My husband and I planted nothing in 2015, with the exception of an onion that I planted upside down by accident. The onion never had a chance! However, it just so happened that our basil plants seeded and landed in fertile soil at the end of the 2014 planting season. We were excited to see about three basil plants pop up over the summer! They survived despite only being watered by the rain for a period of time. Nature doesn't always need our help like we think it does!
The basil plants came in handy for a tomato basil chicken dish that was cooked on more than one occasion. I love the aromatic spicy, mint smell of basil straight from the garden. The soft, tangy sweet fluff is even better to eat! Marinated with garlic and tomato juices, it's almost heavenly. I'm grateful that we didn't miss out on such a delicious treat over the summer!
One handy trick for adding some green to your kitchen throughout the seasons, is to save the ends of green onions. Chop the onions near the base of the plant, leaving about three inches remaining. Place them in a small dish and put them near a sunny window. You may notice them sprout up a little later in the day or by the next morning at the latest. This of course depends on the time of day and the amount of light available.
Ideally, you'll want to plant the onions in a pot with soil. You can continue to cut them down and enjoy them longer this way. However, simply left in water, you can cut them and regrow them up to three times before the roots get too nasty. The disadvantage to this is that the onions grow back a little thinner each time. I don't mind this as long as I can get more than one use out of the plant. It's nice to have some easy access to fresh onions for snipping into dishes!
I like to start the onions off in a small dish when they first start growing again.
As they grow larger I move them to a glass mason jar.
The onions are in the kitchen window for lighting and easy access to prep meals.
I missed having fresh basil and couldn't find cut plants at the grocery store, so we ended up with a potted plant. Despite the fact that Maryland is still dealing with snow from a blizzard that began on Friday, my kitchen still has splashes of green and hope for spring!
I also have a bamboo plant and an orchid hanging out in my kitchen. Sadly, I cannot eat those, but they are still beautiful to look at!
Related Links
- To read the 2014 garden series please visit Planting Begins!
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