What could be more wonderful than freshly-plucked basil, the scent of it wafting through the air, as the leaves leave their former place in the sun and journey onwards towards their honored place in the wok? I love having fresh herbs on hand for whatever recipe might call for them, and so a couple years ago I started growing my own. And I was thrilled that the entire process was as much fun as the end satisfaction of tasting the leaves in a good meal. It all started with the seeds. I went to the nearby garden store and bought little paper packets of seeds -- four different types at first, but then I went back the next weekend and got even more. When I got to planting the seeds in my little flowerpots that would stand on the window sill, I was amazed to discover that the seeds were amazingly different from one another. I hadn't actually given the seeds much thought before, but I found myself eagerly anticipating opening the next little bag to find out what shape and size of seed it would hold. Would it be one of the round ones, big as peppercorns? Or one of the tiny sand grain-sized ones that easily slipped and fell between my fingers? Or maybe it would be a new type all together. Here are the seeds I started out with. Can you guess which is which? Click on the seeds for close-ups.

Answers

 Basil

Chives

Coriander

Oregano

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Tarragon

Thyme