Sweet Basil
Myrtle Beach weather, hot and humid 9 months out of the year, is perfect for growing sweet basil. I don't get enough sunlight in my home to save my basil during the winter months, so I just buy a new plant every spring. I just got this plant from Lowes, $3.50 because I suck at gardening and can't grow things from seed. This baby will be 2 feet high by summer's end and will add months of free delicious goodness to pestos, pastas, bread dips. I've got a black thumb but even I can't kill my herbs, thank goodness.
Tips:
1. Harvest frequently, to encourage bushy growth. Otherwise you will end up with a long skinny, sad looking basil plant. I do not look at this as work....that's more food for me.
2. The first time I grew basil, ants were eating up my poor plant. Seven dust works wonders.
My Beloved Thyme Plant
This champion has been alive since last year when I carted him home from Lowes. I don't even water this thing, yet it mysteriously stays green, abundant, and most importantly, edible. Thyme smells lemony. It tastes good with everything.
I highly recommend growing herbs. They are basically weeds, so they are usually pretty hard to kill even for someone with a black thumb like me. I started growing my own herbs when I realized how much they cost at the supermarket. Getting a few herby leaves at the grocery store (which provides enough herbs for 2 meals) cost the same as buying the plant and growing it yourself (which provides enough herbs for your whole family forever) ! Well, I am not crazy about gardening but I love herbs in my food, so the cost-analysis there was a no-brainer.
No comments:
Post a Comment