Overwinter a piece of the root on a sunny windowsill indoors and start it up again in spring by repotting in fresh well-drained soilless mix. Outdoors, give lemongrass lots of sun and an occasional dose of diluted soluble fertilizer. In the same container, or in a separate pot, sow seeds of another Asian favorite, Thai basil. Its mild anise flavor is a good companion to lemongrass in traditional Thai noodle dishes and soups. Grow all of these just like the common sweet basil used for making pesto, in a sunny well-drained bed planted after threat of frost has passed.
Sweet bay is a well-known flavoring for stews and stocks.
Its delicate clover scent is most celebrated, perhaps, in bouquet garni, a mixture of herbs in which sweet bay is the one constant. Cooks will enjoy the subtle differences in dishes prepared with fresh bay leaves instead of dried. Bay trees grow slowly from seed, so it's quicker to start with rooted cuttings. Be sure to buy only plants marked Laurus nobilis . Overwinter your bay tree as a houseplant indoors.