My dining room table looks like a plant nursery. Various basils, tomatoes, hot peppers, even lemongrass and Vietnamese coriander (rau răm). Plants I have grown from seed and plants I purchased. All too small or too tender to live outside. They are slightly disco colored because of the plant lights being on – everything is actually NOT purple!

And one herb is giving me a hard time. Genovese Basil. Just not happy. I had four plants I know that I would definitely lose if I didn’t pot them up, but I can’t leave them out at night yet, so I will be bringing the pots in and out for a couple of weeks. Which is a real drag. I have already lost a heliotrope, and I keep looking at another pot wondering what plan B will be if stuff doesn’t make it.

This has been a weird spring and not just because of COVID19/Coronavirus, but because of the weather. Early warm, then nasty frosts. I feel like all I do is move pots and cover plants. As my friend Sara said however, it’s time for some of the plants to fish or cut bait. But my Genovese basil? I will try to be patient and baby it along some more.

I put the Geneovese Basil on the deck to sunbathe. The sun is pretty strong back there right now because the trees haven’t completely leafed out. And it’s easy to bring them in from there.

I love basil and I probably plant way too much of it. Purple, Thai, Lime, Genovese. But the Genovese is the ultimate pesto and Italian cooking basil. It’s great in containers too. If it survives the fits and starts of spring 2020 as long as I keep pinching it, it should do fine.

Genovese basil is a go-to variety of sweet basil, not only because of its big and very fragrant leaves, but it is also slow to “bolt” in heat and does not become bitter with age. “Bolt”= go to seed. Lettuce and arugula also do this when it gets too hot. I also just like the way it looks.

Soon I hope to be able to plant out all my hot peppers and tomatoes. Fingers crossed we have just about reached the end of dangerous frosts. I will be growing tomatoes in grow bags and pots this year. I have discovered they seem to do well in them. I create teepees from tall garden stakes and stake them easily.

Well we have a beautiful day to garden in, so I hope you enjoy the day!

Happy gardening!