SEEDS and BULBS

Is there a balcony or courtyard without a basil? I do not think! Even in the windows of the houses, we place small pots of basil to give us its rich aroma. Basil is undoubtedly the most popular aromatic plant in Mediterranean cuisine. Especially the broad-leaf varieties of basil, are a key ingredient in salads, sauces and many cooking recipes. We plant basil in a pot, so we can cut its leaves fresh whenever we need them! We avoid the southern exposure which has a lot of sunshine and very high temperatures. Strong midday sun rays in the summer season will cause severe burns to basil foliage. During the winter season, we will need to protect the basil from strong north winds and frost. If the place where we have the basil is exposed, we should use a special anti-wind protection fabric. For growing basil on the balcony, choose a round pot 1-2 sizes larger than the pot we bought it from the nursery. If we choose perennial (holy) basil, we must keep in mind that it grows quickly and will need more frequent transplants.

The scientific name is Achillea millefolium (as defined by Linnaeus) and the common name is Achillea or millefolium, and it also has other Greek names depending on the region such as agriapsithia, wormwood, Pisidia, Semesando, Milfeig, Similoudi and Lazarus because with the flowers adorn the children who sing about Lazarus in the villages on Holy Saturday. The English name is Yarrow. In Greece there are 24 varieties of Achilles. It belongs to the composite family (Compositae).