Beginner success with Basil — here is what helped

As a complete beginner I was nervous about starting with Basil. It turned out to be more forgiving than I expected, as long as I paid attention to harvesting regularly to prevent plants going to seed.

I grow mine in a terracotta pot collection on a sunny patio which is working really well. fast growing from seed or small plug plant was a genuine surprise — I didn't expect it to look or perform like that. drying or freezing surplus growth in late summer has been the highlight so far. My biggest mistake early on was ignoring mint spreading invasively through garden beds, which I'd recommend addressing immediately.