Basil Seeds
One of the most popular herbs, especially in Italian cookery, basil is an essential if you grow tomatoes, as their flavours pair so well. Plants are well suited to pots, or take out a full row in the vegetable garden to grow enough to make your own pesto sauce.
Varieties such as the organic Sweet Genovese can be grown on a windowsill all year round to make the classic Italian salad of basil, mozzarella cheese and sliced beefsteak tomatoes. However, it's not just Italian food and green leaves - the Basket of Basils packet is a mixture of up to seven ornamental and fragrant types, including different leaf colours, sizes and textures with aromas and flavours from anise to cinnamon. If you’re into Asian cuisine, try Thai basil, which has a mild, spicy aniseed flavour and is an essential ingredient in Thai dishes.
Did You Know?
Basil is one of the best companion plants you can grow, as it attracts pollinators such as butterflies which will help asparagus, beans, beets, cabbage, chilli, peppers, aubergines, marigolds, oregano and potatoes. Tomatoes and basil go together beautifully, as growing them together improves the flavour of each plant. Basil also repels harmful insects such as asparagus beetles, mosquitoes and white flies and draws away aphids from other crops. When cooking with basil, always tear the leaves rather than chopping them for the best flavour. Tearing follows cell boundaries, keeping more of them (and their flavour) intact.