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"  Your first armload of homegrown basil will make you feel like a blue-ribbon gardener. Basil is heady stuff \u2014 highly aromatic, super prolific, and as simple to grow as marigolds. For a $2 investment in a packet of basil seeds, you can harvest about a year&amp;#039;s supply of this first-rate culinary herb. Bring on the tomatoes, the mozzarella, the chicken, the pasta, the shrimp: by growing basil in your garden, your cooking is about to take an inspired leap.   Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the name for the traditionally scented annual herb. It has a strong, sharp aroma with a heavy hint of licorice and a spicy warmth \u2014 a unique flavor that most folks enjoy from their first bite. Slice the leaves onto a frozen pizza, whirr them into pesto, simmer them in sauces. Almost any Italian dish tastes better with a little basil. Because the flavor is so dominating, however, use basil with a light touch until you know the preferences of your friends&amp;#039; and family&amp;#039;s palate.   The popularity of plain old basil has inspired plenty of &amp;quot;new and improved&amp;quot; versions with fancy leaves or unusual scents, plus a host of rediscovered exotic basils, including Thai, African, and clove-scented varieties. Sampling the many types of basil available is a fun way to expand your sensibilities, but be sure to leave enough room for the regular all-purpose variety alongside the curly basil, the cinnamon basil, the ruffled basil, and the miniature basil. The extra-large leaves of &amp;#039;Lettuce Leaf&amp;#039; basil will save you time de-stemming when you&amp;#039;re ready to mix up a batch of pesto.   Grow basils either in their own beds or as decorative accents or edgings. &amp;#039;Spicy Globe&amp;#039; basil, which forms a tidy ball of small leaves, lends a formal attitude when evenly spaced. The dramatic color of &amp;#039;Purple Ruffles&amp;#039; or smooth-leaved purple basil is striking next to yellowish green lemon basil, or with garden flowers as an ornamental. One of the best ways to show off a collection or prized specimen of basil is in a container. Elevate the pot by setting it on top of another, overturned pot to give it even more visual drawing power.   HOW TO GROW BASIL Planting All basils are easy and fast to grow from seed, although multipacks of plants are also available. Plant in well-drained, average to fertile soil, in full sun.   Cultivation Clip back every two to three weeks to encourage new leafy growth and delay flowering. Learn to recognize seedlings; some basils self-sow. Annual; all zones.   Harvest Cut leafy stems or pick individual leaves anytime; the flavor is best before the flowers open. For large quantities, cut the entire plan at ground level. In cold areas, cut basil at ground level when frost threatens.   Basil RecipesRed-Pepper Soup with Basil CreamBasil PestoPoached Chicken Salad with Basil VinaigretteCool Cantaloupe Soup with Basil Cream   This text originally appeared in The Successful Herb Gardener: Growing and Using Herbs \u2014 Quickly and Easily (Hearst Books). "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/tips/a3042/herb-guide-growing-basil-1009/>