WINTER BASIL

Ah, the last sweet smell of summer ends today.  No, it does not end today because we have our first official frost; it ends today because the basil plant needs its final pruning before being put out to pasture.

I bought the basil plant at the store part-way through summer, and I paid less than $6 for it.  The dang thing grew and grew and grew, causing me to nickname it The Hulk.  It produced enough basil to keep me and several others in caprese salads for weeks at a time. Even when I bring The Hulk inside for the winter, it still continues to produce leaves.

However, the plant isn't going to make it through the winter, after all.  It has been showing signs of extreme exhaustion for a while now, so I know the best thing for it is to save the leaves that I can and put the rest outside for compost.

Poor Hulk.  It almost makes me cry to trim the sad baby, but I know there's no going back.  The stems are all drying out and turning brown; if I don't act quickly, I'll lose the last of the basil altogether.

After saving the remnants of this year's basil, I do rescue a few semi-healthy sprigs from the once-hardy plant and immerse them in a water-filled mason jar.  Yup, I guess I'm not quite ready to say good-bye yet as summer hope springs eternal. 

I will know in about four weeks whether or not any of the sprigs actually root and produce winter basil plants.  Then, I will know for certain whether or not summer is over.