A Little Bit Green

Front Steps

For the past three summers I have experimented with a patio garden. I rent, so the only thing actually in the ground is a delicious rhubarb plant. This I take full advantage of. Strawberry-rhubarb is one of my all time favourite flavour combinations. I love sweets but even more so when they are combined with something quite tart.
Down my front steps I have been planting various herbs and vegetable plants. I'm not going to waste my time planting and watering something that I can't even eat in the end. What would be the sense in that?
Each year I plant basil and tomatoes for certain. There isn't anything like fresh basil in a salad. I would eat fresh basil everyday if I was a good enough gardener to maintain it. Sadly where I lack gardening skills I must compensate for with self control. I am always tempted just to pick the basil plant clean, enjoy it and be done with it.
Tomatoes are another mainstay because they are not too finicky and well suited for planting in a pot. I prefer the smaller grape and cherry like varieties because they mature faster in our short gardening season. The one time I grew larger tomatoes, I waited all summer and that plant only produced one tomato. I picked it in the last week of August. It was such a momentous occasion that the tomatoe rotted on the counter while I decided what recipe would best showcase my achievement.  Over the years I've tried various herbs: oregano, thyme, sage, dill, chives and rosemary. This year I have some thyme and sage on the go. The sage is barely clinging to life but the thyme is doing alright. I've got two tomato plants this year. Both are small and sweet varieties.

Thyme

I'm also trying two different kinds of basil, a sweet one and a French basil. The French basil is a few full bunches of very small leaves. They are very pretty and smell amazing. Another bonus to the French basil is that you don't have to cut or tear it if you are using it as a garnish. It looks much nicer that the large leaves all torn up. Unfortunately my French basil is protesting something or other. I don't really know if it's over watering, under watering or disease. The base turns brown, the leaves turn light then the whole bunch shrivels and dies. Each time this has happened I've been in an unnecessarily bad mood, recounting all of the recipes I could have eaten with it.

French Basil =Death on My Doorstep

I have a lot to learn.