A fistful of basil

Here I was, all set to plant my herb garden again this year - last year was a bumper crop of mint, cilantro, and tons and tons of basil, which grew into a bush of leaves by the end of the summer that ended up providing weekly batches of home-made pesto - but when I went out back to check on the planters the other day, I found that Mother Nature had beaten me to the punch. Already I have tiny basil leaves pushing out of the soil, hints of mint, and scruffy little patches of cilantro, all from last year's plants. I didn't realize that herbs re-seed themselves so easily! Nevertheless I am committed to adding some more real estate to the garden in the form of exclusive pots for the cilantro and mint, which I believe ended up being bullied by the basil's kudzu-like growth. Even the little planter I'd seeded with sage, oregano, and chives is sprouting again without my assistance! I think I might want to try growing some chili peppers or small tomatoes this year as well as the herbs, since the back porch seems to get just the right mixture of sun and shade for a bonafide garden. Of course then I'll have to worry about the varmints that haunt our complex - from rabbits to deer to the occasional coyote (I shit you not) - but who doesn't love home-grown tomatoes in late summer?