Anne Lurie wrote:
We were
surprised to see that the stems had rooted! (And these were cut stems, not
whole plants.) So, today I cut more stems and put them in the vase with a
little MiracleGro to see what happens.

Has anyone else had any experience with something like this? I suppose
basil is among the few tender herbs that would need the help

Yes, I made the same discovery under the same circumstances a few years
back when I lived in a Manhattan appartment. We could get these great
bunches of basil at the stores up there, and I was just trying to save
them for a while in a glass of water. Roots started sprouting in about
a week's time.

The basils are sort of related to the mints, I think, and you probably
know how lively and hard to kill they are.

I'll pass on another remarkable rooter I just discovered: These
ornamental sweet potatoes you see all over. I am not kidding; they
start showing roots in two days. I am trying to overwinter some in the
garage so that I won't have to buy any next year. They make a pretty
sturdy ground cover and are good in containers, too.