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Article: Basil: king of the herb garden.
- Article from:
- Natural Life
- Article date:
- March 1, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Life Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Can you imagine a garden without basil? Impossible! Its familiar fragrance, easy care, and many uses make it indispensable in herb, ornamental, and container gardens -- and, of course, in the kitchen.
A Sense of History
Basil has been known and grown since ancient times. According to Gerard in his Herbal published in England in the 1600s, the smell of basil was "good for the heart and for the head." The seeds "cureth the infirmities of the heart and taketh away the sorrow which commeth with melancholy and maketh a man merry and glad." Gerard also advised that the juice of the plant was good against headaches, if it were drunk with wine, and was useful in ...