Basil is, in my estimation, is the king of the annual herbs. I tried several different Basils for market and ended up growing ‘Genovese Basil' for market. With 4 or 5 plants 36 inches tall, I would make huge bunches that sold for a buck. Each year I could sell more than 1000 bunches. At September markets I would sell 150 plus bunches each market. The household chefs were making their ‘Pesto Pucks' to freeze for winter use (I will explain this later).

There are many basils to choose from but Genovese has best aroma, flavour and growth habits in my estimation. Your choice may be different, so try them all.

You can get very strong aromatic Thai Basil, Lettuce Leaf basil, cinnamon basil, liquorice basil, Red Opal basil, Lemon basil, Sacred or Holy Basil, West African Basil, Siam Basil and the list goes on. The Greek people prefer a small leaf basil listed in catalogues as Spicy Globe basil or another called Greek bush Basil, that has strong basil taste. One of the French basils, Marseillais as well as Magical Michael, are very aromatic Basils, but the bunches for market were not large enough for me, as it had to be big and tall to sell extra good. Most of my basil was sold at the thirty six inch height andI sold between 1 and 2 thousand bunches of basil at $1.00 bunch each year. I so enjoyed marketing my own produce. To sell basil, I took a few seed heads off at market, crumbled them between my hands and spread them over the walkway in front of my stand. The fabulous aroma would 'knock down' a few new customers each time, men or women, as they headed right for the source of that delightful intoxicating smell. So, I would "Sell by Smell" Once I had a new customer, they always came back, again and again.

Basil has been associated with love and romance for centuries and if a man gives a woman some Basil, it means he has loving feelings toward that person.

The aroma alone is like a sachet of perfume that is intoxicatingly pleasant. This said, I rode in a closed cargo van with 150 plus bunches of Genovese Basil for 1 hour and 15 minutes for nearly 10 seasons on market days and I got overdosed with the aroma of Genovese Basil each time.

I still love the aroma of basil after all of that and indeed, I do present huge bunches of this herb to many ladies that I adore or could it be that, being so easy to grow, I have ample Basil to give away.

I prefer to believe that I love all of my lady friends, because they are the fairer sex. Giving a bouquet of Basil becomes an act of affection and kindness. Tell your friends to place the bouquet in a glass of cold water and they can enjoy fresh Basil leaves every day in the salad bowl. They can just stop near the bouquet of basil, stoop and breath in that sensual aroma often.

Change the cold water often to keep the bouquet fresh until your admirer gives you another bouquet fresh from the garden. Better still, plant some basil and wow someone with a bouquet yourself, you romantic you.

Basil is as easy as waiting until outdoor planting time, making a row with a garden hoe, and sprinkling sparsely the shiny black seeds along that row. Drag a rake lightly over the seeds, and then tamp down hard with the flat part of the hoe, or walk toe to toe along the row stepping on all of the seeded row. Planting is done. You hardly need to cover the seed as it is so tiny. Maximum depth is one quarter inch deep.

In a week to 10 days you will see tiny basil plants and at this time you need to hand weed anything out that doesn't look like a basil to eliminate weed competition to the growing basil plants.

Now the gardeners secret comes out. Sprinkle, holding your hand at hip level, a handful of Urea 46% nitrogen along the row using a handful every ten foot of row. In five days your basil will be three to five inches tall and never look back until (with Genovese) it reaches full height at thirty-six inches. Voila ! You are as good at growing basil as Gardener Harold. I do not like to give all my secrets away, but this one fits so well with this green leafy herb. I just had to tell you how it is done. I know you can grow basil in this manner too.

PESTO PUCKS - In August or early September when the basil is at full height and full flavoured, take as many basil plants as your culinary needs will be. Pick all of the leaves off the basil. Be sure to wash the basil first, even though the gardener has probably washed it three times as I did for market. Now grind the leaves through a food processor along with pine nuts and add a bit of olive or vegetable oil as you go. What comes out of the food processor looks like green mush and is spooned into small muffin shells then pressed down to be about one inch thick. If you cannot find pine nuts, use basil and oil only and that works too.These are frozen in the freezer on a tray and then put in zip-lock bags marked basil for winter use. Again, Voila ! You have created your very own Pesto Pucks to flavour stews, vegetable dishes, Newfoundland Boiled Dinner, and soups all winter long. Just plop a Pesto puck into your cooking pot. What could be easier than that? In our picture the pucks are too large and would over flavour if adding a whole one, but you may like it strong flavoured. Are you sure you are not Italian, may possibly be your first compliments. Karen, my wife, takes her little hammer and a clean flat screwdriver and cuts the large pucks I made into quarters that work well for her.

Another reason to be a gardener has just been presented to you. You can dine like kings and queens with the finest of herbs if you have them growing in your herb garden and learn how to use them.

Happy Gardening to you from Harold. You will probably find Gardener Harold in his daylily garden if you stop by. He may have a bouquet of basil for you too in season.