does basil grow back in the summer after dying down in the winter? Like chives?

[titferbrains]

Our chives came back after withering to a sad brown clump thru the winter. Will my basil do the same thing? First time I've had it in the garden, we planted it from seedlings and it's been glorious.

Afraid not. Or at least not in the UK climate, it gets too cold for them.

I'm not an expert, but ours grew back this summer. We were astonished

No, Basil in an annual.
Cold kills it off.

I have some still going on in the conservatory and it is flowering so I will attempt to collect seed for next year

ok.

Actually, we were considering bringing it in. How do you manage having house plants with a one yr old who eats anything she finds on the floor? Or is it just not a good idea?

Basil is edible .
Actually I used to be keen on house plants but gave them all up when the DCs were babies. Never got back into house plants but I do overwinter cuttings and geraniums in the conservatory. A kitchen window sill would do. Though I wouldn't bother with basil because it is easy to grow from seed.

Wicked thanks for the heads up re edible basil - I was more concerned about the eating of soil and any dead leaves lying about....

DS2 once ate a snail.....I caught him crunching it in the garden when he was 2.