Basil and Mint

I initiate every summer by planting a bunch of herbs in this washtub.  Now the chives and the mint are established and regrow themselves every year.

Chive blossoms

Mint

I can't walk by the mint without pulling off a leaf and wadding it up between my fingers so I can smell it's minty wonderfulness!  Other than wadding it up between your fingers and putting it in iced tea, what do you do with mint?  Recipes please!

Last year, I planted basil seeds and was SO excited when I managed to grow lots of little tiny basil plants!

Some of them even got to be kinda BIG basil plants.  I still aspire to have huge basil BUSHES someday!

This year, I kept forgetting to buy basil seeds.  But then, recently, I was in the produce department at Walmart and had the choice of buying three sprigs of fresh basil in a package for $1.50 or a 14" tall basil plant with 8 stems in a pot for $2.50.  Easy decision!

Basil

Isn't fresh basil glorious?

My favorite basil recipe:  Fill a large ziplock bag with about six chicken breasts, some olive oil, some garlic, some basil torn into pieces, and one lemon squeezed into the bag and then slice what's left and throw it in too!  Refrigerate while it marinates for anywhere from an hour to a day.  Then bake.  It is wonderful!  

Then, if you have leftover chicken, shred it up and add mayonnaise and raisins for a wonderful chicken salad!  

Hmmm... maybe I'll make some pesto too!  I usually make it with pistachios instead of pine nuts.  Tastes the same to me!

Tomatoes

I am not a gardener.  I can kill plants just by looking at them.  Or, it may be that thing about forgetting to water them.

Recently, I heard that thirsty plants "cry" for water by making a high pitched sound that humans can't hear.  That makes me so sad I just might remember the water thing a little more readily from now on!

I plant tomatoes every year because I adore fried green tomatoes.  It's hard to procure green tomatoes unless you grow them yourself or talk the tomato guy at the farmer's market into bringing you some.

Usually the tomato guy method is the most productive because my tomato plants rarely grow actual tomatoes.  And not until late September if they do.

I love this shot!  It just glorifies the tomato plant to new heights for me.

I have four tomato plants this year.  They are in stair-step heights.  I think it has to do with the progression of the sun and the shade from the redbud tree.  This is the tallest one.  I almost threw it a party when it reached the height of the picket fence!

I learned something about tomato plants this year from my friend Don Bennett who runs Tri Cycle Farm, a local community garden.  He told me to pull off anything that grows out of the V where two parts of the stem split.  He said these sprouts are non-productive and they sap strength from the rest of the plant.  I've been doing this and these are the strongest plants I've had in years.  

He also made me pull off the first set of blossoms so the plant could grow stronger before it starts producing.  That was hard but I did it.  Now I have new blossoms!

And another favorite shot -- reaching for the sun!

Wish me tomatoes -- the green kind!