While shopping for my groceries a few years ago, I decided on an idea to buy one of those little potted basil plants instead of the package of basil leaves. It was about the same price and I figured I would plant it in my yard and maybe get a few meals worth out of it before it died. Little did I know that the little $4 basil plant would survive for almost 3 years and provide enough fresh basil for at least 2-3 meals per month (that's about 60 basil-filled meals)! What I learned was that the plant likes quite a bit of sun and warm temperatures (it went nearly into rest in the winter when temperatures in Arizona drop to below zero overnight). My husband and I had enjoyed so many meals with fresh basil that after the original one died, we immediately got another basil plant to replace it. If you like to cook, you know that basil fresh off the plant transforms a good meal into an amazing one. To make the case for always keeping a basil plant in our yard even stronger, I just opened the latest issue of All You magazine and saw this picture of a beautiful basil plant. Then I read the first sentence of the accompanying article, "Did you know a basil plant can produce nearly $80 worth of leaves each year?" I knew that I had gotten my money's worth from the little plant, but I had no idea that I saved about $200 in the time I had that plant. $4 to produce $200? That's a great return on investment no matter how you slice it! Whether you buy your live herbs as seeds or plants, and plant them in coffee cans or your front yard, growing herbs can be a great way to save money and enjoy even better-tasting meals. Try it for yourself and see how much you can enjoy fresh herbs in your meals. The following can be used to describe the author except   _  .
able economical mean upward