It wasn’t the best spring for growing edible plants – at least not in my veg patch. Those long weeks of cool, gloomy weather were the backdrop to my first sowings of climbing beans, courgettes and their kin being ravaged by slugs, snails and peculiar winds. Yet there’s one plant that, no matter how wobbly the start to the main growing season, I always trust will grow reliably and pleasingly – and that’s basil.
Possibly not the most exciting plant choice to write a love letter to, but I was just potting on the various varieties I’ve been growing and basking in their delicious scent and sturdy growth. They are far more robust when grown from seed than the potted basil sold in supermarkets, which is often floppy and less flavoursome.
Basil is a delightful plant with simple needs. It needs a little warmth to germinate, some well-draining soil or compost to root into (which is why I like to grow it in containers) and regular watering. You can still sow basil seeds in July – the temperature is just right – and be in with a good chance of a harvest before the colder weather arrives. Plus, if you like to grow some of your herbs in pots, they can be brought inside to live on a windowsill and used to flavour your cooking well after summer has faded.
Every year I grow the classic Sweet Genovese basil, the variety familiar to most – and if you like to make pesto from scratch, then this is basil for you. Alongside, I’m always growing purple basil, which is similarly sweet but produces striking leaves in the deepest of purples. It’s as tasty but far more attractive to look at and wouldn’t seem out of place in a luscious flowerbed. Somewhere in between these two varieties in looks, but in another realm when it comes to taste, is Thai basil. With intense aniseed and almost floral notes, this basil is like no other, and I first met its special taste piled up with mint and bean sprouts next to a bowl of Vietnamese pho. This season I’m growing ‘British Basil’ to see whether – as the description promises – it performs well in cool weather.
The best approach to harvesting basil is to pinch out the growing tips, as this will encourage your plants to produce side shoots and more leaves. Basil does have a tendency to bolt in hot weather, so if you spot that happening, try pinching out the flowers to delay the process. Failing that – as I did in last year’s heatwave – a basil plant left to flower is beautiful and fragrant, and the pollinators will be grateful for the extra forage.
Also grateful for the presence of basil are tomatoes, not only because their flavours go together perfectly but because basil’s strong scent is said to repel aphids and other sap‑sucking insects.
