Green thumbs

In New York and some ritzy places, rooftops are being decked with vegetable gardens, and from the window boxes of socialites yellow bells come tumbling down. A green thumb and a passion for greenery propel condominium flat owners to grow herbs and flowers 16 floors above the ground. But these gardeners are essentially wealthy, plucking a sprig of rosemary for lamb chops to be stuck into the oven, or lettuce leaves and arugula for a bowl of salad. They have the time and the money to get involved in skytop gardening.

But you don’t have to be rich to love gardening. You’ll be surprised to learn that small-scale gardening is also taking place in depressed communities in Metro Manila. In Marikina, a small barangay is being turned green and cheery by housewives who never thought they’d become models of sustainable development. Space is no problem; they don’t have it.

But they’ve grown basil and tarragon oregano and ram raw, Vietnamese coriander and rosemary in flower pots, McDonald’s plastic cups, cooking oil cans, wooden shoes and slippers – any container that can be filled with soil and tender loving care.

The containers are lined up against the walls of their small wooden houses, on window sills, on top of their corrugated iron rooftops. You see the women coming out almost at the same time to water and weed them.

"And they’re selling their plants," happily remarks Daphne Roxas of the NGO Banahaw Sustainable Development Center (Banahaw SusDev) and the Ugnayan ng Kababaihan sa Pulitika, which thought of sustainable projects that empower women (meaning give them a sense of confidence) as well as give them a source of livelihood.

Daphne started the project on 96 East Drive, Marikina Heights, Marikina City, two years ago. The initially reluctant housewives became ardent gardeners and now sell their produce by pots to BanahawSusDev which sells – not give – to other women starting their own gardens. They’ve christened their group SNEDWomen’s Gardening.

There are similar gardens flourishing at the SS Brigade Village, Western Bicutan, Taguig, Metro Manila; in Old Balara, Commonwealth Ave., Diliman Quezon City, and at Barangay Dioquino Zobel, Project 4, Quezon City.

Two months ago, most of the green thumbs met at the Banahaw center for further training in the science of raising vegetables and herbs organically, as well as for socials. Aling Naty, one of the first students in Marikina, told me her sweet basil is growing beautifully, especially with the compost she makes and uses for fertilizer. (All the women know how to make their own compost.) Carmelita Soriano of Project 4 butted in to say she is successful in growing herbs while her neighbors are not.

Fe Araw finds time after her seven children have left for school to grow and earn from her pots of eggplants, tomatoes, sili, pandan. "I’d like to grow basil, too."

"My first pots of mint were devoured by pests," said Armina Rosales of Taguig, "but now they’re fat and sweet-smelling." Neighbor Rosario Mantolino said she can’t do any cooking without the use of herbs from her garden.

"Masaya kami (we’re happy)," chanted Virgie Besenio and Vicky Acurin. "Since we started planting, it seems we’re always cheerful and friendly with our neighbors. Of course, there are some neighbors who don’t want to join our gardening club, but one day they’ll come around and ask us for some oregano for their dinuguan and menudo, and also to cure their kids of simple colds."

Nora Ilagan of Project 4 broils pork slices and chicken with tangled leaves, and her dancing mate, Elvie Chamorro, said her herbs perched on her roof died, "so I decided to go composting and it worked. My herbs are just fine."

Daphne said BanahawSusDev helps find markets for the women’s produce. People who know about the NGO’s location (Kamuning Road cor. Scout Torillo, Quezon City). just walk in to buy herbs. When she gives lectures, the would-be gardeners buy their plant starters from the other women’s groups, if not from my own garden which I bring all the way from Cavite to share (at a small fee) with them.

Daphne grins from ear to ear with the taste of the fruits of her labor. She has started the same projects in Isabela, Tacloban and Bicol. Where she goes, groups of excited women organize themselves to become good planters. "This is what sustainable development is all about," she said.

At the meeting at the Banahaw center, the women helped prepare chop suey made from vegetables from their flower pots, fish fillet marinated in coriander, and roast chicken stuffed with lemon grass (tanglad). We had great-tasting juice made of boiled tanglad and pandan leaves and brown sugar. And for dessert, boiled ripe saba bananas with sprinkling of mint and brown sugar.

Those who want to plant their potted garden can call Daphne at 373-7902.

* * *

E-mail: [email protected]