Potted herbs - July update

The basil plants have really put on some growth now, it has been a few months in their pots and I think they are well established now. In the heat they have started bolting, but we cut off the flowers and use them for cooking.

As the leaves get bigger we also use those on pizzas and in pesto we make. It is so great to be able to walk outside and pick it fresh. Its the best that way, just minutes from picking being used in cooking.

We also have some yarrow, cone flower and either a rosemary or lavender plant together in one pot.

Thyme is being grown as well and is showing lots of leaves coming up. We will use that in cooking as well soon.

I really like the smell of them. Something special about the smell of thyme.

Rosemary is the plant I think this is. The leaves have a slightly different structure from the lavender, that is the best way I can tell.

But mostly basil, and may kinds of it. We use it all together. Just go outside with a bucket and some scissors and collect a bunch.

One of our favorites it the lemon basil, it also happens to be one of the largest.

It got so big I had to stake it using a wooden skewer.

The purple and red basils are growing but not anywhere as fast as the lemon and other varieties.

Seems they are turning back to green.

I am unsure of which this type is.. I think sweet basil.

We must have started seeds for around 5 kinds, but their labels got lost at some point in planting.

Savory is being grown in these pots as well and is bolting.

We can see the thyme, savory and basil further down. Along with a little rosemary plant.

One of the thyme plants is much bigger than the other.

For some of the basils they just keep bolting, we have tried to trim off the buds but no new leaves come back. Though for others it seems fine to cut back the flowers to promote more leaf growth. I guess that does not work for every herb.

The savory plants are doing well, they share a pot with another yarrow plant.

It has tiny little flowers that remind me of rosemary buds. It is hard to say if they have a smell since the herbs have their own scent to them.

I wonder if they drop seeds will they come back next year. I think some will.

They all look very happy now, adjusted to their pots and getting lots of sunlight outdoors.

Italian basil is doing well too. We can see the difference between the two.. The one on the right is the sweet basil.

The herbs and cactus live together, and all seem quite happy. Maybe one day those cactus will give me something to eat as well.

I need to stake up this basil plant.. its growing a little funny.. lol

Every few days we go outside and see these quick forming plants have put on lots of leaves and take some trimmings from each. Hopefully we can do this all throughout the summer and into the fall before the freezes begin.

It is pretty cool how far these little plants have come along. Looking back at my previous posts we can see the growth from their seed stage all the way up to now.