Perfectly happy in their new home, my garden (or "gordon" as Axel calls it) is thriving.  Not being able to wait any longer, I just had to bring in a few crops.  I decided the Basil would be my first victim and after weighing the options, I decided drying the leaves into a spice would be the best idea.

First I picked the leaves, literally stripping the plant bare!  I laid them on a dish towel for a few hours in the sun and then finished the job in the oven (pre-heating to 200 degrees, turning the oven off, letting the Basil sit on a cookie sheet over night in the warm, dry space).

I am quite happy with the results.  After a night of drying, they were very easy to crumple into a crispy and aromatic spice!

A butterfly has also found my plants and I was able to capture his picture the other day. Despite nearly destroying the basil, it has bounced back in a matter of days, bringing new leaves with promise of yet one more harvest this season!