Neville shows us an unconventional way to grow your food – in water.
• For food enthusiasts, growing super-fresh vegetables can be effortlessly achieved in a garden pond as aquatic plants thrive primarily on water, leading to vigorous growth in some cases.
• Lebanese cress and English watercress, both from the mustard family, offer pungent flavours perfect for various dishes.
• Vietnamese mint, known for it’s strong flavour, is commonly used in laksa curry soups and Vietnamese soft spring rolls.
• Water mint and basil mint, though not commonly associated with water, flourish in wet environments and are versatile for both cooking and beverages.
if you’re a bit of a foodie like me then the easiest way for you to get fresh vegetables is actually from your garden pond you see aquatic edible plants all they need is water and if you supply that they grow and some of them grow like crazy there are a number of herbs which are used for flavoring various dishes in this selection this is the Lebanese Crest and its cousin English water Crest which come from the same mustard family and one taste will confirm that pungent flavor Vietnamese mint is another strongly flavored herb which is often found in laxa curry soups as well as those delicious Vietnamese Soft Spring Rolls now we don’t always think of mint as an aquatic plant but let me assure you they love lots of water and often go crazy this is water mint and this one is basil mint with a real lovely hint of Basil flavor to it both of those are used in drinks Etc but this one a very special variety called chocolate mint well it’s got a special job and that is to add chocolate mint flavor to your cookies and cakes Oriental water spinach or Kang Kong is another fast growing plant which is most commonly used as a stir fry vegetable just chop up leaves and stems drop them into a redh hot walk for about 30 to 60 seconds fresh and delicious two herbs that have medicinal qualities a brami which is reputed to enhance brain function and goaa which many use to assist with arthritis both are featured in atic medicine which has a history going back over thousands of years all of the plants I’ve mentioned so far can be grown in a floating ring like this one or in a spill where the water flows through particularly the roots and then out into a bigger Pond Chinese water chestnuts are fast multiplying tubous plants that grow through the warm months then die down in Winter which is the season for harvesting these corns are peeled then chopped or sliced to add crunch to many dishes including stir fries Waterlily flowers and buds are both edible and they add a real sparkle to your salads now both these and the water chestnuts need to be grown in submerged pots so stick them right into the pond well there you go color flavor and freshness you can get the lot from your water garden