Today I sowed the basil seeds. We are supposed to have chilly weather tonight, but I think it will all be good, and that we can probably count May 15 as the Last Frost Date, which is weirdly in accordance with the estimation that I use for my zone. My friend asked how much basil to plant for a person, and that is a tricky equation. Some folks use less than a single, small herb pot plant for the whole season, for a whole family, while I can use a garden of the pungent leaves all on my own in a week.So here's my recommendation:
Start with a single plant. For me, that is nowhere near enough, and I usually end up buying a packet of seeds and planting a row or two. I could harvest it darned near daily. Also, it's a handy plant in the garden. Plant it around tomatoes and it will repel various predators, including deer (nothing is guaranteed when it comes to deer, but they seem to avoid the stinky plants), and it will also keep fruit flies away when the vegetables are harvested. Pick a bowl full of sunshine-ripe vegetables and throw a few leaves of basil over it all to repel the fruit fly. Then, in the kitchen, warm some garlic in some olive oil and tear the basil leaves into the pan. Let it all warm gently while you wash and dice the tomatoes, which you throw into the pot and let simmer until the whole thing is warm, while the water for angel hair comes to a boil in a different pot. By the time the angel hair is ready, the tomato has released its juices and the whole thing is herbalicious. Ladle the tomatoes over the pasta and enjoy!
