Today I repotted some 4″ basil plants in gallon pots. To be honest, if more colorful basil plants had been available, I would have opted for those. Color in my garden is important, but as soon as I began working with the Sweet Basil plants that were available, I realized that where basil is concerned, the fragrance is of utmost importance, Sweet Basil plants smell exactly the way that a great Italian  basil tastes.

Sweet Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Image Credit: Bonnie Plants

Initially, I had planned to order some Purple -L eafed Basil–or at least to order some basil with colorul blossoms. But as soon as I touched the fragrant leaves of the plain-leafed sweet basil, I realized that I could simply plant colorful plants around this perfect basil and delight in the fact that i have a bit of Little Italy growing in my garden.

Image Credit: Bonnie Plants

“This herb is known around the world for its wonderful fragrance and flavor. The key ingredient in classic Italian pesto, Sweet Basil has big leaves that are fast and easy to grow so that you can make your own pesto to freeze for year-round use. It loves hot weather, so always wait until all danger of frost is past before planting in the garden in the spring, then harvest before the weather starts to cool down in fall. Great for containers, but be sure to keep watered. If you were to grow only one herb, this should probably be it.”