Budget Constraints Are Pushing More Women To Plant Their Own Food Gardens!

The demand for organic food is reaching a fever pitch, driving prices sky high at most markets. In these difficult economic times, our household budget has to be shrunk to fit in a lot of requirements for healthier children's lunches and snacks, and  to accomodate all kinds of tastes and caprices for food.

At home, I prepare a wide variety of food to suit the tastes of the family. Our menus are never complicated, but we do try to appeal to satisfy the desire  for food ranging from ordinary Filipino-Asian food, to gourmet cuisine.

I feel that we are returning to an era where families brought in vegetables, herbs and fruits from their own gardens to be the ingredients of desire for a variety of cuisine.  The economic crisis--which is pinching all our budgets--and the shift in values has triggered the most recent collision of people  of all classes of society, patronizing the street markets instead of supermarkets. There are the hi-heeled crowd of urbanites, and ordinary housewives  who are now shopping at farmers markets at designated areas in certain cities. A few like SM Hypermart supply  restaurants with fresh fish, meats and vegetables  at wholesale prices.

 I for one prefer to  search  locally produced ingredients for a variety of cuisine that are different from the traditional Filipino food. Goat cheese, fresh rosemary sprigs, hand picked and roasted coffee beans, and cultivated honey from neighborhood apiary contribute to an interesting combination of cuisine we serve at home.

Economic  factors are pushing those who live in the cities, to start their own potted herbal gardens at home, or to venture to the rural areas to  find a larger tract of land in the countryside to set up a small farm.

Farming in the backyard has put agriculture back in the mainstream. A growing awareness of  the methods in starting a small vegetable garden is becomming easy with access to the internet, One can find any subject from raising free range chickens, to planting rice from many websites on these topics. 


There is a committed desire for fresh, unpolluted (and unpolluting) organic produce. There is a concern now for the environment  with the reality of global warming; the need for alternative sources of energy, and the ever-increasing sophistication of Manila  cooks. There are blogs that show  the proliferation of self-described "foodies" and the demand for varied, "gourmet" produce. Families are going to nearby agricultural communities to get in contact with mother nature, and to get away from a frantic world.

I am happy to know that everyone is interested in  food gardening, and that it should really be a result of a number of the educated population for natural products and organic food.

Chemical Free Weed Killer

All herbicides that are sprayed, or are mixed with water then sprinkled on lawns, golf course turf, or other large areas will pollute the air, water and soil. Garden stores sell all kinds of nasty chemicals that are guaranteed to get rid of weeks, and pests. These bottles of poison will probably be mixed and sprayed on plants, then the remainder of what is inside those bottles will sit in the garage for the next few years.

Herbicides have been the element that humans and animals take in accidentally by breathing in air around golf courses, parks, subdivision home lawns. The worst exposure comes from herbicides that are sprayed over large tracts of land using airplanes. Herbicides and pesticides that are sprayed in the air, or mixed with water and then sprinkled overhead are the causes of a host of diseases including cancer in people and their pets. Glyphosphate is the active ingredient in most herbicides. It is an enzyme inhibitor, which chokes off the enzyme that plants require in order to grow, killing the weed and only one of many questionable chemicals in pesticides marketed for lawn and garden care.

Glyphosphate related incidents are one of the highest reported of all accidental poisoning cases reported to doctors. Patients who have ingested, or been exposed to this chemical are often rushed to the emergency room for treatment.

Pesticides are the one toxic substance that can be bought over the counter in almost all the garden stores for use by ordinary people in their homes or gardens. According to the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns of 30 top products, more than 50% of these are linked to cancer, a third are linked to birth defects, 70% related to reproductive effects, 80% with liver or kidney damage, 50% with neurotoxicity, and 31% with disruption of the endocrine (hormonal) system.

There is a better way! This completely free and non-toxic alternative is very effective and can be repeated as needed, without fear of toxic exposure.

Biodiversity is necessary in the garden. It’s healthy to have arachnids, earthworms, insects and live viruses in it since they aid in balancing the environment of the garden. Utilizing chemical-based pesticides place these creatures at menace of being damaged.If you are anxious on the pests, think on this. About 90 percent of the pests in garden aid in plant’s growth and are actually harmless. That’s why it is actually better to utilize organic pesticides with the plants. Using man-made or synthetic pesticides might carry threat to the soil, people, and plant alike.

The instant effect might not be understandable but believe it - these pesticides might cause danger to wildlife. Think about this; the pesticide could not recognize the precise organism to involve so either comes in contact by it in the plot might either gets ill or die because of the toxic content.Selecting synthetic pesticides on organic pesticides could also damage the top soil. There are these chemicals that could carry obnoxious effects on the plants like restraining their growth or exterminating them. Others might effect to growth sprays that could damage the quality and savor of the item for consumption.


The good thing on these pesticides is you could essentially make them at the home with the leftover components. You could in fact save since you do not have to use much for it, presently be ingenious making used the ingredients that you include:

1. Fill a teakettle with water, bring it to a boil, and simply pour the boiling water on each of the offending weeds. By the next day you will have a very dead, brown little weed that is easily pulled from the crack with just a little tug.

2. Blend 2 tbsp. dish washing liquid, 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp bleach to treat mildew or fungus growing on special plants like orchid leaves.

3. Spray a mix of 1 entire bulb of garlic mixed with 2 pints of water. This removes whatever pests on your vegetables or plants.

4. Get Tide or Breeze, detergents. Put enough water bottle and shake. Spray on plants.

5. Take about 30 pcs miniature hot chillies and mash. Use little water and spray on insects harming your plants.

6. Spray vegetable oil to rid your plants of pests.

One thing to remember, wash all vegetables and edible plants in a soak of water and vinegar to disinfect, and to rid the edible plants of dirt, grime, harmful germs.