Returned to Basil after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Basil failed — powdery mildew on basil in cool damp conditions got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to dividing clumping herbs like chives every two or three years, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a kitchen windowsill close to the cooking area and fast growing from seed or small plug plant is on full display. sowing and planting out after last frost in spring this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.