Full sun, plenty of water and good drainage.

Start pinching the growing tips as soon as the third set of true leaves appears. It'll branch where you pinch it. Keep doing that, and it'll bush out nicely.

If I had some, Id plant it in the white and purple and green garden. Which started out with hostas and purple palace heuchera. Its mostly white and green tho.

You can plant some in my yard :)

With your tomatoes. The regular basil is better, but the smell discourages mosquitoes. It will also enhance the flavor of both.

I'm doing gallon hunks of basil in with the flowers. They are pretty plants.

Lynda

I don't know if all of the purple basils do, but the ones I've had in the past had gorgeous pink blooms that set off the burgundy leaves really nice!

The purple basils all have tougher leaves...so they aren't the greatest as edibles. But they are VERY SHOWY! :-)

I put the purple basil with flowers, in containers (regular green basils, I put in the veggie beds with the toms...the greens seem to be richer in flavor to me than the purples).

Looking at my color wheel, the contrasting color to purple is yellow or orange yellow/the contrasting color to pink are green,yellow green, and blue green.

Quite honestly, the leaves and blooms are so nice on the purple basil, I'm inclined to just put it with white flowers...maybe even red and purple flowers...then have yellow-orange flowers surrounding that bunch.

(but the best combos in my yard are often the ones that come from "plunk and run" with no thought at all! :-)

Linda

Thanks everyone!!!

I will plant it everywhere!

Shasta, the seeds grew really easily. I got them at walmart. Sow some you will love it. they are purple as seedlings, so cute.

Karen

I have some too and can't wait to put a little anywhere they'll fit. :)

Yup, I stuff it in wherever I can...containers, w/other annuals, in perennial beds, hanging baskets... :)

Here is a container combo I'm planning to use it in, as soon as the sprouts get big enough to plant out:

Snapdragon 'Rembrandt'
Portulaca 'Mango'
Nasturtium 'Peach Melba' or 'Tip Top Apricot'
Verbena 'Peach Melba' (if this one ever germinates!)
... and either Millet 'Jester', Pennisetum 'Rubrum' (Purple Fountain Grass), or Draceana 'Red Spike' which I will need to purchase

I'll try to remember to post a picture of it later in the season.

Bonnie

thanks everyone!! I planted one container in my hanging basket and some in the urns I have out front (the urn's have petunias also)

The other container I will plant out in the beds today.
Karen