemongrass, which you’ll find a lot more intense and lemony. Instead, I would suggest buying a few nursery plants and rooting them in well-watered potting mix in a sunny spot. You’ll have to move them indoors when it gets colder, but they can be placed on a windowsill if you have limited space. HOME & GARDEN MAGAZINE SPRING 2013 _ 23