Monday, May 5, 2008

Quite Contrary

I have been trying to grow a green thumb of late. Actually it has been a while, just that I'm not particularly impressed myself. I started with basil plants (what else?) from the supermarket. I think I went through about 2 pots before I eventually decided that I need to re-pot them for it to actually perpetuate. So my third pot withered till there was 1 stem left and I re-potted it. It deserves a shot, I thought. And boy, did it grow with a vengeance!

From a single stem, it branched out with small yet sturdy and frangrant leaves. Not before long, it started to flower. 'Oh, how pretty!', I said to myself with a big smile. I also began to use the leaves in my cooking. By this time, the stem and branches have turned brown and woody. "It's diseased", JT said. But if its flowering, it can't be that bad right? WRONG. Apparently, for basil, it is a sign of premature ageing and dehydration. Thanks for the heads up, JT.

Fed up, I cut off all its branches, leaves and all. I put the twigs in a new pot of soil and watered it everyday. For fun. Water is the giver of life, right? Well well! What do you know!

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