Basil is a common herb that can be grown in your kitchen garden, window, or patio. It’s one of the easiest herbs to grow and also one of the most popular! This herb has many different uses from making pesto sauce for pasta dishes to adding flavor to soups. Use our guides down below to learn more about planting, growing, and harvesting your own basil, the cultivars that are available, and more. Happy gardening!
Tasty and fragrant, basil is a delicious ingredient when eaten fresh or added to recipes. Its lush growth and pretty flowers have great ornamental appeal. Did you know that there are a number of different basil cultivars available? Learn about 23 of our favorite basil varieties to add to your herb garden. Read more now.
A highly fragrant herb with a full, zesty flavor, the leaves of ‘Genovese’ basil are widely used fresh and in sauces, pasta, pizza, and more. These fast-growing plants are easily cultivated and highly rewarding, producing more leaves the more they’re harvested. Read more now to learn how to grow ‘Genovese’ basil.
Greek or bush basil is naturally petite with a pleasing compact, round shape and correspondingly small leaves. It’s perfect for growing in containers, either outdoors or indoors in the kitchen on a windowsill. It has all the flavor of sweet basil in a compact form. Learn how to plant and grow Greek basil in this guide.
If you want healthy basil plants with lots of tasty leaves, you need to make sure you water the right way. Too much moisture causes disease and rot, and not enough results in bolting or slow growth. Learn how and when to water for the healthiest basil plants and how to promote the most flavorful leaves in this guide.
‘Sweet Dani’ basil is a lemon cultivar that stands out for several reasons. It’s more disease-resistant than other basils and it grows fast, with a clean, sweet lemon flavor that can be used in savory and sweet dishes. No wonder it’s an award-winning herb! Our guide provides all the details you need to grow your own.
Basil, with its versatile flavor, is a must-have in the herb garden. The plants enjoy moist soil and a full sun location and are generally easy to care for. But what do you do if your basil is wilting and drooping? Learn about nine common reasons why basil may wilt and how to resolve it in this guide. Read more now.
The flavor of basil is unmistakable and having fresh leaves on hand in the herb garden is a treat. But when you harvest those leaves and find they have holes, it can destroy your dinner plans. Learn how to identify five common reasons for holes in your basil leaves and how to fix the problem in this guide. Read more now.
Basil is a popular and easily grown frost-tender annual herb beloved for the sweet anise flavor and zesty fragrance of its foliage. And for vigorous, bushy plants with an abundance of leaves, frequent feeding is needed. Find all the information about how and when to fertilize basil for tasty, luscious leaves in this guide.
‘Dark Opal’ basil is beautiful enough to be a garden ornamental but it has all the spicy, citrusy flavor you expect from standard sweet basil. It’s a dual-purpose option for the herb garden. Learn how to care for this deep purple basil cultivar so you can enjoy the dramatic leaves as a garden feature or kitchen herb.
A beautiful, warm weather herb with large, aromatic leaves, sweetly spicy basil is widely used to flavor both savory and sweet foods and beverages. Easily cultivated and fast growing, it’s an excellent container plant and a natural in herb and kitchen gardens. Keep reading to learn how to grow basil.
Building your own supply of top-performing garden seeds is fun and easy – an economical way to ensure constant access to your favorite flowers, herbs, and veggies. Curate your own heritage collection and avoid the disappointment of market whims and disappearing varieties. Here’s how to harvest and save basil seed.
Basil is a tender perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11 and an annual elsewhere. The plants require full sun and moist, well-draining soil, and sometimes they get leggy or run to seed. Read more now to learn how and when periodic pruning can help to keep this aromatic herb compact and long-lived.
Basil is a popular kitchen herb loved for its sweetly spicy flavor, fast growth, and easy cultivation. And it produces delightful spires of small purple or white flowers that are edible and attractive to pollinators. But for the best flavor, should basil be allowed to flower? Read on to find the answer, right here.
Transform your basil into a tasty ingredient that can be enjoyed all year long with our guide to drying basil. We’ll walk you through simple harvesting, drying, and storage steps and we’ll share some ideas for using it in the kitchen. Unlock the full potential of your fresh basil and start drying your herbs today!
An ornamental and culinary basil, ‘Red Rubin’ is easy to grow as an annual in containers or in the herb garden. It requires warm weather, full sun, and consistent moisture to produce coppery-purple foliage for tea, marinades, salad, baking, garnishes, and bouquets. Our guide explains how to sow and grow ‘Red Rubin.’
Do you love adding fresh basil to everything from pasta to pho to cocktails? If you’ve never tried growing this flavorful, versatile herb yourself, now is the time to start. Discover three easy ways to propagate basil and add this fragrant plant to your own indoor or outdoor garden. Get the tips and tricks now.
‘Spicy Globe’ basil has a pungent flavor and an adorable round shape, perfect for indoor or small outdoor herb gardens. The plant looks like an itty-bitty topiary that you can eat as well as admire, and the flavor is marvelous. Learn more about planting, raising, and using this adorable dwarf cultivar now. Read more.
Some of the best basils to grow at home have a citrus scent and flavor. We’ve evaluated the options to save you some legwork, and the result is our list of seven top lime or lemon basils for home gardeners. All are easy to grow and have aromatic blossoms for a summer’s worth of citrus basil delight. Read more now.
What is citrus basil? Home gardeners have discovered the delights of growing basil varieties that have a hint of lemon or lime flavor in their leaves and scented flowers. Are these tangy, aromatic plants a good pick for your herb garden? What types of cuisine are they suited to? Read our guide now to find out.
Basil is an aromatic herb loved for its sweetly spicy flavor. And this fast-growing annual is easy to start from seed and cultivate in the home garden. Propagating your own plants is fun, economical, and highly rewarding as well. To enjoy a steady harvest all summer, here are the details on how to grow basil from seed.
Thai basil has a unique flavor that stands out in comparison to other types. With a spicier taste and just a hint of licorice, it’s the perfect herb to use in a huge range of dishes. Plus, you can eat the flowers, stems, and seeds! If you’re ready to plant and use this herb, our guide will help you on your way.
There’s nothing better than homemade fresh pesto in the middle of winter. But supermarket basil gets pricey after the summer season, and it can be hard to find. The good news is that there’s a way to keep your garden basil alive throughout even the chilliest winter months. Find out how in our guide. Read more now.