I bought my first and only Basil plant at an HEB in Houston and have loved watching him grow. He has gotten so much bigger ever since-not only in how far it stretches over his pot, but the leaves as well! I’ve kept the plant indoors, as well as outdoors, and have never had much trouble taking care of him. The only thing that I learned the hard way was the importance of pruning your Basil. My plant was getting so big that it started to droop and the leaves became all wrinkly instead of open and fresh like they normally did. Again, I turned to the internet, and I finally figured out that I needed to cut him back some. It was a little disconcerting to see my Basil so naked and tiny but the stems and leaves quickly grew back healthier and stronger than before. I HIGHLY recommend pruning your Basil… it will help the overall growth too much. I also have learned not to overwater the plant, but that it definitely needs more watering than the Night Blooming Cereus and Moon Cactus (last few posts). Besides learning all about this lovely herb, it has also possessed me to be more adventurous in the kitchen! Home-ade meatballs, pizza, quesadillas, breakfast tacos, and caprese salads all include fresh basil from my plant! I really enjoy growing Basil and hopefully I will find even more recipes to include the herb in… If you want to grow something that’s used in the kitchen as well as in your garden I would highly recommend beginning with Basil!
Above all, be the heroine in your life, not the victim. -Nora Ephron