Sow seeds in moist potting soil, sprinkling them lightly with fine soil to cover. Kept in a warm spot, basil germinates in five to 10 days. When the plants are 15 centimetres tall, pinch out the tops and cut off any flower spikes to encourage bushy growth. Add crushed or minced leaves to soup, pasta and casseroles, or sprinkle whole leaves on salads. Perennial members of the Allium family, chives are closely related to onions, leeks and garlic.
Lilies are distant cousins.
Each hollow chive leaf ends in a sharp point. Cheery mauve blossoms look like pompoms made of tiny, tight-clustered flowers atop leafless stems. Plant seeds 12 millimetres deep in potting soil. They germinate in seven to 10 days. Give chives plenty of sun and they reward you with pretty blooms and tasty leaves all summer.