Neighborly Advise

My garden out front has prompted some neighborly conversation that's included some gardening tips. This past Sunday we got a knock on the door and it was this lady from down the street asking if she could buy some of my basil. I told her she could just have some, but she insisted she pay me. She gave me two bucks in change and I asked if she could show me the best way to cut it. She was from Thailand and said she had a lot of wisdom about herbs. I grabbed a pair of scissors and watched how she snipped the top of the herb brushes at a angle. She also let me know that I should be cutting the flowering that's growing above all the herbs, supposedly the flowering effects the taste of the herbs making them more bitter. She was very kind and helpful.

Today I was out front cutting the flowering off and this nice redheaded lady came by and told me how much she loved my garden. She said she had to admit that when she walks by here everyday she brushes her hands past my herbs and that the smell of the lemon and cinnamon basil just makes her happy. That is such a wonderful compliment. She said her name was May, I think, and that she comes by here all the time. As I was throwing the flowering into the trash, she said I could still use those for seasoning stir fries and stews, by taking the flowering off the stems and freezing it. So then I started saving them. I just got done getting all the flowers off the stems and throwing a full bag of herbs into the freezer. My hands now smell amazing.

It's great to get such wonderful neighborly advise. Thanks ladies!

Growing Your Own Herbs

We're late to this game, but we're becoming big fans. When we planted up our front yard this year, we added, along with our purely ornamental plants, some basic herbs. I think we put in mint, cinnamon basil, lemon basil, dill, and one other that I can't remember. The last two didn't make the evolutionary cut, dying off before they could reach a sustainable size. But the first three are getting to be huge plants!

The obvious benefit is a front yard full of tasty fresh herbs for cooking. We had some family over today for brunch, and we used both types of basil in our breakfast potatoes and the mint in cool summer Southsides.* But here's the cool thing. The herbs look really good as ornamental plants, too. I was a little dubious about placing them right at the front of the yard, but they've become really attractive plants. The basil plants especially get these really nice looking mini flowers all across their heights and they smell amazing. Just walking past them you get strong scents of basil, cinnamon, lemon and mint. To me those smells trump your standard floral scents any day.

Next year I'd like to put in even more herbs so that we never need to shop for spices again. At least not fresh ones. It's a goal.

*Southsides are one of the finest summertime adult beverages you could ask for. Look for the mixer at your local beer and wine store. Not every place carries it, so you'll have to ask around. Trust me, it's worth the search.