An Abundance of Basil

After throwing money away in the form of tossing over-the-hill pungent, slimy, and browned cilantro, basil, and parsley all too-often, I decided it was time to grow my own. Besides, there's nothing like fresh herbs just nipped from the garden to accent your dish! I grew up with raised beds full of tomatoes, onions, snap peas, parsley, lettuce and the like in my backyard, and this is something I'd always wanted to replicate. Only, here in California I'd forever hesitated due to the harsh afternoon sun. I feared it would fry any greens I'd attempt to bring to life outside. Recently, though, it dawned on me that our tiny balcony faces eastward. Thus, it only receives morning sunlight and is actually sheltered by the apartment itself from the blazing hot rays of the afternoon sun. This was all I needed to know to get going on my first herb garden.

Due to size constraints, I had to be very selective about what I chose to grow. After some debate at the local OSH, I picked out basil (for pestos and caprese salads), parsley (Shrek makes an awesome clams linguine that calls for loads of parsley and garlic), mint (for the mojitos, of course!), and some thyme, oregano, and rosemary. 

I laid moss along the bottom of a 36" x 12" x 10" rectangular pot before filling it with a combination of potting soil and used coffee grounds (a la a 6th grade science fair project that earned me a blue ribbon!) True to my 6th-grade findings, the plants took to the new and caffeinated soil immediately and are absolutely thriving. I water them about every 3-4 days (I let them go for an entire week while we were in WA which they survived) and am actually getting a little concerned that the basil is getting a little too comfortable.... As you can see, it's practically taken over the box!

Total cost of plants + gardening supplies: $60.