Herbs – Building a Basil Library

 

Basil.

Basil, basil and more basil.

The Complete Book of Herbs, by Lesley Bremness, notes you should “pound with oil or tear with fingers rather than chop” this native of Africa and Asia when used in the kitchen.  I note growing tomatoes mandates growing basil – your summer will never lack a side dish or garden-fresh hors d’oeuvre.

Last summer I grew Genovese, Thai and African Blue basil.

This year I can’t stop myself.  From various plant sales and farmers markets, I have potted so far:

Red Rubin

Dark Opal

Cinnamon

Ararat

Valentino

Napolitano

I sowed seeds in two tomato pots and have tiny starts:

Sweet Genovese

Eritrean

In my seed packet pox, woefully waiting for me to sow again (original batch lost to cut worms and damping off):

Salad Leaf

Holy

Genovese (more)

According to Wikipedia’s list of basil cultivars, I am well on my way to having way more basil than someone with a modest city yard should have.

I am so excited.  Neal collects records, I collect basil.