Italian Flat Parsley in Raised Bed

The raised bed on the left side is the cabbage patch interspersed with Snap Dragon and Petunia flowers and some Spring Onions. The raised bed on the right side is planted with Italian Flat Parsley, Chinese Cabbage or Wombok and interspersed with Snap Dragon and French Marigold flowers. I start my plants from seeds and as usual, I sowed more than what I needed. So once the plants are germinated, I always have a glut and I have to give away some of the seedlings to friends and relatives so they don't go to waste. Whenever I needed some parsley in my cooking such as in making pasta or a sauce, all I have to do is go out and get them fresh from the garden. 

There are times when the Parsley plants would spill over into the walkway in the garden because they grow so fast, robust and healthy. I would snip off the stems of the ones that are spilling in the walkway and feed these to the rabbits and they go crazy because they can smell it even before I get to the door of the rabbitry knowing that they are going to have some fresh Parsley.  I still have some Italian Flat Parsley seedlings that are growing nicely in the growing pot because I staggered my planting, this way, I don't run out of it and I will have a continuous supply of this herb.  

Preserving Sweet Basil and Italian Flat Parsley

These are the last herbs and plants that are still in the garden: Celery, Sweet Basil, Flat Italian Parsley, Spring Onions and the Zucchini. The Spring Onions will be left in the garden because they seem to do well even during the rainy season. We harvest mostly the outer leaves of the Celery plants and feed these to the rabbits so the main stem remains in the ground and they grow back again. I will harvest some Sweet Basil leaves tomorrow to make some Pesto. I often buy the bottled Pesto in the grocery but they are kinda expensive. Since I already have the Sweet Basil in my garden, so I might as well make my own Pesto. I will preserve the rest of the Sweet Basil leaves in the microwave oven. It only takes a minute or two to dry them in the microwave.

How do I do it? First is to wash the leaves after I harvest them and let them drip dry. I separate the mature leaves from the more tender ones because the latter dries up much faster than the matured ones. Put a paper towel over the round dish of the microwave and arrange the leaves on the towel making sure that they are not overlapping together so each leaf will dry well. Then turn the microwave on high at 2 minutes and check the leaves for dryness. If it needs more time, do it again in small increments so as not to burn the leaves. I do the same thing with the Italian Flat Parsley. I like using the microwave in drying these herbs because it retains the color of the leaves even when they are dried. I could hang-dry the herbs in the kitchen by tying them on the stem and putting them in an airy room. It's just that there is a lot of moisture in the air at this time because it is now the onset of the rainy season here in the Philippines. I am afraid that molds will build up fast on the herbs before they dry so I'm going to use the microwave to dry them up.

Sweet Basil  

Italian Flat Parsley

Italian Flat Parsley and Sweet Basil

Celery in the forefront and Sweet Basil behind it.

Zucchini plant

Zucchini flower

Spring Onions