Ruthless Pruner?

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. . . I would love to be a ruthless pruner. I'm not. I hate cutting new growth back, and I really hate thinning beautiful, tiny, little, innocent, baby plants. But it was time. My tray of basil plants needed me to be strong. So I screwed up my courage, got the small shears and thinned the plants to two plants in each square. A truly ruthless pruner would go for one in a square, but I'm working on it. I'll toss the losers in a salad for tonight's dinner.

I know you must be thinking that I have a lot of basil plants when you can buy them at any nursery, but I have to have some red. I have a recipe that just wouldn't be the same without it. I have to plant spicy globe. I would miss the cute round bush that smells so delightful when you pet it. Lemon basil is a favorite, and you can't always find that. Truth be told I'll still be looking for cinnamon and licorice basil when I shop for plants in May. I think of those fragrant flowers and leaves that you can put in your fruit salad to add that burst of flavor. Wow, I love basil plants!