Grow this essential herb and join in on the fun of planting a cocktail garden. Whether you’re muddling it into a mojito or using it to infuse a simple syrup, mint’s versatility knows no bounds. As a bonus, it’s easy to care for and those pesky garden party crashers — deer and rabbits — tend to avoid it. Let me show you how to grow and harvest this delicious herb (and keep it from taking over your garden). In addition, you’ll meet a few different flavors to add to your mixology repertoire.

Is mint a perennial?

Yes, mint (Mentha spp. and hybrids) is a perennial herb, meaning it can come back year after year. It's known for spreading easily through its underground roots, so once you plant it, it tends to stick around! Plants are cold hardy USDA zones 3 to 11.

How to grow mint

Plants grow best in full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil. If you’re growing multiple varieties, give each their own space in the garden or in a container to prevent mingling and cross-pollination that can blur the unique flavors and aromas. Or plant sterile varieties, such as peppermint and pineapple mint. Keep reading to find a few different varieties and flavor profiles to spruce up any beverage!

Growing tips

Mint doesn’t need much attention. In fact, too much fertilizer can reduce the flavor intensity. The biggest challenge with growing mint is the fact that it spreads so vigorously. Not only do the underground rhizomes move quickly, but stems take root wherever they touch the ground. Unless you have a spot that you want to turn over to mint fully, a container is the best place to grow it. One plant of each flavor is plenty for most gardeners.

Keep mint plants tidy

When summer’s heat causes mint to flower and look a bit untidy, a quick trim can rejuvenate it. Cut it back by a third (or even all the way to the ground) to encourage new growth and a fresh set of leaves.

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How to keep mint from taking over the garden

To keep mint from taking over your garden, try planting it in a large nursery pot buried in the ground. This helps contain its fast growth and prevents it from spreading everywhere. Choose a pot with drainage holes, bury it in the soil with the rim above ground level, and regularly check for any roots trying to escape. This way, you can enjoy fresh mint without it overtaking your garden beds.

Or cut the bottom out of a nursery pot, sink it in the ground and you can keep this aggressive plant more controlled. Leave an inch or so of the pot edge sticking above the soil like you see in the photo above so the plant can’t send out runners.

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Dividing mint plants

If you want to share mint with a friend, divide it in spring or fall, when the weather is cooler, and the plants are dormant. If you are dividing to control it, you can do this at any time during the growing season. Just be sure to let unwanted divisions dry out in the sun to kill them before tossing them in your compost pile. Otherwise, you’ll unintentionally start another mint patch.

How and when to harvest mint

You can start harvesting mint as soon as it pops up in spring. For those spur-of-the-moment mojitos, feel free to pluck leaves or stems anytime, but for the most flavor, harvest mint in the morning before plants flower and afternoon heat kicks in. Young leaves are your go-to for that burst of flavor and are easily snipped from the stem by cutting sprigs right above a leaf node.

Harvest no more than two-thirds of the plant to keep it thriving. Use fresh leaves or sprigs immediately or wrap them in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator. This method will keep sprigs good for up to two weeks.

Different types of mint to grow

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a mixology enthusiast looking to add a homegrown touch to your beverages, mint is the perfect herb to start with. By following these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy the variety of its rich flavors and elevate your cocktails and mocktails while also mastering how to grow and control it in the garden. Cheers! 

Peppermint (Menta x piperita)

Pungent — almost spicy — flavor with a cooling aftertaste. Stems have a red-purple hue and dark green leaves. Flavors include ‘Chocolate’, ‘Grapefruit’ and ‘Lemon’.

Spearmint (Menta spicata)

Sweet, subtle flavor and fragrance, leaves are slightly fuzzy. Try 'Strawberry' or 'Moroccan', which has hints of lemon.

Cuban mint (Menta x villosa)

Mild flavor with hints of citrus. Leaves are hairy and extremely aromatic.

Pineapple mint (Menta suaveolens ‘Variegata’)

Slightly sweet taste reminiscent of apples. Plants have variegated foliage and round, soft, hairy leaves.

Sources for mint plants

• Annie’s Annuals & Perennials
• Burpee®
• Colonial Creek Farm

Whether you’re muddling mint into a mojito or using it to infuse a simple syrup, mint’s versatility knows no bounds. Plus, this plant is easy to care for and those pesky garden party crashers — deer and rabbits — tend to avoid it. Need some minty inspiration? Read on to learn about a few different ways to use mint in your cocktails and find four recipes for mint cocktails you can try this summer!

Ways to use mint in cocktails

Garnish a drink with mint

Dress up your favorite drinks with mint flowers and leaves. Just snip a few sprigs, rub them in your hands to activate the flavor and toss in a cocktail or beverage.

Muddle mint leaves

Place leaves at the bottom of a cocktail shaker or your glass and gently bruise them with a cocktail muddler to release the juices and flavors. No muddler? Try the end of a wooden spoon!

DIY mint simple syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar or honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1–2 sprigs of mint

Heat sugar, water, and mint sprigs in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves; cool to room temperature, then discard herb sprigs. (Makes 2/3 cup)

Easy & delicious recipes for cocktails with mint

Watermelon mint julep

Cocktail ingredients

4 –5 cups seedless watermelon, diced
½ cup bourbon
¼ cup torn fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Crushed ice
Fresh mint sprigs

How to make a watermelon mint julep

1. Combine watermelon, bourbon, torn mint, sugar, and lime juice in a bowl; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Mash melon with a potato masher to release juice from the watermelon and muddle the mint.
3. Press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher; discard solids.
4. Fill 4 tumblers with crushed ice, then top with watermelon mixture.
5. Garnish juleps with mint sprigs.

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Gin bramble cocktail with fresh mint

Cocktail ingredients

2 cups fresh blackberries
½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup gin
½ cup light agave nectar
⅓ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup crème de mure or blackberry brandy
Crushed ice
1 bottle club soda (10 oz.)
Garnish: Chilled Fresh blackberries and fresh mint sprigs

How to make a gin bramble

1. Purée 2 cups blackberries, mint leaves, gin, agave, lime juice, and crème de mure in a food processor for at least 1 minute.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher.
3. Divide bramble among four old-fashioned glasses filled halfway with crushed ice, then top with club soda
4. Garnish with blackberries and mint sprigs.

Ruby-berry cocktail with mint

Cocktail ingredients

2 ¼ cups club soda, chilled
2 cups ruby port
½ cup fresh lemon juice
Fresh lemon, mint sprigs, and fresh raspberries or strawberries
Berry mint simple syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries or strawberries, hulled and quartered (thawed if frozen)
2 –3 sprigs fresh mint

How to make a berry simple syrup

1. For the simple syrup, heat water, sugar, raspberries, and mint in a saucepan over high to a boil, crushing raspberries with a spatula.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer syrup until sugar dissolves and flavors infuse, 10 minutes.
3. Let syrup cool to room temperature; strain and discard solids. Chill syrup until ready to use.

How to make a Ruby-berry cocktail with mint

1. Combine club soda, port, lemon juice, and ½ cup simple syrup in a pitcher.
2. Serve cocktails in ice-filled glasses.
3. Garnish with lemon, mint sprigs, and fresh raspberries.

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Orange mojito

Cocktail ingredients:

12 leaves fresh mint
2 oranges, quartered
2 Tbsp. sugar
Crushed ice
2 Tbsp. orange-flavored rum or white rum
Lemon-lime soda (such as 7-Up)
Garnish: Sprigs of fresh mint and orange wedges

How to make an orange mojito

1. Place 6 mint leaves, 1 orange quarter, and 1 Tbsp. sugar in each of two tall glasses. Muddle mint and orange with sugar.
2. Fill glasses with ice.
3. Squeeze the juice from remaining three orange quarters into each glass.
4. Add 1 Tbsp. rum and a splash of soda to each glass; stir to combine.
5. Garnish with mint sprigs and orange wedges.

Enjoy fresh herbs from the garden longer by preserving them!

Instead of letting fresh herbs go to waste, preserve them. It’s a great way to enjoy your favorite herbs all year, and the process is a lot easier than you might think. In this article we'll share four simple preservation methods you can use from spring until the first frost hits, and I’ll show you which herbs work best for each approach.

How to harvest fresh herbs

The best time of day to harvest herbs, if you can, is in the morning after the dew has evaporated but before the heat has started to strip away plants’ natural essential oils. Plants with woodier stems will require a pair of pruners or scissors. Herbs with more tender stems can just be snapped off, no tool required.

Early harvests

During the growing season, harvest branching herbs like basil (Ocimum basilicum), oregano (Origanum vulgare) or mint (Mentha spp.) by cutting up to a third of a stem back to just above a leaf node. This encourages the plant to form new side shoots and continue to grow.

You can harvest nonbranching herbs, such as cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) or chives (Allium schoenoprasum), by cutting individual stems at the base. But don’t harvest all of them or they may not grow back. In general, try not to harvest more than a third of a plant at one time so plenty of leaves are left to photosynthesize.

Harvesting herbs in fall

For the last harvest of annual herbs in fall, go ahead and cut the entire plant to the ground, no matter which herb it is, as they won’t return the next year. It doesn’t hurt to harvest perennial herbs, such as rosemary, garden sage or thyme, lightly in fall, but do your larger harvests in spring and summer. If you cut them back heavily in fall, you could encourage them to send out tender new growth that’s susceptible to winter damage.

Tender vs. woody herbs

Tender-stemmed herbs have edible stems and leaves. Woody-stemmed herbs have edible leaves, but their larger stems aren’t typically eaten. These tend to be shrubby and often more cold hardy so can be grown as perennials.

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How to prepare fresh herbs for preserving

Once you’ve gathered the herbs, give them a shake to dislodge insects, and snip off dead, dried or discolored leaves. Then wash stems and leaves thoroughly with cold water, pat the moisture off and set them out to dry on the counter or a drying rack (you could also use a salad spinner to speed up the process).

No matter which preserving method you use, it’s important that your herbs are completely dry before preserving, otherwise they could develop mold or surface bacteria later. Once the stems are dry to the touch, preserve them right away for the best flavor and color. Read on to learn about four different methods for preserving your fresh garden herbs.

Preserve garden herbs by air drying

Because it’s a slower process, air drying preserves more of the oils and flavors than other methods. Plus, I love having herb bundles hanging around the house, and they smell great too. And all you need is a pair of scissors, rubber bands and twine.

Air-dry herb bundles upside down

Make small bundles of four to six stems for large-leafed herbs, such as sage (Salvia officinalis), mint or basil, and bundles of eight to ten stems for smaller-leafed herbs, such as thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) or lavender. If in doubt, go smaller — if you have too many stems bunched together, the herbs won’t dry evenly and could mold. Remove the bottom leaves from each stem, secure the stems together with a rubber band, then use the twine to hang them. Avoid placing the bundles in direct sunlight or they may lose their color and flavor; instead, hang them in a cool, dry, shady spot.

Air drying will take a few weeks. Dried herbs are ready to be stored when they crumble easily. Store them crushed or whole in labeled, sealed jars or bags for 2 to 3 years.

Air drying tip

If you want to avoid the mess of shedding leaves, try placing each herb bundle in a paper lunch bag and use a hole punch or scissors to make several holes on the bottom, sides and middle like you see above. This encourages airflow and helps prevent mold. I’ve found that drying tender-stemmed herbs that tend to have more moisture in their leaves, such as basil or mint, works best using a brown paper bag because the bag absorbs some of the moisture from the leaves.

Dehydrate fresh herbs

Preserving herbs in a food dehydrator is faster than air drying, and although you can use an oven, it’s difficult to keep the temperature low enough and achieve enough airflow. Plus, the oils from the herbs won’t be as potent using an oven. Here are two better dehydration methods:

Use a dehydrator

Preheat the dehydrator to 95 to 115 degrees F (or on high-humidity days, 125 degrees F). Remove large leaves from stems and lay them flat on the trays for faster drying. Keep smaller leaves attached to the stems and lay them flat, leaving some space between each stem. Drying should take 1 to 4 hours. Check periodically and remove stems and leaves as they dry and are easily crumbled. Let them cool before storing.

Use an air fryer

Set your air fryer to dehydrator mode or the lowest temperature possible. Place your herb sprigs or leaves in the air-fryer for 1 to 3 hours and check them regularly. If leaves are not dehydrating uniformly and edges start browning, lower the temperature if you can. Once the herbs are dried, let them cool before storing.

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Freeze garden herbs to use later

Another easy way to preserve fresh herbs is to store them in the freezer for up to a year.

Use an ice cube tray

Fill an ice cube tray with fresh herb leaves and cover them with water or olive oil, then freeze them. Or make pesto cubes for later use. Once they are frozen, transfer the ice cubes to a resealable freezer bag. This method makes it easy to add herbs to recipes. You can also get creative and mix different fruit and herbs together, and add them to your water, lemonades or cocktails. Silicone ice cube trays work best for easy removal, and they are nonporous, so they won't absorb flavor. The Souper cube silicone trays seen above worked perfect!

Freeze herbs on a baking sheet

Lay your fresh herb leaves or stems on a baking sheet or parchment paper and place them in the freezer overnight. Once the herbs are completely frozen, place them in a sealable container or freezer bag and put them back in the freezer until you need to use them. This method keeps herbs fresh for 2 to 3 months.

Preserve fresh herbs in the refrigerator

If you’re going to use garden herbs in a few days to a few weeks, refrigerating them is the way to go!

Fill a resealable plastic bag

After you’ve cleaned and dried your woody herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano or garden sage, wrap the cuttings — stems and all — in a damp paper towel, put them in a resealable plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator — this will keep them fresh for two to three weeks.

Place tender herb stems in a jar

After rinsing and drying tender-stemmed herbs, such as basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, dill (Anethum graveolens) and chives, place the stems upright in a jar and add an inch or two of water to the bottom. Then cover it with a plastic bag before storing it in the fridge. If you remember to replace the water daily, you can expect this method to preserve your fresh herbs for one to two weeks.

Once you’ve mastered these basic preservation methods, experiment with herbal blends, make vinegar, oil and butter infusions…the possibilities are endless (and delicious!).

Herbal helpers

Imagine taking a deep breath in a gorgeous herb garden on a sunny day. Now imagine that you could bottle that fresh air and somehow use it to scent and sanitize your home. It is possible! Just ask Stephanie Rose.

Stephanie uses all-natural, handmade cleaning agents at her home in British Columbia, Canada. Today a Master Gardener, permaculture designer and trained herbalist, Stephanie began her garden journey after a sudden illness left her bedridden in 2006.

“I used gardening as rehabilitation,” she recalls, explaining that tending plants in her Vancouver yard helped her strengthen her body and her mind after many months of exhaustion. Gardening also led her to learn ways to avoid harsh chemicals that might trigger or exacerbate her health troubles. Pointing out that store-bought housekeeping and self-care products often contain an endless list of unfamiliar — and unpronounceable — chemicals, she explains: “I researched plants instead of researching those thousands of product ingredients. My path has been falling in love with plants, and then finding their healing powers.”

For more natural housekeeping recipes from Stephanie Rose, look for her book Handmade Soaps, Sanitizers, and Cleaners.

Start with simple ingredients

What kinds of things find their way into Stephanie’s cleaning sprays, laundry items and bathroom refreshers? “It’s all regular kitchen stuff that you can infuse with materials from the garden,” she says.

Recipes typically start with ingredients already waiting in the cupboard including:

• Distilled white vinegar, whose acidity cuts grease
• Alcohol, which can tackle germs
• Baking soda, a natural abrasive

Whether a mixture starts with vinegar or alcohol often depends on the surface it’s meant to clean. “Vinegar shouldn’t be used on shiny or smooth surfaces, like granite and window glass,” Stephanie says, explaining that it leaves them with streaks. Alcohol-based cleaners are much more compatible with those materials, but vinegar can be used for great results on wood. She relies on isopropyl alcohol when creating virus-killing solutions or a weaker alcohol, such as vodka, when the aim is to eliminate bacteria.

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Infuse with garden herbs

The fun part comes when she adds herbal elements, sometimes direct from plants and other times as an essential oil. But these items, too, serve specific purposes beyond smelling nice. For instance, citing her Orange and Sage All-Purpose Cleaner (see the recipe below), Stephanie says that “sage acts as an aromatic to bring down the vinegar scent, but it’s also antibacterial. The Ancient Greeks used it to preserve meat.”

Lavender is an even better example, since it has become such a popular “ingredient” in mainstream household products. “Laundry-detergent manufacturers are definitely onto it,” notes Stephanie of the perennial’s appealing aroma, “but they’re usually using artificial fragrance.” In so doing, these items lack real lavender’s key properties: “It’s an amazing antiseptic, antimicrobial and antifungal,” she says. That’s why true lavender-based sprays and sachets like her Lavender Dryer Bags stop items from becoming musty.

Lavender infusion tip

She adds a caveat when working with lavender, though. “If you infuse its flower buds, the liquid will turn brown,” she says. That’s why an essential oil can be a better choice for some recipes. However, soaking the foliage does not cause a color change. “I trim my lavender three times a year to encourage its growth, and I use those leaves,” she says. She adds that among lavenders, English lavender offers the best balance of aroma and cleaning properties. Along with sage, lavender is one of Stephanie’s favorite herbs to work with.

Preserving herbs

Whatever herbs you grow, it’s helpful to know a few ways to preserve them for later use.

Air-drying herbs

• To dry them, simply tie handfuls of cut stems together and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, shaded place, such as an attic, garage or a sheltered spot outside.
• Once they’re completely dry, which may be in as little as a week depending on humidity, strip the leaves and put them in an air-tight container.
• Dried herbs will keep for about a year when stored in this way.

Drying herbs with a dehydrator

• For a faster drying method, she recommends using a food dehydrator, not the oven, which she feels is too harsh for delicate herbs even on its lowest heat.

Preserve in vinegar

• To preserve an herb’s flavor, just stuff a mason jar with fresh herbs and fill it with white vinegar.
• Let it sit for two weeks, then strain the liquid, discarding the herbs.
• Use this deeply flavorful herbal vinegar to dress vegetables or make amazing salad dressings.

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Natural housekeeping ideas from Stephanie Rose

Find three creative ideas to try in your home that utilize natural ingredients right from your garden!

Orange and Sage All-Purpose Cleaner

This recipe combines the powerful cleaning ability of vinegar with the delicious scents of orange rinds and fresh garden sage. The orange peels also “contain citric acid, which helps the acidic vinegar dissolve greases and other grime,” Stephanie adds. Anytime Stephanie eats an orange, she pops its rind into a jar of vinegar for continual concocting.

Materials

• Peels of 4 to 5 large oranges
• Handful of fresh sage leaves
• 6 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
• Two 67-ounce (2 Liter) lidded jars
• Strainer

How to make it

1. Fill one mason jar with orange peels and sage.
2. Top with white vinegar, seal the lid, and store in a cool, dark place for one week.
3. Then strain the liquid into the second mason jar. Store unused portions in a cool, dark place.
4. This is your cleaning concentrate, which can now be diluted to different strengths for different jobs.
5. The concentrate should be used within six weeks, so Stephanie recommends sticking with small batches.

Best uses for Orange and Sage All-purpose cleaner

• To cut grease and remove soap scum, combine 1 part concentrate with 1 part water in a spraybottle, shake, spray and wipe.
• To clean counter tops, use 1 part concentrate and 3 parts water.
• For mopping floors (not hardwood), add 1/2 cup of the concentrate to 3 gallons of warm water.

Natural Reed Diffusers

Stephanie likes using essential oils to impart a more gentle aroma to her home, but she was disappointed by the chemical-smelling, short-lived reed diffusers sold at stores. So she began making her own.

Materials

• Essential oil(s) of your choice
• A thin “carrier” oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed oil
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Handful of flower stalks, such as poppy, daylily, or coneflower
• Glass bottle with a narrow opening

How to make your own reed diffusers

1. Remove leaves, soil and spent flowers from the gathered flower stalks. Bake the cleaned stalks in the oven at 200 degrees F for 25 to 60 minutes until completely dried.
2. Fill the bottle about halfway using a mixture of essential and carrier oils.
3. The ratio should be 30 percent essential oil to 70 percent carrier oil. Add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol, which thins the mixture.
4. Finally, fill the bottle opening with as many homemade reed diffusers as will fit. Turn the reeds over once a week to refresh the scent, and replace the oil once a month.

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Lavender Dryer Bags

Stephanie notes that the small muslin bags she uses are often sold as “bouquet garni bags” for soaking herbs in soups and stews. They measure roughly 3 x 4 inches. If you enjoy sewing, you can make your own bags out of cotton fabric.

Materials

• Dried lavender flower buds
• Drawstring muslin bags

How to make lavender dryer bags

Fill the muslin bag to the top with the dried lavender and tie the drawstring tightly closed. Toss one into the dryer along with your laundry. If you’d like to experiment with mixing scents, just dot the muslin bag with a few drops of an essential oil before starting the dryer.

Each bag can typically be used 10 times before the lavender loses scent. If the bag is still in good shape, you can refill it.

Growing basil

If I could only grow one herb in my garden, it would be basil. Basil is the flavor of summer, lending its spicy-clove essence to pasta, pizza, caprese salad and, of course, pesto. It’s also easy to grow, thriving in sunny garden beds and containers and offering months of aromatic leaves.

I start my own basil seeds indoors in midspring under grow lights, sowing seeds for a handful of varieties. When the weather has warmed and it’s time to tuck those seedlings into my raised beds, I laugh at myself because I usually have at least three dozen basil plants—far too many for one family. But soon, those seedlings begin to grow and I quickly realize there’s no such thing as too much basil. Excess basil is turned into pesto, frozen, dried or shared with friends and family. No one has ever said no to a bouquet of homegrown basil.

Grow basil in ornamental plantings, too

Basil is also incredibly ornamental and I like to tuck the seedlings in flower gardens, as well as my vegetable beds. It’s the perfect herb for planting almost anywhere, offering a range of plant sizes and forms, as well as varied foliage and flower colors. Varieties of sweet basil have large, glossy green leaves, while Thai basil has striking purple stems and flowers to contrast against the bright green foliage.

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Four tips for growing great basil

1. Wait for warm weather to plant

Basil is a heat-loving herb and shouldn’t be rushed into the garden until the soil and air temperatures have warmed to at least 60 degrees F. Cold temperatures stunt or damage the foliage of frost-sensitive basil, so be patient. I transplant my seedlings into the garden about two weeks after the average last frost date. If temperatures dip to less than 50 degrees F after you’ve planted, cover seedlings with cloches or a length of row cover.

2. Pick the right site for basil in your garden

Find a spot that offers at least six hours of full sun each day and has well-draining soil. Raised beds are ideal. I also dig in a few inches of compost before planting to promote healthy growth. If your garden lacks adequate light or your soil is heavy or clay-based, plant basil seedlings in pots on a sunny deck or patio.

3. Harvest basil often

The first harvest takes place about a month after planting when the young plants are about 10 inches tall and have at least six sets of leaves. Don’t just pluck a few leaves — harvest smart by pinching the main shoots back by about one-third. This encourages side-shoots to grow, resulting in bushier plants and increasing the overall harvest.

4. Remove the flowers from basil plants

By mid- to late summer, your basil will likely begin to produce flower buds. If basil plants are allowed to flower, the essential oils in the leaves decrease and flavor is reduced. Flowering plants also produce fewer and smaller leaves. Delay flowering by pinching buds as they appear. I also like to succession plant my basil crop by transplanting fresh seedlings into the garden in midsummer. An extra crop of basil planted in mid- to late July ensures a high-quality harvest until frost, especially if you haven’t been keeping up with pinching back the flowers.

Easy ways to preserve basil

Freezing basil

To freeze, chop the leaves roughly in a food processor with a small amount of olive oil. Freeze the mixture in ice cube trays for perfect portions.

Drying basil

To dry basil, cut 6- to 8-inch-long sprigs, gathering them into small bundles. Hang the bundles to dry in a warm room with good ventilation, but out of direct sunlight

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Five types of basil you should try

Flip through any seed catalog and you’ll quickly notice there are a lot of different types of basil. Most of us are familiar with sweet basil, but what about Greek, purple, and lemon basils? Do they deserve a place in our gardens and kitchens? Definitely! They offer a wonderful range of flavors beyond that of sweet basil. Here are a few of my favorites:

Sweet basil Ocimum basilicum

Sweet, or Genovese, basil is the classic culinary basil that lends a spicy clove flavor to pastas, pesto and countless other dishes. Plants typically grow 18 to 30 inches tall and have cup-shaped oval leaves.

• Prospera^® sweet basil (in photo)

  This newly introduced basil grows up to 2 feet tall and offers a generous harvest of 3-inch-long flavor-packed leaves. It’s also the first certified organic variety that offers genetic resistance to downy mildew, a pathogen that affects the foliage of basil plants, severely reducing yield.

• Everleaf^™ sweet basil

  Everleaf has become my go-to sweet basil variety for its high productivity and bolt resistance. It grows just 20 to 24 inches tall but because of the short stems between each leaf node, it yields a larger-thanaverage amount of leaves.

• ‘Dolce Fresca’ sweet basil

  Ideal for garden beds or containers, this award-winning sweet basil variety is extremely compact, growing just 14 inches tall. The densely branched plants yield a good harvest of sweet-spicy leaves from late spring to the first fall frost.

• ‘Napolitano’ sweet basil

  Also called “mammoth leaf” or “lettuce leaf” basil, this type of sweet basil produces leaves as large as your hand! Plants grow up to 30 inches tall with massive crinkly leaves 4 to 6 inches in length. The flavor is also super-sized, and more intensely spiced than most types of sweet basil.

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Purple basil Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens

Purple basil is a unique type of sweet basil with purple-bronze leaves and a strong spicy flavor. Use it the same ways that you’d use traditional sweet basil.

• ‘Red Rubin’ purple basil (in photo)

  Popular for its high yield and great flavor, this 18- to 24-inch-tall All-America Selections winner boasts deep purple-burgundy leaves that offer a spicy kick to pasta and salads.

• ‘Purple Ruffles’ purple basil

  16- to 20-inch-tall ‘Purple Ruffles’ has vivid purple foliage that is deeply ruffled, making it a striking addition to mixed containers.

Lemon basil Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum

I grow a lot of herbs for tea, and varieties of lemon basil like ‘Mrs. Burns’ and ‘Sweet Dani’ have a robust citrus flavor that makes an aromatic tea. Lemon basil can also be chopped and added to vinaigrettes, marinades, salads and cold drinks.

• ‘Sweet Dani’ lemon basil

  An All-America Selections winning basil, ‘Sweet Dani’ has large, bright green leaves infused with an intense lemon scent and flavor. The well-branched plants grow up to 2 feet tall and when clipped regularly, pump out plenty of fresh growth until frost.

• ‘Mrs. Burns’ lemon basil

  This popular heirloom variety grows up to 2 feet tall and has large leaves and delicate white flowers. The mouth-watering flavor pairs classic basil with a bright citrus infusion.

Greek basil Ocimum basilicum var. minimum

The compact, rounded form of Greek basil is extremely ornamental, adding formality to gardens and containers. I like to use it as an edible edge and plant it along the perimeter of my raised beds. Sprinkle the tiny leaves over pasta, bruschetta and pizza or turn it into a flavorful pesto.

• ‘Aristotle’ Greek basil (photo)

  My latest basil obsession is ‘Aristotle’ due to its high disease resistance, extra-tiny leaves, and tight, rounded form. It only grows 8 to 10 inches tall, so it looks fantastic in a container or windowbox and is relatively bolt resistant, flowering later in the summer than other varieties.

• ‘Spicy Globe’ Greek basil

  ‘Spicy Globe’ is one of the more common varieties of Greek or little leaf basil and forms tidy, 10-inch-tall-and-wide balls of aromatic leaves.

Thai basil Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora

Thai basil isn’t the basil to grow if you want to make pesto, but it’s essential for adding an intense licorice clove flavor to soups, stir-fries and salads. It’s also visually striking, with narrow, bright green leaves and deep purple stems and buds. Plus the buds and flowers are edible and can be used like the leaves or as a garnish.

• ‘Siam Queen’ Thai basil

  The award-winning ‘Siam Queen’ has set the standard for Thai basil. It forms vigorous plants that grow 2 feet tall and wide, and are extremely bolt-resistant, only flowering as summer begins to wind down.

A few years ago, I began to hear from gardeners in the United States and Canada who were having trouble with their basil plants. They described yellowing foliage and a fuzzy gray mold on the bottom of the leaves. They said the affected leaves withered and the plants eventually died. The culprit was relatively new to North America, but one that has quickly been spreading: basil downy mildew.

What is basil downy mildew?

Basil downy mildew is a funguslike organism that generally appears in mid- to late summer when conditions are warm and humid. It travels on the wind or via water splashed during rain or irrigation. The lower leaves are affected first but the infection soon moves upward on the plant.

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Conditions perfect for downy mildew

According to Rachel Katz, a Research Team Product Technician at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, there are three things necessary for a disease like downy mildew to spread:

• The pathogen needs to be present
  
• There needs to be a susceptible host
  
• Conditions need to be just right
  

Knowing this can help you reduce the spread in your garden by eliminating a factor, like foliage moisture. Katz suggests watering with drip tape or a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler or watering wand to reduce water on the leaves. It’s also a good idea to water early in the day so the foliage has a chance to dry off before night.

How to prevent basil downy mildew

In addition to watering at ground level, there are a few other ways to help reduce the potential occurrence of downy mildew. Where I used to plant my basil seedlings close together to grow into a hedge of basil, I now leave space between each plant. This permits optimum air circulation to help the foliage dry quickly after a rain. It’s also important to plant basil in a site that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of sun each day. The sun will speed up leaf drying but it also promotes healthy growth of this heat-loving Mediterranean herb.

What to do if you spot basil downy mildew

Keep an eye on your plants and if you spot yellowing foliage, look at the bottom of the leaf surface for the telltale purple-gray fuzzy mold. If you’ve identified downy mildew in your garden:

1. Remove the entire plant immediately.
   
2. Throw it in the trash.
   
3. Do not compost affected basil plants as your compost pile may not heat up enough to kill the pathogen.
   

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Basil varieties resistant to downy mildew

In my garden, I’ve put smart watering to work but I’ve also combined it with variety selection. Katz says the best way to grow a crop of downy mildew-resistant basil is to start with resistant varieties.

Prospera basil^®️

Recent breeding has resulted in new cultivars, like Prospera, that offer resistance to downy mildew. “Prospera is the first certified organic basil variety with real genetic resistance to downy mildew,” says Katz. “Additionally, it has beautiful, dark green, cupped leaves, and traditional Genovese Italian basil flavor.”

Everleaf basil^™

I’m also a fan of Everleaf, a productive variety that shows modest resistance to downy mildew. The plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and have dense growth which means high leaf production. The plants are also later to flower than most basil cultivars so the harvest of high-quality leaves is extended for an additional 6 to 8 weeks.

Herbs look good, smell good and are good for you. So why wouldn’t you want to keep them close at hand to enjoy at your convenience? You don’t need a large garden to have access to fresh herbs; simply plant herbs in pots or a fragrant — and functional — addition to your home and garden. Imagine a summer morning: You walk right outside your kitchen door to a sunny patio full of containers, snip a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley and return to the kitchen to flavor your scrambled eggs. Scroll through my tips for growing delicious herbs in your garden, and take a look at some herb container recipes below.

See more Container Gardening ideas

Grow herbs in pots outdoors

Growing herbs in containers really is a no-brainer. Most herbs can flourish on your deck, patio, balcony or windowsill. All they require is a sunny spot and containers large enough for the plants to grow.

Herbs for shadier spots

And if you don’t have a sunny spot, these herbs grow best in partial sun:

• Arugula
• Sorrel
• Mizuna
• Parsley
• Chervil

Check out these 5 easy-to-grow herbs

Herb container tips

• Keep in mind, the smaller the container, the quicker the soil will dry out. Be sure to use a high-quality potting mix made from composted bark, peat moss and other ingredients that do not include soil dug from the ground.
• Mix in an all-natural organic fertilizer prior to planting or apply a liquid fish or kelp fertilizer at half strength every few weeks (because container-grown herbs require additional nutrients to thrive).
• Tender herbs, such as basil, dill, cilantro and tarragon, can be overwintered indoors and moved back outside once the temperatures warm up in spring.

See our vegetable garden plan with curb appeal

Sage, basil & spearmint herb container

A) Sage (Salvia officinalis and S. officinalis ‘Berggarten Variegated’)
Type Perennial Foliage Textured strongly aromatic leaves used fresh and dried as a culinary seasoning Light Full sun Size 24 to 30 in. tall and wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

B) Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual) Foliage Aromatic leaves used fresh or dried to flavor foods Light Full sun Size 18 to 24 in. tall and wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11

C) Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
Type Perennial Foliage Dark green leaves have strong peppermint fragrance and taste Light Full sun Size 1 to 2 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9

Mint advice

• Left on its own, mint will quickly spread by creeping stems, rooting as it goes. That’s why growing it in a container is such a good idea.
• If you plant it in the ground, place a bottomless bucket or metal edging around the plant. The barrier should extend 8 to 10 in. deep and a couple inches high to successfully prevent spreading.

Basil, sage, oregano, kale & rosemary herb container

A) Basil (Ocimum basilicum ‘Heirloom Salad Leaf’)
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual) Foliage Aromatic, crinkled 4-in. leaves used fresh or dried to flavor foods Light Full sun Size 12 to 18 in. tall, 10 to 16 in. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11

B) Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Type Perennial Foliage Textured gray-green leaves are strongly aromatic and used fresh or dried in cooking as a seasoning Light Full sun Size 24 to 30 in. tall and wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

C) Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum)
Type Perennial Foliage Aromatic rounded leaves used fresh or dried in many dishes Light Full sun Size 6 to 9 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

D) Ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea)
Type Annual Foliage Grown for attractive foliage, not as a vegetable Light Full sun Size 12 to 18 in. tall and wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11

E) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Type Perennial Foliage Evergreen shrub with intensely fragrant gray-green needlelike leaves used in toiletries and sachets and for flavoring foods Light Full sun Size 2 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 4 ft. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10

Basil advice

• Freezing temperatures can kill basil. The first sign of cold damage is usually wilting or leaves that begin to curl and dry around the edges. Plants may survive a light freeze; just give them time to grow new foliage, then remove the wilted and damaged leaves.
• If a hard freeze is in the forecast, go ahead and harvest all of the leaves for a batch of pesto!

See more articles on growing Vegetables

Materials

• Jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid
• Herbs, such as rosemary, sage, bay, oregano or thyme
• Oil, such as canola or olive
• Sauce pan

Oil savvy

It’s safer to infuse your oils with the concentrated flavors of dried herbs. The drying process kills bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum, a soilborne organism that causes botulism poisoning. Besides that, too much moisture from the foliage can cause the oil to go rancid. You also need to freeze or refrigerate your infused oil so it doesn’t spoil. If you notice any bubbles, discoloration or strings of a whitish material start to form in your oil, toss it out immediately. It’s gone bad.

Dry the herbs

To dry your herbs harvest a handful of stems, gather them into small bundles and secure them with twine or a rubber band. Hang the bundles upside down for 7 to 10 days in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. You’ll need 1 ounce of herbs to 10 ounces of oil but the intensity of flavor can vary depending on the herb and your growing conditions so you might need to experiment a bit.

Infuse the oil

In a large sauce pan, heat canola or other mild oil until warm — no higher than 150 degrees F. Remove the twine or rubber band from the herb bundle and wrap it in cheesecloth. Emerse the bag of herbs in the oil to steep an hour or longer. When the oil has been flavored to your taste, discard the bundle and strain out any herbs that may have escaped as you pour it into a clean, dry container.

Store flavored oil

Store the flavored oil in the refrigerator right away. Use it within 2 to 4 days to avoid any bacteria problems. Or you can freeze small portion sized quantities and keep it longer.

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Ahh, dill. How we love you, and let us count the ways: You provide fresh leaves for clipping on grilled fish and into summer soups and you revive a ho-hum egg salad sandwich. Then there are the flowers — those broad yellow umbels that look lovely in containers, windowboxes, and even bouquets. Summer transforms flowers into seed heads, filled with pungent little flavor packets that give cucumbers their dilly personality (born again as pickles). Dill is the darling of mixologist menus, appearing with gin and vodka in savory martinis. Dwarf ‘Fernleaf’ dill, above, is ideal for small gardens and containers; it grows just 14 to 18 in. tall (standard dill can tower up to 4 ft.).

Harvesting tip

• Drying dill is easy; just cut stems and hang them upside down in a cool, dry place. Harvest the dried leaves and store in an air-tight jar.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

If you love Thai or Vietnamese cuisine, chances are that you’ve crossed chopsticks with this fragrant, delicious basil. ‘Siam Queen’, above, has the classic basil flavor with overtones of anise. Start basil from seed or plant seedlings. Plants grow 12 to 18 in. tall and are covered with small, almond-shape leaves and topped with stunning purple flowers (which are also edible). Basil leaves are at peak flavor when harvested before plants flower. Add a spicy kick to any dish by clipping fresh leaves into soups or pasta dishes just before serving. This tender perennial cannot be planted until the threat of frost has passed.

Harvesting tips

• In midsummer when hot days make basil grow quickly, harvest leaves and grind them into pesto.
• Freeze in ice cube trays to use in sauces and mixed with pasta.

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Revered for the piney flavor imparted in Mediterranean food (think Italian, Greek and French), rosemary is a woody-stemmed tender perennial. ‘Arp’, above, is one of the most cold-hardy rosemaries, surviving winter in zones 6 to 10. In colder areas, dig up the plant and bring it indoors. ‘Arp’ has an upright growth habit, growing up to 3 ft. tall and wide where it is perennial.

Rosemary grows happily in containers and is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and pollinators are mad for its light blue flowers. Among the best culinary types are ‘Tuscan Blue’ and ‘Spice Island’. Rosemary is one of the components of the classic French dried herb mix Herbes de Provence.

Harvesting tip

• Infuse rosemary’s pungent flavor in olive oil and vinegar to use in salads and sautes.
• Discover the sweet side of rosemary by infusing it in simple syrup - it's great for cocktails!

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Thyme is one of the most commonly used herbs and can be put to work as an anchor in the garden because it is evergreen. Cold-hardy in zones 5 to 10, thyme has a lovely shrubby growth habit, growing 6 to 10 in. tall and 8 to 12 in. wide. In late spring, it produces purple flowers that are pollinator magnets. 'Gray Hill' has frosty green leaves, 'Orange Balsam' has orange-scented leaves and 'Argenteus' has green and creamy white leaves with a pink tinge in winter. Lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) ‘Variegata’, above, is so beautiful, you may be tempted to use it in mixed containers as an accent plant (and you should!). Its yellow and green, mouse-eared foliage is vigorous, beautiful, fragrant, and flavorful with a melded combination of thyme and lemon flavors. Use thyme in herbed butters, salads and soups.

Harvesting tips

• The more you clip thyme, the more stems and leaves the plant produces.
• Harvest stems in early morning after the night’s bundles hung upside down in a cool, dry place. Or add stems with leaves in a food dehydrator.

Italian oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Take a culinary trip to Italy when you grow and harvest the leaves of this savory herb. Oregano can be used in containers or as an edging plant in sunny herb gardens. Collect stems before plants flower for the best flavor. Use oregano in sauces and soups — any Mediterranean recipe that needs a deepening of flavor. Italian oregano grows 12 to 18 in. tall and is cold-hardy in zones 5 to 10. Oregano grows best in full sun, but can take some partial shade (unlike most herbs). Use dried and fresh leaves in recipes ranging from soups, meats, and pizzas. Try ‘Nana’, a dwarf cultivar, in containers and windowboxes. For a less bitter herb with a similar flavor, try marjoram (O. marjoram).

Harvesting tips

• Collect oregano mid-summer when the flavor is most intense.
• Add fresh leaves to recipes just before serving.

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After growing herbs in a container outdoors, transitioning them indoors for the winter may be difficult. But it can be done.

Herbs planted together in containers generally thrive through their first season. Keeping them together longer than that is risky because the larger the herbs get, the more root room they require. Eventually they’ll start competing for space.

If you want to move them indoors and grow them for more than one year, try growing your herbs in separate containers. But if you like how they look planted together in a big container in the summer, transplant them to separate containers in the fall. As long as they have enough root space, the herbs should do well inside on a sunny windowsill, but they’ll do even better under grow lights.