Our Garden’s Most Useful Plant: The Oregano Growing Right in Front of Our House

Hello, Hive people! ‎ ‎I’m @mayt, and just like before, I really love sharing the plants growing around our home. ‎ ‎Today, I want to show you one of the plants we use the most. It's our oregano plant.

‎ ‎We planted this in front of our house, where we can easily reach it whenever we need some leaves. ‎ ‎But what I find amazing about this plant is that even when we cut it, trim it, and keep harvesting from it, it continues to grow so well. ‎ ‎In fact, sometimes it grows so well that my hubby and I have to help each other maintain it because if we just leave it alone, the stems can grow really long and the whole plant can become too big. ‎ ‎ ‎So now and then, we cut some of the stems and leaves to keep it manageable. ‎ ‎My family uses this oregano when we have coughs or colds, and our neighbors do too. ‎Whenever someone nearby catches a cold, they just come to our house and ask if they can get a few oregano leaves. And of course, they're always welcome to take some. ‎ ‎So this is one of the ways we find out who's sick in our neighborhood. Haha ‎ ‎Since our plant is right in front of our house, it's easy for everyone to get a few leaves when needed. ‎ ‎ ‎Also, we have another oregano plant upstairs, growing in a plastic pot. But this one looks a little different from the oregano we have downstairs, as it has a softer, more decorative appearance, and it looks like the ones you could keep indoors. ‎ It also produces flowers, which I don't usually see on our oregano downstairs. ‎ ‎ ‎So yeah, I find it interesting because even though we call them both oregano, they don't look the same. ‎

‎How We Usually Prepare It

‎ ‎If you're curious about how we use our fresh oregano at home, here's what we usually do. First, we pick some fresh leaves from the stem and wash them properly. Since oregano grows outside and is exposed to dust I make sure to clean the oregano leaves before using them. Then we put the oregano leaves in hot water and let them steep for a while. ‎ ‎Sometimes, we add calamansi and a little sugar to make it easier to drink. Other times, we've tried it with milk and sugar, which also makes a nice combination. ‎ ‎It's just a simple homemade drink that can soothe coughs or colds. ‎ ‎Of course, we still rely on proper medicine and medical care when someone is really sick, especially the kids. ‎ ‎But having this plant growing right outside our home is like having a natural pantry ready whenever we need it. ‎ ‎I'm honestly thankful that we decided to grow oregano... 'Coz during the times when we don't have extra money to buy things, having useful plants around the house can really be a big help. ‎ ‎I know some people also use this oregano in cooking. ‎ ‎I have actually seen oregano being sold in grocery stores. But I have never tried using ours that way. Maybe that is something I should explore next. 😅 ‎ ‎For now, our oregano remains one of the most useful plants in our little home garden. ‎ ‎Thank you so much for taking the time to visit our garden today. 😊 ‎ ‎See you again in my next garden post! 🥰 ‎ ‎With love, ‎@mayt 💕