A man taking basil from a woman will love her always.
– Sir Thomas More (English Lawyer, Social Philosopher, Author and Stateman – 1478-1535)
Basil
Photo by PH Morton
Herb: Basil
Latin Name: Ocimum basilicum
The above photo was taken by Peter by my kitchen window sill.
We bought this pot of basil at Sainsburys, our local supermarket. It said to use the young shoots to encourage more growth to the herb plant. Basil is very aromatic. It gives off a very strong fresh smell, almost minty.
I love basil and Peter does too. We think that a pasta cooked in basic tomato sauce is not complete without a sprig of basil.
Did you know?
There was a very old superstition about planting basils. Apparently to really enhance the scent of basil and really make it more potent, one should rave and rant, including shouting an expletive or two while planting the basils.
I would definitely remember this when I had to repot the basil, provided I don’t kill it first. LOL
Basil as an aphrodisiac:
Also ancient Greek believed that basil improve a person’s sex drive and fertility. 😉
Italian women, once upon a time, used to wear basil to indicate that they were available and do not have a headache. 🙂 LOL