Basil is a beloved herb and an essential ingredient in every season. But is it possible to keep this plant as a perennial and enjoy its tasty leaves year after year? If you live in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, you could count on sweet basil as a perennial herb. For the rest of the country, it is considered an annual and will not come back the next year. However, with some planning, you can have fresh sweet basil at hand, whether you grow it indoors or ensure it reseeds in your garden. Ahead, learn more about growing basil year-round. Is Basil a Perennial? Sweet basil (Ocimum basiiicum L.), is not a perennial except in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11. The same facts apply to other types of basil like Thai basil and spicy cinnamon basil. Fun Fact Wild basil, a distant relative of sweet basil, is a perennial in Zones 4-9. Although it has a milder flavor with hints of cilantro, it can be used like sweet basil in recipes. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! How to Make the Most of Your Basil Harvest If you want to keep fresh basil on hand year-round, follow these tips to make the most of your basil harvest. Grow basil indoors. If you live in a cool climate, keep basil available by growing it indoors in pots year-round. Protect the basil plants. To extend an outdoor growing season, protect the plants from late or early frosts by using row covers or individual plant protectors. A glass jar or plastic milk container will protect the plants at night but should be removed the next morning. Stagger plantings. If growing basil from seed, stagger the sowing dates so the seeds germinate at least two weeks apart. If using nursery seedlings, purchase and plant about two weeks apart to extend the season. Remove basil flowers. If flowers form on the basil stems, pinch them off immediately. The energy of the plant should go into producing more and larger leaves, not flowers that become seeds. Harvest frequently.Regular removal of basil leaves will encourage the plant to branch out and sprout more leaves throughout the season. Freeze extra leaves. To freeze fresh basil leaves, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds, pat them dry, and freeze flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Store the frozen leaves in airtight containers in the freezer. Dry extra leaves. Use a dehydrator, oven, or microwave to dry basil leaves quickly. Once dry, crumble the leaves and store them in airtight containers. How to Grow Basil Year-Round Unless you live in USDA hardiness zones 10 or 11, you will need to either grow basil indoors or do a combination of outdoor gardening and indoor containers. For outdoor plants, plant seedlings in the ground or containers in the spring once the last chance of frost has passed. You can get a head start on harvesting by starting seeds or seedlings indoors while the weather is still cool. To grow indoors, you can start with seed, seedlings, or stem cuttings. Most indoor basil plants produce for about one year if maintained properly. Indoor basil containers need regular watering and plenty of bright light to thrive. A grow light is a great way to keep basil healthy if you don't have a sunny window. How to Grow Basil as a Perennial Annual basil plants in the garden will often self-sow if you don’t pinch back their flowers. You may be lucky enough to find some new seedlings in the garden in the spring if the weather cooperates. However, not all seeds germinate and the new seedlings will also be annuals. So, you can replant or move to a warmer climate if you'd like to be sure basil continues to come back every year. If you are living in a semi-tropical area, basil seeds can be planted in early spring or fall in moist but well-drained soil. The plants are sensitive to frost and the leaves of many varieties will turn black and drop off the plant when temperatures drop below 40°F. To save seeds from basil, leave the flowers on the plant until they die, allowing the seeds to turn brown and dry. Separate the seed from the seed capsules and store them in a cool place in a well-sealed container to replenish your crop.

Look to ‘Black Krim,’ one of the earliest “black” tomato varieties, for an heirloom tomato rich in color and flavor. This strong performer yields hefty slicing tomatoes in rich rose and deep purple tones. Explore the heirloom qualities and how-to’s of ‘Black Krim’ with garden expert Katherine Rowe. ‘Black Krim’ tomatoes bring bold heirloom color, flavor, and performance to the slicing tomato. Depending on weather conditions, hefty fruits ripen to deep purple or dusky rose. The unique color, form, and flavor of this “black” tomato make the heirloom noteworthy in the garden. These beautiful, beefsteak-sized fruits have dark flesh with deep, juicy interiors and a balanced, rich, sweet, and salty flavor. Let’s explore the heirloom traits and growing qualities of ‘Black Krim’ for an exciting twist on the summer slicer. What are ‘Black Krim’Tomatoes? This is an heirloom tomato variety with large, flavorful, beefsteak-type fruits. Its origin is as interesting as its color and form. ‘Black Krim’ is a selection in Krymsk, Russia, on the Black Sea across from the Crimean Peninsula. Synonyms include ‘Black Crimea.’ The first commercially available “black” tomato, Seed Savers Exchange introduced it in 1990 after receiving seeds initially from Crimea from Lars Olov Rosenstrom of Sweden. A few years later, the popular heirloom black tomato ‘Cherokee Purple’ came into cultivation. Heirloom varieties span generations because of their flavor, growth, unique fruits, and performance qualities. This variety is notable for hefty, colorful fruits with a rich, slightly salty flavor. Characteristics This indeterminate tomato grows and produces fruits throughout the season until frost. It fruits reliably and productively, with meaty tomatoes that weigh 10 to 12 ounces each. The long, leafy vines that reach six feet or more. In cool climates, the large fruits ripen to dusky rose and chocolate with green shoulders. They’ll turn deep purple-black in more sun and heat, but the sweet, salty flavor remains. The round fruits have squatty, flat tops. ‘Black Krim’ fruits late in the season, yielding mature tomatoes 70 to 90 days after transplanting into the garden. With its tall, continually growing vines, it needs a large tomato cage, stake, or trellis for support. Native Area Before ‘Black Krim’ grew near Russia and Ukraine, its wild ancestors hailed from faraway Central and South American coasts. Their original growing range is the narrow coastline below the Andes Mountains from Ecuador to Chile. Tomato cultivation spread regionally through indigenous cultures and then through Spanish colonists returning to Europe with the fruits. A few centuries later, it became significant in culinary uses. These are tender perennials in regions where they are hardy (USDA zones 10 and 11) and grow as warm-season annuals elsewhere. They belong to the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, along with peppers, eggplants, and potatoes, among numerous other plants. Planting These plants are frost-sensitive and require warm air and soil temperatures for best growth. They grow easily from seed, with seedlings ready to move outdoors a week or two after the last frost and as nighttime temperatures are above 55°F (13°C). Growth takes off with warming summer temperatures. When deciding where to plant, if possible, opt for a spot where you haven’t grown nightshades in the past year. Nightshades like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, tomatillos, and eggplants transmit diseases among the group. Crop rotation helps prevent the spread of any lingering fungus or bacteria in the soil. Plant seedlings two to three feet apart to provide ample air circulation between plants. If growing in rows, space the rows three to four feet apart. Plant tomato seedlings deep, leaving a third of the stem exposed (or two sets of leaves) with the rest buried. The covered leaf nodes and hairs grow roots to aid plant stability and nutrient uptake. At planting, install the upright support structure like a large tomato cage. How to Grow This large tomato grows best with certain cultural needs fulfilled. However, it’s also an adaptable variety that withstands less-than-ideal conditions. ‘Black Krim’ is a productive and reliable fruiter. Maintenance In addition to meeting basic cultural requirements, an important step is mulching, which helps with moisture retention, weed suppression, and soil temperature regulation. Clean, weed-free straw, compost, leaf mold, or aged woodchips do the job. Pruning is unnecessary, but as large, indeterminate plants, they benefit from pinching off low-growing, suckering offshoots to direct nutrients and growth to the upper parts of the plant. To increase air circulation at the base of plants, some gardeners find it helpful to pinch off the lower six to ten inches of growth along stems. Do this when plants reach two feet tall.

Fuchsias are abundant in summer. You’ll see them cascading over hanging baskets, filling raised beds, and decorating front porches. These shade lovers excel in home gardens, and some overwinter in mild regions! Learn how to plant, grow, and care for fuchsias alongside fuchsia lover Jerad Bryant. Fuchsias fill the air with their purple, pink, red, white, and multi-color blooms! They’re exceptional. Some consider fuchsias old-fashioned, but I disagree. They’re essential in shady shrub gardens. Some fuchsias are hardy perennials, while most of the garden hybrids are frost-tender perennials. They thrive outdoors in spring, summer, and fall. Frost-tender perennials die at the first frost, while the hardy fuchsias enter dormancy for the winter. Whether you’re filling hanging baskets or adding color to your borders, fuchsia plants are the right pick. Give them good soil, regular moisture, and plenty of shade—they’ll reward you with dozens of pink-purple blooms! What Are Fuchsias? Fuchsias are high-performing tender shrubs with ample leaves, blooms, and stems. Although they require more nutrients and moisture than most garden plants, their unique-shaped flowers are worth the extra care! Native Area Fuchsia species originate from New Zealand, South and Central America, and Mexico. They tend to be understory plants that thrive beneath taller trees and shrubs. The shade the canopy provides is perfect for them, as they prefer partially shady or dappled shade conditions. Most hardy fuchsias are varieties of the species Fuchsia magellanica, while the tender hybrids at nurseries and garden centers involve complex crosses of many different species. Their characteristics vary depending on their parentage. Characteristics Fuchsias tend to have arching stems, ovate leaves, and folded flowers. The flowers have a collar-like structure that folds around the inner floral parts. They sort of look like spinning tops! Some varieties have giant folds, while others have tight ones. Fuchsias grow differently depending on their type. Some are upright, others are arching, and a few grow along the soil like a ground cover. Which is best for your garden depends on the setup. Plant upright and arching types in the ground, and place drooping and prostrate ones in containers so they spill over the edges. Depending on the species, these shrubs are frost-tender or frost-hardy. Choose tender types for containers and hardy ones for in the ground. Frost-tender varieties overwinter in hardiness zones 10 through 12, and hardy types overwinter in zones 5 through 10. Planting You must find hybrid fuchsias at stores and garden centers, as they don’t sprout true to seed. Seedlings grow differently from their parents, with new leaf shapes, bloom colors, and petal formations. Try growing fuchsias from seeds if you’d like to experiment with them, or find your favorite cultivar at the store or online.