In the Gardens of our Partners

It is very important that you are helping the environment and yourself. If you plant something yourself it means you know where your food comes from, it is unprocessed and it saves on plastic waste and transport costs.

The last point in particular is often underestimated: the transport of food has a greater impact on the environment than you might think! For one kilogram of food transported from overseas by ship, you can deliver 11 kilograms within Germany. For a kilo of foods transported by air, that’s close to 90 kilos of domestic food goods. If you want to sustainably nourish yourselves, it is best to do so with local products. So: If you have a little space, don’t you try your hand at gardening? We are happy to share the tips and experiences of our partners with you.

They are particularly keen on herbs for their own kitchens. And even for the city dwellers among you, who have hardly any space for plants, herbs are excellent. A sunny spot on the windowsill is often all they need.

Multiple uses for herbs

For example, the Dreamers Club on the Croatian Adriatic coast cultivates sage, aloe vera, mint, lemon balm, lavender and basil. This is supplemented by orange and lemon trees. You may enjoy the freshly picked delicacies at breakfast, for example. On request, you can get a selection of teas, vegetables, fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Herbs from our own cultivation are used as seasoning in the dishes or as a healing ingredient in the fresh herbal teas. And if you overdo it with sunbathing on the beach, which is only 50 meters away, you can also take care of yourself from the herb garden: with a home-made sunburn ointment.

Likewise in Croatia in the neighboring island of Hvar, the Maslina Resort has established a big garden filled with fruits, vegetables and herbs. From this year on, on 700 m2 you can wander through a garden full of ecologically grown delicacies. Over the next few years, a botanical paradise full of delicious and healing plants and herbs will be created here.

The sustainable luxury resort has dedicated the year to the theme of edible flowers and its philosophy garden-to-plate. At the restaurant, you’ll enjoy modern interpretations of Mediterranean specialties made exclusively from regional and seasonal organic ingredients.

The hotel’s own herbs are not only found on your plates, however: The medicinal plants and oils used in the care products in the Pharomatiq spa and in the rooms come mainly from the hotel’s own organic garden.

Vanilla from their own cultivation

The Smiling Gecko Farmhouse in Cambodia has also started a particularly exciting garden project. The hotel grows vanilla. Considered a spice, Vanilla is extracted from the fertilized pods of various orchid genera. Along with saffron, it is considered the queen of spices.

It takes three to four years from cultivation to harvest. The challenging part is that the plants in their native habitat – the rainforest of Mexico – are fertilized by special bees. If these bees do not exist, the flowers have to be fertilized by hand.

The farmhouse is in its second year of cultivation. Since the vanilla plant is so fastidious, the Cambodian hotel has been able to hire new staff. If the harvest is a success, they hope to expand their vanilla cultivation, creating new jobs as part of the Smiling Gecko project.

Pollinate flowers yourself

Fertilize flowers by hand – by the way, this doesn’t only work for vanilla. If you have the feeling that fewer insects are coming to your fruit trees and shrubs than you would like, you can also help yourself to get a better harvest.

This is best done with a soft human hair brush or cotton swab. You dab each flower in a circular motion and roll the brush between your fingers. In any case, be very careful not to damage the flower! You can then use the brush during the entire flowering period.

Another option, which is much faster: lightly shake the stem. The vibrations loosen the pollen and transfer it to the same flower – or spread it to other flowers.

And what else helps to get a better harvest? That’s right, fertilizer. Instead of spending tons of money on any chemical alternatives, just use the cheapest fertilizer: compost.

Grow smart and sustainably

The Tongsai Bay on the Thai island of Koh Samui takes food scraps and green waste for this purpose. The easiest way to do this is to simply collect it in a compost bin. Time and pressure will do the rest. Then fertilize the herbs, chilies and fruit trees and bushes with it.

The delicious dishes on the menu at the Thai resort are thus the result of a perfect cycle.

At Tongsai Bay, however, the plants serve another purpose as well: they are processed into a cleanser. If you want to know how this works, then subscribe to us on social media so that you don’t miss our blog post about it!

One last tip from the Pfeiffer family from Naturhotel Aufatmen: If you have enough space for it – create raised beds! Nowadays, these are even available for the balcony.

That way, harvesting and caring for the beds is not only more pleasant, because you don’t have to bend down. Your plants will also grow better, you will have fewer bugs on them and you will have to water them less. The Aufatmen for example grows zucchini, fennel, chard, pumpkin and herbs.

The freshly harvested vegetables are processed in the kitchen into vegetarian and vegan dishes. Traditional recipes interpreted in a modern way are particularly popular at Aufatmen.

Whether it’s vertical gardening on your balcony, herb pots on your windowsill, or raised beds in the garden, we hope we’ve whetted your appetite to grow your own vegetables. Tag us on your garden project on Instagram – then we’ll share your post in our Story.