It's February and to no one's surprise, I have a severe case of spring fever. It didn't help that the Cuming County 4-H Extension assistant presented on the topic of basil at our recent garden club meeting.

I can hardly wait to watch basil seeds sprout in my new seed-starting system and then to smell the fragrant leaves of the plant. There are so many ways to use basil.

The herb isn't just for adding flavor. It can be used as medicine, an aromatic, spicing up food and yes, even for it's beautiful shiny leaves. Basil is a great filler in a bouquet of flowers.

While that all sounds wonderful,...