College Essay

Alan Franklin
Mrs. Boresen
Per. 04/Expository Writing
College Essay
January 28, 2010

The dark green leaves of the basil bush were full and vibrant. The perspired odor coming from the stiff, domed leaves was strong, sweet, and intoxicating. Hungry flies came to drink nectar and pollinate the already flowering plant, while mice ventured forth to sample the potent herb.
That was what I noticed just before I harvested the basil plants for drying and preservation. I grew the full, vibrant plants in my cool basement with a grow light ever-present overhead. The humble herbs were germinated and grown in modest earthen pots filled with a mixture of 60% potting soil and 40% peat. The herbs were being grown for a family friend who loved to cook with fresh herbs.
Moving upstairs to my drying room, I transported the intact stems with leaves attached to a sorting table. The day was sunny and a dry wind was blowing in from outside, perfect conditions for drying and curing herbs. I then proceeded to tie off bushels of 10 to 12 stems at their bases with twine. Placing the plants upside down, I slipped the bushels into long, brown paper bag. Tying off the bags, making sure to not let the plants touch the bottom of their bags, I make a knotted loop at the top of each bag for hanging. Hanging the bags on hooks in the ceiling to take full advantage of the breeze, I marked a calendar to remind me to bottle the dry leaves 10 to 12 days later.
This was not the first time I have grown lush herbs for someone besides myself. Earlier I had experimented with different fertilizers and soil composition, so as to discern the best growth medium for the various botanical plant life that I grew. After experimentation with soil, I moved on to various methods of composting rejected biomaterial and turning it into fertilizer, and had multiple success results in the process. I used both of these methods to make the growing medium for my established indoor and outdoor gardens (some of which brightened up the neighborhood considerably). The last step, drying, I learned not on my own, but from a local greenhouse. The results were positive in that they preserved many of my herbs for over a year at a time.
Back to my final Basil product (11 days later), I noticed that the fragrance of the leaves had not diminished during the drying time. I was doing this with little money and second-hand materials because my mother is unemployed, my grandmother uses food stamps, and my dad is a part-time truck driver. Though, I still loved to do the preparation, growing, and drying all the same. My grandmother was my biggest influence in pursuing Botany as a carrier in that she taught me how to grow and respect all forms of green life. A few days after handing my mom’s friend a jar of the dried basil, I received a call from her stating that she loved the quality (and price) of the home-grown herb.

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