It wasn’t the best spring for growing edible plants – at least not in my veg patch. Those long weeks of cool, gloomy weather were the backdrop to my first sowings of climbing beans, courgettes and their kin being ravaged by slugs, snails and peculiar winds. Yet there’s one plant that, no matter how wobbly the start to the main growing season, I always trust will grow reliably and pleasingly – and that’s basil.
Possibly not the most exciting plant choice to write a love letter to, but I was just potting on the various varieties I’ve been growing and basking in their delicious scent and sturdy growth. They are far more robust when grown from seed than the potted basil sold in supermarkets, which is often floppy and less flavoursome.
