Trying to list the top 10 best things about summer would be impossible, but fresh basil would certainly make the list. There is no substitute for the aroma and...

reBlogged to basil herbs on Aug 18, 2008, 9:01PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2008-08-20, 06:00:33

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This morning’s basil harvest includes, Sweet, Purple Ruffles and an unknown miniature variety. After cleaning, this batch will be chopped and enough olive oil added to coat well. It will then go into the freezer for several future batches of pasta salad.

reBlogged to basil on Jul 31, 2008, 7:57AM

Posted by kerry Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2008-08-01, 06:11:05

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Earlier this week we stopped in to a farm market, since my vegetables are running late, and I wanted something homegrown, even if it wasn't my own. I picked up some yellow summer squash, red potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes. My globe basil is doing very well so I decided to make a pan of potatoes, squash, sweet onion and basil. . . .

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Posted by Brenda Jean Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, recipes on 2008-07-25, 06:49:28

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So today was my pesto making day.  I had planned on making it first thing in the morning but I was asked to cover the front desk at work until the afternoon. 

However, I did pick my basil first thing early this morning. Here is what my basil pot looks like prior to me picking it. 

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Posted by louisj80 Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, recipes on 2008-07-10, 06:36:44

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Posted by ldybug Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, containers on 2007-12-28, 00:45:47

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Is basil difficult to grow? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to basil on Dec 24, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2007-12-26, 00:09:59

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I found this cute pot at Homegoods several months ago and decided to put a basil seed in it. I've never grown basil indoors and have noticed a few striking differences b/w the indoor-grown basil and the same exact seeds grown outside. . . . .

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Posted by ldybug Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, containers, whimsy on 2007-12-05, 00:22:05

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I love my little strawberry planter by thr front door. Right now, I've got basil, coleus, and Poinsettia in it.
TIP: don't plant the Poinsettia...just place the pot right inside. The roots won't take over the pot this way. It may require a bit more water though. Remember to keep your basil pinched back.

reBlogged to basil whimsy

Posted by ldybug Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, whimsy on 2007-12-05, 00:21:20

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I pulled up my basil on Thursday. I'm enjoying these purple flowers on my kitchen windowsill.

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Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2007-11-04, 00:33:26

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" A man taking basil from a woman will love her always."

~ Sir Thomas Moore

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL BRUSCHETTA

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Posted by joey Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, tomatoes on 2007-10-09, 00:36:44

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No Worries Yet For This Cold Intolerant Purple Basil

Realization Of The Day:
Mother Nature is a tease.

Or maybe she's simply bored and figured she'd have some laughs by torturing us here in Missouri. All I know is that our recent little cold snap was a very false alarm. . . .

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Posted by Farmgirl Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2007-09-25, 06:59:40

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The Mint Killer has not lived up to her name this year. She’s been cultivating mint like nobody’s business, she’s cultivated purple AND green basil, and even the Easter Egg Peppers that Barbara from Acoustic Farms gave us when we stopped by the farm for sausage gravy and biscuits. . . .

reBlogged to basil recipes on Sep 20, 2007, 6:37AM

Posted by inadvertentgardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, recipes on 2007-09-21, 18:49:13

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Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2007-08-21, 06:31:41

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Posted by Amy Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, seeds on 2007-08-16, 06:23:16

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Forget the peppers, cukes and greens. This weekend, my garden was all about the tomato… and basil. . . .

reBlogged to tomatoes basil on Aug 13, 2007, 12:16PM

Posted by Jaime Chismar Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, tomatoes on 2007-08-14, 17:44:42

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It sure has been Hot here in Kentucky.I have been trying to water my herbs daily. Although it has been hot My herb gardens look pretty good. The other day I made this wonderful lemonade and I would like to share it with you. . . .

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Posted by Herbs and Me Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, recipes on 2007-08-10, 18:47:57

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I just finished planting 18 basil plants. I hope they grow up to be good pesto! I find that basil is prone to root rot in our damp spring weather. Often, later in the season, I need to fill in a few holes where I've lost plants. But, for now, the young plants look good.

Ocimum basilicum

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Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2007-06-02, 06:59:13

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Gardeners, plant and nature lovers can join in Green Thumb Sunday every week. Visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

reBlogged to basil on May 27, 2007, 10:33AM

Posted by inadvertentgardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2007-05-28, 23:05:58

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Rainy Day Basil

A pinch of the basil leaves on my kitchen windowsill and the fragrance transports me to another place -- a warm, sunny place in the summer garden -- a place I daydream about while our so-called "spring" gets interrupted by knuckle-numbing low temperatures. That basil on the windowsill, gazing out at Sunday's torrents of frigid rain, seems to be longing for warmer days just like I am. . . .

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Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2007-04-17, 23:53:11

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Posted by about me (ldybug) Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2007-04-09, 18:36:28

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For Yolanda Elizabet (I hope you will excuse the crazy lighting on this picture), African Blue Basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum x basilicum 'Dark Opal')

This will be my first year growing this particular variety of basil, although my sister and others swear by it. One source, does say it can be rooted in water (and you know I will try!). It is apparently, sterile, as it is a hybrid. Opinions differ on the taste, but I am always up for something new. A San Franciscan writer , Pam Peirce, likes its taste and the fact that they, in San Francisco (city of fog), can grow it. She also gives you a pesto recipe. . . .

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Posted by Gotta Garden Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2007-04-03, 23:58:32

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Last night I popped over to Outside and was enjoying her post about seed ordering/starting and her reference to Territorial Seed Company reminded me that just that day I had received a new catalog from them. To make this short story longer, I'm looking at this catalog and I spy Basil Pesto Perpetuo. . . .

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Posted by Gotta Garden Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2007-03-07, 00:04:32

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Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2007-01-29, 16:35:43

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The infamous basil seedlings withstand the thrills and indignities of a road trip, hotel stay, unfortunate flip, and also visit the beach risking death by seagull.

reBlogged to basil herbs on Jan 27, 2007, 3:00AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2007-01-28, 16:22:11

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Well, it sure was a good year for basil. I have always thought a second harvest was possible, but have never actually gotten one. This year we have had two big batches of basil. The first was in late August when I cut the plants down leaving about 5 inches of stem and a few leaves. During September, the plants regrew to their original height. This weekend I cut the entire plant off and cleared out the beds. I think we'll get a frost in a week or two anyway. We'll be able to eat pesto every day all winter now!

reBlogged to basil on Oct 10, 2006, 4:17PM

Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-10-11, 16:36:35

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Don't Worry, It'll Grow Back Realization Of The Day: I don't think I've ever pulled a live basil plant out of the ground. There's simply no reason to. About 14 or 15 years ago, when I was still living in northern California, I came upon a vendor at a farmer's market who was selling nothing but basil. He had a long table set up, and on it were several dozen brown paper bags, each holding one

reBlogged to basil on Sep 21, 2006, 6:06PM

Posted by farmgirl Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-09-22, 16:12:06

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This is how our plot looks these days. To some people, it might look like an unruly bunch of weeds, but I like to think of it as... lush... and... productive. Yeah, that's what we'll call it. Productive! In amongst all of the productiveness is our Thai basil plant. We started this from a transplant that was about 4 inches tall. It's now about 2 feet tall and at least as wide. I like its purple

reBlogged to basil peppers on Sep 17, 2006, 3:00PM

Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, peppers on 2006-09-18, 15:59:18

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We still have plenty of sweet basil in the garden and most of the plants are flowering now. I enjoy listening to the hum of the bees as they buzz blissfully from one flower to the next.

I know that it won't be long now before this year's crop of basil fades into nothing but memories, so I've been trying to think of different ways to make good use of it while it lasts. Eventually, I'll make a batch of pesto to freeze for the winter, but for now, I want to use it fresh -- as much as possible. . .

reBlogged to basil on Sep 3, 2006, 10:13AM

Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-09-04, 16:30:07

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I've had a few emails about my basis in the earthbox, so here is a photo of it. The basil plant was purchased at one of the USF Botanical Gardens plant festivals. We use it in homemade pasta and in lots of other things that enjoy herbs. We pick off the purple buds once in a while, but otherwise, the plant is completely easy to grow. In the earthbox, there is little chance of it drying out if the random summer rains happen to miss us.

reBlogged to basil containers on Aug 25, 2006, 6:44PM

Posted by Robert Brinkmann Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, containers on 2006-08-26, 23:04:41

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I started some mint seeds about a month ago and they were ready this week to go into my herb planter which has largely been taken over by basil. I have some other basil in an earthbox that I just can't stop growing! I could probably provide the neighborhood with the stuff.

Maybe this mint will start to take over the basil as the weather cools.

reBlogged to mint basil on Aug 18, 2006, 6:34PM

Posted by Robert Brinkmann Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, mint on 2006-08-19, 11:32:17

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Some of you may have noticed a distinct absence of Steve’s garden involvement over the past month. In fact, he just returned from a month-long trip to Gabon, which meant I’ve been tending the garden by myself.

But he’s back, and last night, he came out to join me in the garden before dinner. As I pointed out things to him that I had seen in the past month, I showed him something that I first noticed, to my horror, a couple of weeks ago. Some sort of gnarly, bumpy, nasty brown stuff seemed to be working its way up the stalk of our Genovese basil plant. . .

reBlogged to basil pests on Aug 18, 2006, 6:35AM

Posted by inadvertentgardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, pests on 2006-08-18, 23:30:40

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Trying to list the top 10 best things about summer would be impossible, but fresh basil would certainly make the list. As a tender annual, there is not substitute...

reBlogged to basil on Aug 16, 2006, 9:58PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-08-17, 23:15:46

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Sweet Basil 

reBlogged to basil on Aug 16, 2006, 8:16AM

Posted by Kathi Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-08-16, 23:12:46

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We’ve made pesto from our garden basil for maybe 20 years now. Always a slightly different mix of nuts, cheese, garlic, oil and basil. Sometimes we use the classic: pine nuts, sometimes walnuts. Sometimes only parmesan cheese, sometimes cheese mixtures. . .

reBlogged to basil recipes on Aug 13, 2006, 12:18PM

Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, recipes on 2006-08-14, 17:29:02

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Basil Gone Wild

Realization Of The Day:
I think I'm just going to let this giant volunteer patch of basil go to seed. I have plenty more in the garden (including some very young volunteer plants that popped up where the pole beans were supposed to ). And besides. . .

reBlogged to basil butterflies pickles on Aug 10, 2006, 9:04PM

Posted by farmgirl Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, butterflies, pickles on 2006-08-11, 23:13:04

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We're starting to reach that point in the summer when the garden produces more basil than we can keep up with. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. It simply means we've got plenty of raw material for making my favorite new pesto dish -- and more. This is the latest batch of sweet basil that we picked and set in glasses of water on our kitchen counter. This seems to be the best way to keep

reBlogged to basil recipes on Jul 31, 2006, 4:51PM

Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, recipes on 2006-07-31, 23:20:04

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The Volunteer Basil I Discovered Back In June Is Thriving

Realization Of The Day:
Apparently the blister beetles don't care for basil. (Thank goodness.)

Realization #2:
I really need to make some pesto. A lot of pesto. (Thank goodness.)

reBlogged to basil pests on Jul 25, 2006, 7:31PM

Posted by farmgirl Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, pests on 2006-07-26, 16:59:53

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I've been trying to add more purple flowers and foliage to my garden this year, so when I saw a packet of seeds for this purple basil, I couldn't resist. It has since grown very well for me, and now that I have it, I've been scratching my head trying to figure out what to use it for. Of course, it's pretty just to look at, but I wanted to see how it tastes. Purple basil is said to be too strong

reBlogged to basil on Jul 24, 2006, 12:35PM

Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-07-24, 23:38:16

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Up until 3 years ago, I was often heard saying that you could never plant too much basil. My husband and I were both very fond of pesto. I would make it with fresh basil and garlic from the garden, saute fresh mushrooms along with bell peppers and onions from the garden. Toss it all with some angel hair pasta and it was as good as anything I have ever had at an Italian Restuarant. . . .

reBlogged to basil recipes on Jul 20, 2006, 9:08PM

Posted by Kathi Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, recipes on 2006-07-21, 11:13:10

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We're experiencing typical July weather in Washington: unbearably hot and humid, with air so thick and heavy you can practically slice it with a knife. The last place I want to be on a day like this is out in the garden, where there is not a single square foot of shade. I'd rather take some of the garden inside with me, and kick back with a nice cold glass of refreshing lemonade. And with our

reBlogged to basil on Jul 16, 2006, 12:41PM

Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-07-16, 23:21:33

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There are many different varieties of this tasty Mediterranean herb. They are fragrant and attractive in the garden and a necessary ingredient in many Italian and fusion recipes. They are also considered one of the worlds most healthy foods. Basil is a good source of Vitamins A, C, and several minerals. Additionally it contains flavanoids and essential oils that have been shown to protect cells from a number of different types of damage. And, last but not least, it is reputed to have anti-inflammatory properties. All this only gives us more reason to grow and use bountiful basil. . . .

reBlogged to basil herbs on Jul 9, 2006, 5:12PM

Posted by Harvest Reblogged by Old Roses to basil, herbs on 2006-07-10, 15:29:59

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basil is the most glossy, beautiful ever. the leaves are very large and fragrant, and the flavor is scrumptious. i have been encouraging branching and bushiness by pinching the tops.

reBlogged to basil on Jun 27, 2006, 1:54PM

Posted by rachelle Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on 2006-06-29, 15:46:30

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I just started this new batch of basil. The first batch is about six inches tall and seriously in need a of some thinning. Thinning basil seedlings is never as sad as other seedlings because you know the victims are going to a better place. Your belly!

Since my family loves pesto so much, I try to plant a few batches during the growing season so we always have a steady supply.

reBlogged to basil on Jun 26, 2006, 9:07AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to basil on