Several weeks ago we bought nine herb plants for $45. Julie was busy getting azaleas and impatiens, and I was tagging along like a good husband. She promised to buy me some mulch to spread in the gardens — which for some reason is a very guy thing to like to do.
Now, I like flowers but another guy thing is practicality — like my father said when he went to Rome, "How many statues can you look at?"
So I saw a table of herb plants, and I suggested we use a rectangular planter in the middle of the patio to plant them. The rain here in northern Virginia has been excellent for plant growth — the tomato plants we bought have more than tripled in size — but a couple of the plants died. Natural attrition, I guess.
But the basil, cilantro, parsley and spearmint plants that are thriving have been an incredible addition to the pantry. There is nothing like going outside, clipping a small handful of leaves and chopping them into your food.
Like my mother says, "Oh, the flay-va!"
Using the basil also reminded me of a Belgian chef I used to work with. He would put the fresh sprigs up to his nose like he was sniffing glue and exclaim, "Bee-you-ti-ful Basil!" The smell is intoxicating.
Still, I didn't like spending $5 on one basil plant that has shriveled, or losing the money on a couple of tomato plants, either.
As so often happens, I got more involved than I expected. Went to Target and bought five packets of seeds and a box of Miracle-Gro potting soil. Total investment about $12. I Found a nice rectangular table I painted and am using as a planting station. The planting commences this evening.
My goal is to have herbs all winter long, inside the house in pots, and to always have fresh cooking ingredients just a scissor clip away. It adds a lot to beans, pasta — the cilantro is even great in eggs.
Of the tools below, I own the Fiskars long-handled clippers as well as the short pruners — excellent quality!
Article comments
1 - jadester
i hear ya. We don't even have many or exotic herb plants - just mint and chives (although we also have something that smells like spearmint growing in the shallow end of our pond - i keep meaning to look up if it is safe to eat...)
There's nothing like boiled new potatoes with a hint of mint and small bits of chives thrown in. Mmm
BTW i recommend you get a composter. Keep a separate bin (we use a cheap plastic bucket, and plastic bags as liners) for compostable (?) stuff (i.e. anything organic, including crushed eggshells). The composter we have is quite large, and now provides a pretty steady supply of good-quality compost. It also often has a large ants' nest in it during summer (which just seems to help break the stuff down into good soil). Works a treat not to mention the fact that it helps the environment
2 - Phillip Winn
My wife does quite a bit of cooking, especially lately as she has been testing recipes for a small catering business. I am constantly amazed when I see bunches of herbs like cilantro and basil going for ridiculous prices in grocery stores, especially when I know that they taste like shallow imitations of what we grow at home.
There is something special about garlic pesto made with basil from the back yard. Mmmmm...
Be careful with mint, though. Man, that stuff planted in the ground will run freely all over everything. It's a creeper. Keep it in a little pot. :)
3 - Murphy
The sad thing about Basil is that it is an annual. It will die after about a year.
Save the rest of the seeds.