There Is Little in the Garden That Is More Sensual Than Brushing Past a Basil Plant, Running

Basil

Ocimum spp.

There is little in the garden that is more sensual than brushing past a basil plant, running your hands through its soft green leaves and releasing their warm, sweet fragrance. It makes tending the garden a pleasure, and, given proper sun and moisture, it is such a prolific producer of leaves that you will have plenty to use fresh and to prepare for use when the ground freezes.

There are about sixty-four species of Ocimum, all native to the tropics and subtropics, and thus frost-tender. They are shrubby plants, growing from eighteen inches to a reported six and a half feet tall, and they require full sun, good drainage, and plenty of moisture.6 The plants root easily from cuttings placed in water, so you can multiply your crop quickly and inexpensively. Pinching off the blossoms as they begin to form will keep the plants producing leaves throughout summer and into early fall. Basil plants may be harvested as soon as they begin to reach their mature height, if you can wait that long. Just be sure to leave enough of the plant that it can continue to grow. If the plant flowers, you can use the blooms too—try tossing a few into your salads, soups, or baked goods.

The fragrance of various cultivars ranges from anise, cinnamon, clove, and thyme to lemon, camphor, and floral tones. Cinnamon basil goes well with chocolate, lemon-scented cultivars are wonderful with fish, and anise-scented basils are good with fruits and desserts. The basil most commonly sought is O. basilicum (sweet basil). Cultivars include ‘Lettuce Leaf’, ‘Italian’, ‘Genoa Green’, and ‘Purple Ruffles’. These are best when eaten fresh, pairing nicely with tomato dishes. There is little better in this world than a sandwich of homemade whole wheat bread, thick slices of homegrown tomato still warm from the garden, a little mayonnaise, and a big handful of fresh basil. ‘Greek Columnar’ (O. xcitriodorum), also known as ‘Lesbos’ and ‘Aussie Sweetie’, gives quick and fragrant structure to a garden, as well as being a great source for pesto. ‘Dark Opal’ is a lovely choice for herb butter: try mixing a stick of softened butter with ‘Dark Opal’ basil, a little honey, and a few chopped cranberries. Spread on toast or biscuits, it makes a mouth-watering treat.

Plant lots of basil in all of its variety—you won’t be disappointed. Once you have grown your own, you will wonder why anyone bothers with the dried basil available in grocery stores.

From: The Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs, Schlosser, Katherine. LSU Press, 2007.