Blog article by Paula Pashby, UC Master Gardener-Solano
My sister recently traveled to Pakistan on business and sent me photos of the places she visited. She spent time in many cities and met many people on this trip, but one of the highlights was enjoying the local cuisine. The Pakistani dishes are well-known for their rich and spicy flavors.
One set of photos that she sent was from the Hotel Serena in the city of Faisalabad. My sister knew that I would particularly enjoy these because of the gardens! The hotel had large beds with an exquisite mix of herbs and vegetables that are used to supply the hotel restaurant. These garden beds are nicely structured with signs to identify each of what is planted. To top it off, my sister also sent photos of the food dishes she tasted; wonderfully alluring!
I wondered why I was so intrigued by the garden pictures and eventually realized that it's because the planted garden selections reflect the culture of the region, giving me new insights about travel. Plus, it made me happy to see that the Farm to Fork movement is practiced well around the world.
Speaking of which, here is a photo of my own modest herb garden that we use for many of our own meals… Mangia, Mangia, or as they say in Pakistan, "Zaberdast".