Pizza Garden

Tuesday June 3, 2008

I have spent too many evenings wearing a headlamp, searching the garden for herbs, in the middle of trying to make dinner (no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to plan ahead when it comes to cooking). This year I planted a garden in a container on my deck, with all the herbs I need to make pizza.

So, I'm putting my headlamp away and going out onto the deck, where there is plenty of light to pick my herbs in comfort. On second thought, now I can send the kids or my husband out to pick the herbs knowing they’ll come back with all the right ones.

A generous handful of fresh herbs, chopped up and sprinkled on top of a pizza, just before it goes into the oven add immeasurably to the flavor. You can even do this to a take-out pizza when you re-heat it, turning a mundane meal into something special. A pizza garden also makes a great house present.

I planted two types of basil, Pesto Perpetua and green basil. I also put in oregano, thyme and parsley.

I picked up the container at the hardware store, pounded a bunch of nail holes in the bottom, for drainage, and then lined it with a plastic bag with holes poked into it. I then filled it with potting soil, planted my herbs, watered it and was good to go.

If you live where it's really hot, don't use a metal container in the sun. It can heat up and fry the roots of your plants.