With a recent rain storm passing by I went outside to capture some pictures of the plants that we collect leaves from for cooking. The purple basil plants are very happy this time of year. Producing lots of leaves and has been enjoying the rains we have been getting. A few days it was pretty dry, but now we are back to a pretty consistent rain every few days if not weekly which the plants really like.
We had a few weeks of pretty intense heat, and seems like it has caused them to turn back to green in some areas. But luckily the newest growth looks like its going back to purple.
It does keep bolting, so maybe its time to start some new seeds and just harvest these down to the stems.
Last year we had a few basil plants in a single pot and they were not very happy with that. So this year they each got their own pot.
I love the purple variety of plants, including cannabis of course :-)
The sweet basil stays green and has been a happy plant as well.
It keeps trying to bolt as well, we pinch off the buds and use them for cooking. The leaves are great as well when making pesto.
The lemon grass is getting big, I think its time to start making some soups or curry with it.
Got a close up of the water on the leaves.
It has been years since I have grown lemon grass, gonna be some good times using it.
The marjoram is doing okay, got a bit stressed for a few days and lost a few leaves.
I started new lavender seedling this year, and decided instead of planting directly in the ground the first year I should give them a year two in a pot to get them started instead. Otherwise its hard for them to compete with the grasses around here.
Got four or five of them, looking forward to them getting big and smelling great.
I like starting the seeds and growing them this way, buying adult lavender plants can be quite costly. So growing them this way is something I think I prefer.
Sage is doing good too, we use it in cooking too but not as much as the basil.
The cilantro is coming up, I think that is what it is.. I should smell the leaves.
Oregano has gone from sprawling sideways to now growing vertically. Seems quite happy.
Though not an herb, they still grow with the herbs.. are the cacti. All of the flowers have now fallen off, and the fruits are slowly ripening. They should change color when its time to harvest.
Cannot wait to try them, going to be the first time I have harvested fruit from these basket cacti. So looking forward to seeing how they taste. They look like they will be on the smaller side, but I think thats normal for most fruit on potted plants.
