CLAUDIA BERMUDEZ-HYUN: A silver lining
Claudia Bermudez-Hyun was the first person who talked to me about planting produce as a reaction to the pandemic. Since then, this beautiful mother and yoga enthusiast has created a vegetable box in her garden. Surrounded by nature in her Singapore abode, she narrates how wildlife seemed to inhabit her home.
“I began to notice how nature was taking over: several beehives appeared suddenly, birds were building their nests in areas that they never had before, a family of hornbills came to the pool daily, unrecognizable new loud chirps were waking us up in the mornings, trees were healthier and orchids were all in full bloom. The air felt so clean and the earth so fertile. Aware that we would have ample time to tend to it, and as a project the kids could be involved with, I decided to set up a vegetable box in the back of our garden and grow greens we could consume rather than purchase.”
She started planting herbs such as mint, basil, chives, thyme, rosemary, dill, and lettuce. Celery, pumpkins, tomatoes, melons and ladyfingers were added by collecting and drying the seeds of what they were eating at home. All the seeds have successfully thrived and grown.
On another level, Claudia says, “Gardening or planting makes me happy. The first thing my children and I do in the mornings is to check on the seedlings and decide what to repot or plant that day. It’s calming and therapeutic being immersed in nature a few hours a day: watering, fertilizing, pruning and harvesting.”
This is a long-term project and commitment for Claudia, who is embracing it fully. Looking at the situation in a positive light, Claudia concludes, “Connecting with nature this way has been one of the silver linings of the lockdown.”