I've wondered if JBs and June Bugs could have high fashion value. There have been dresses on the red carpet made of credit cards......you who have beetles know exactly where I'm going with this....those who don't.... I think a chain mail like mini dress made of JBs would improve the look of a lot of red carpet strutting...Just think how well the JB colors would stand out against the red of the carpet.

GardenMom13: if you're still following this thread; Borago officianalis often does best if you simply scatter it in the area where you want it to grow. You can grow other things there, such as lettuce, and it will come up between them. Thin out what you don't want. It can be useful as the base for a liquid fertiliser. It does best in a fairly well-fed soil, rather than an area that hasn't been fed any compost for a while. And sun to part shade. Keep it back from paths so that passing legs don't tangle with the bees. If you let it go up to seed it will happily self seed for the following year. It should be fine in zone 9b but note: it prefers the cool of winter/spring rather than the full blaze of summer. Perhaps planting in autumn would help you have a better strike of seed.

Thank you for joining us Nancy! :) So far I have signed up: Southerncharm1-Kathy (me) Sunnyk-Donna Micyrey-Michelle Amybabyboy3-Amy Iheartroscoe-Heather Daphne16-Daphne Bonechickchris-Christy Booberry-Becky Gardenkitteh Luvgardening2/Nancy I'm getting so excited about this swap! I'm also enjoying gathering up goodies! Sign ups are still open until the 20th/Sunday, I will be posting Partners on Monday July 21st even though it's earlier than I posted originally. That should give everyone plenty of time to get their partners info to send goodies out! I really hope you all enjoy this swap! Kathy

i love basil and grow quite an assortment, but my favorite will remain genovese. can't beat the taste with fresh picked tomatoes and a little OO and cracked pepper, not to mention gravy and chicken and pasta and..... as for preserving it, although i will make oil throughout the summer months while the plants are abundant; i preserve it in salt. have a tight fitting container, layer it with kosher salt, then add a few leaves of basil but don't stack or overlap them, then a layer of salt, then basil and so on. make sure the container has a tight lid. you can store it in the frig and use as you need and although the leaves don't have that same texture right off the plant, the flavor is not compromised at all. the salt doesn't seem to take on the flavor, so i just use it as i go along in my cooking. i don't believe it has any taste dried, so i never bother with that method. i recently pulled a recipe off the internet for a basil jelly which i hope to can before the end of the season, when i normally harvest the abundance of mint and do the same. and i am very tempted to experiment with a basil ice cream recipe. maryanne