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Herbs are wonderful plants to grow in a garden. They are beautiful and functional. They can be used for seasoning and medicinal purposes. Herbs can be grown indoors in small containers and outdoors in lush herb gardens. Herbs are easy to grow and if brought indoors, they can thrive through all seasons of the year. more »
Herb gardens are a plentiful addition to any flower bed, vegetable garden or even a potted windowsill garden. Although beautiful to watch grow, the real satisfaction in your herb garden will come with its many uses. Raw, cooked or dried, you can use many different parts of herbs, from the leaves to the roots. Most herbs will grow... more »
Summer is an excellent time for growing a beautiful and colorful herb garden. Many herbs are annuals, so once you plant them, you can enjoy them year after year with little tending. With summer being a time for salads and other fresh treats, herbs from the garden can add something special to summer cooking. more »
Just because the ground freezes doesn’t mean you can’t exercise your passion for gardening. Growing herbs indoors for year round use is a great way to add fresh flavors to your meals and keep the seasonal gardener happy during those cold, dark months. Many people have mixed results with indoor herbs and find it difficult... more »
Planning an herb garden is the first step to successfully growing your own herbs. Herb gardens can be large or small, from a plot in the garden to a window box, mixed with other plants outside or in a few pots on a windowsill. In addition to deciding where your herb garden will be, you must also consider what types of herbs to grow.... more »
Want to avoid supermarket herbs full of pesticides? Why not grow your own organically? With our...
Learning how to grow your own herbs for cooking, aromatherapy, or for medicinal purposes can...
When cooking you've probably made your share of dishes using dried basil, but if you've never...
Herbs are among the most versatile of all plant material, offering medicinal benefits, aromatic...
If your herb garden is thriving, you can ensure that it will stay that way by taking a few precautionary measures at the end of each growing... more »
Peppermint, spearmint, curly or Italian parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil, chives, oregano, cilantro, dill and garlic are just a few of the many... more »
We all like formal herb gardens, but they take a great deal of maintenance to keep them looking good. Gardeners with limited time would rather be... more »
Whether you live in a city apartment or on a farm, you can grow your own indoor kitchen herb garden with limited space and little hassle. Why... more »
Growing your own herbs in an herb garden provides an ample supply of fresh green herbs for all your culinary needs. Many herbs produce attractive... more »
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 80 percent of people worldwide use herbal medicines. In fact, there are some herbs used... more »
Transform your cooking with herbs fresh from the garden. They're not difficult to grow, and creating a garden exclusively for herbs... more »
There are two types of English herb gardens: cottage and formal. An English cottage herb garden is a small plot of land close to the kitchen door... more »
Fresh herbs are a great addition to any cooking venture, and what better way to keep your kitchen supplied with them than to plant an herb garden... more »
Kitchen herb gardens are designed to grow fresh herbs used for cooking and garnishing meals. This type of garden should provide easy access so... more »
If you love to cook, or even if you are just beginning to enjoy culinary pursuits, you may already know that freshly picked herbs improve the... more »
Nothing adds to a meal like the taste of fresh herbs. It is actually relatively easy to make your own successful herb garden at home for a... more »
A greenhouse extends the time frame for growing herbs that your region's weather establishes. It allows you to grow herbs year-round if you want.... more »
Fresh herbs can be costly and sometimes hard to find. If you enjoy cooking, a fresh herb garden is almost a necessity. A culinary herb garden does... more »
Fresh herbs are a desired ingredient in many recipes and being able to walk out the back door and pick a few leaves enables a savvy cook to spice... more »
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) ( or ), of the Family Lamiaceae (mints), is a tender low-growing herb.
Basil is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in the Southeast Asian cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell.
There are many varieties of basil. That which is used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil, lemon basil and holy basil, which are used in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including African Blue and Holy Thai basil.
Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years.
Etymology
The word basil comes from the Greek βασιλεύς (basileus), meaning "king", as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes speculations that basil may have been used in "some royal unguent, bath, or medicine". Basil is still considered the "king of herbs" by many cookery authors.
Nomenclature and taxonomy
The entire genetic family and different species name are detailed in the link below.
http://www.theherbcottage.com/basil_var.html
Culinary use
Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. It is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavour, and what little flavour remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavour, like hay.
Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other two main ingredients are olive oi read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil
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