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Basil

 

Basil is easy to grow.  This year, seeds from last year were the starting point.

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Using last years seeds, I sprouted 9 new plants.

After that, I  bought a "seed starter" and sprouted more,

 transplanting the new ones into 4 inch plastic pots.

I found that using clay pots dried out the seedlings too fast.

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        "Early Greek and Roman physicians believed that to grow a good cop of basil, one had to shout and curse when sowing the seeds.  From this custom was born the French idiom semer le balsic, 'sowing the basil' for  'raving.' "

                From Rodlae's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs (1987)

 

From one plant last year, I was able to give away a lot of basil plants.

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        "According to an anecdote attributed to Tournefort, a seventeenth-century botanist, 'A certain Gentleman of Sienna being wonderfully taken and delighted with the smell of Basil, was wont very frequently to take the Powder of the dry Herb, and snuff it up his Nose; but in a short time he turned mad and died; and his Head being opened by Surgeons, there was found a nest of Scorpions in his Brain.' "  

                From Rodlae's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs (1987)

 

 

 

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