Mandy from California writes

Hello. If you remember me, I have
e-mailed you twice about my Basil project. I would like to ask you
about my Basil. What if its stems are brown and hard like a tree's
twig?

Hi Mandy,

I'm sorry, I cannot find your previous emails. I'm having an enormous amout of spam and they may have got cauught up with that.

Re your basil. It sound like your basil is in it's second season. It will go exactly as you described. Some "authorities" say you can go a second season and of course they are right. But it will go woody and, more seriously, lose it's flavour.

Basil is so easy to grow, I really think it's worth starting again every spring. Maybe it's different in cooler climes to what I am used to.

Basil is my favoutite herb. Keep going with it

regards

Ian