Living Basil

For four years now I have tried to grow my own garden. When I failed the first time I blamed it on the Texas sun and soil. We were living in Austin, TX and about an inch under the top layer of soil was solid Texas limestone. The second year in Texas, after mixing in new soil and trying really hard to grow tomatoes and basil (that's all I want, fresh tomatoes and basil), my garden still failed and I blamed it on the dogs, the sun, and bad luck. Now that I am back in Utah though I still have not had gardening success. It's sad really. Fresh herbs (aside from cilantro and parsley) are so expensive, but they make such a difference in a tasty meal.

I thought I would share with you a little tip. At certain stores around (I've seen them at WinCo and Harmons) you can buy living basil. It's a little plant of basil, and sure it costs more than a small package of fresh basil (not that much more), but it is a wise investment. This basil plant (which is starting to look very, very sad) has been sitting near a window in my kitchen for well over a month now. Every time I make a dish that has basil I just pluck a few leaves. It is so convenient! And sure eventually I overpick my plant and it dies, but that usually takes about two months to happen. So as long as I keep it watered and in decent sunlight I can have access to fresh basil for only about $2 a month. Way less stressful than gardening or buying tiny little packages of basil that could go bad before I use them. So check and see if your local store has living basil for sale, I totally recommend it!