Today, an order I had placed with the Burpee catalog came. I got 2 more tomato plants and a pepper plant. All were varieties I couldn't find enough of at my local garden store, but then, of course, after I had ordered them, I discovered the garden store had gotten more plants in stock, including one of the tomato plants I had wanted, as well as the pepper plant (poblano).
In addition, I ordered 3 basil plants, of a variety called "perpetuo." I grew it last year. It's a great plant because it never flowers. Flowering makes basil taste bitter, although I do know people who keep on using it after it has flowered. I don't recall the flavor of perpetuo being quite as strong as that of the regular old basil, so I will have to check on that, but it was quite good. And it was very nice to continue to have basil after all my other had flowered.
So, perpetuo is a mutant plant that doesn't flower. It also has pretty green and white leaves. And, the best part is, apparently it can be wintered over indoors! I can have basil all year without starting seeds. I am putting two of my perpetuos in the garden and one in a pot on my deck. In October, I will bring it inside and hope that it will get enough light in my bedroom to survive the winter. Apparently, these plants can grow up to 4 feet tall. Imagine having a beautiful varigated basil 4-foot in a pot to make pesto out of year round.
Hopefully, I will not kill my basil perpetuo. I will post again this winter as to how my mutant basil is doing indoors.
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