I love basil. It brings the very flavor of summer in from the garden to the table. Basil isn't easy to grow outside in a place as far north as Cape Breton. Along with tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, it does better in a greenhouse than out where most nights are chilly. The greenhouse doesn't have to be heated, but can be closed at night and opened when the summer sun is blasting away.
Basil grows quickly and benefits from pruning.
The taste and texture of the leaves are best before it flowers. If you cut back the growing leader, or tip, two tips will sprout to replace it. When they show signs of flowering, you can cut them as well, and continue harvesting the growing plant, although not forever. I replant basil in midsummer, along with lettuces. So the fragrant leaves won't be crushed, I slip them in my shirt pocket, where I won't forget it, the elegant scent never far from my nose.