Ah, it's Friday again, and I've been thinking since last night about what to write in today's post. There are, after all, so many things that need critical commentary that it's hard to choose and equally hard to keep my thoughts down to a length people will actually take the time to read and ponder.

So...

Today, we won't deal in heavy topics. Today, we'll talk about my modest little herb garden.

In three large pots in front of the house, I'm growing rosemary, thyme, chives, tarragon, and basil...lots and lots of basil. There's nothing quite like fresh herbs for good cooking, but if you buy those herbs in little plastic packages at the grocery, they'll cost you an arm and a leg, so it's much better to grow them yourself. Our basil is shooting up and bushing out nicely, and I can't walk past the pots without rubbing the leaves to enjoy the wonderful smell. Soon, we'll have enough basil for good tomato-mozzarella-basil salads. The thyme is growing well, too - and it will soon find its way into soups and rice pilafs. The rosemary, which is a perennial, is marvelously fragrant and growing like mad; the tarragon is also growing very well, but for some reason doesn't seem to smell at all...I guess we'll have to harvest some and try it out to see if the plants are okay. That leaves the chives, which are growing and spreading well...no flowers yet, but they aren't far off.

There's something deeply satisfying about growing our own herbs. If nothing else, it's a good feeling to just be able to step outside, pick the fragrant leaves you grew yourself, and toss them right into your recipe...without having to wrestle open a plastic box.

Have a good weekend. More thoughts are coming.

Bilbo