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By Adrienne Cook
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, May 11, 2000; Page H10

The gardener does not so much grow basil as become obsessed by it. The seductive, complex fragrance of the beloved herb is intoxicating and addictive. There is almost no food that cannot be sparked by one or another of the basil varieties available today.

Unless you live high in the mountains, where cold nights can continue through Memorial Day, mid-May is the time to launch these heat-loving herbs.

Basil is a bellwether of sorts: If it's warm enough to grow basil, it's safe to bring out all your tender patio plants for the season as well as plant your summer annuals and bulbs.

If you don't have space for such a collection, stick with the basil. Perhaps no other herb is better fresh from the garden, even if the garden is a 12-inch pot.

The sweet, cinnamon- and anise-laced herb is capable of harboring many subtleties of flavor, and freshness is the key to bringing out flavors otherwise muted or lost. Some varieties fall on the minty side; others are citrusy; others weigh heavy with the scent of patchouli. Some varieties are stronger in licorice, others peppery and still others more intensely cinnamon.

Finding the Thai or other more obscure varieties may be a challenge (try farmer's markets or seed catalogues), but the common or sweet basil is not only universally available in garden centers, it cannot be surpassed in its own way.

Its oval, concave leaves of dark, shiny green are familiar to thousands of gardeners and cooks who consider the herb an essential of summer.

Seeds can be broadcast directly onto good garden soil or started in containers and transplanted.

Seedlings should be spaced about two feet apart: A fully grown basil plant measures two to three feet tall and more than 12 inches in width. Almost any basil is utterly delightful in a pot, where it will thrive close at hand, ready to deliver its fresh aroma to a garden salad, or farther afield, accompanying a group of flowers or mixed with other herbs.

Whether in the garden or in a pot, basil is one herb that appreciates excellent soil. It needs no fertilizer, but compost-rich garden soil or a mixture of potting soil with compost suits it well. Like other garden plants, basil also needs a constant level of moisture, especially when it is getting established.

The gourmet can begin snipping leaves off the plant once it is clearly established and growing sturdily--at about six inches in height. However, the best harvest will come later, as the plant matures and amasses flavorful oils.

Pinching back as much as the top third of the plant will not only supply the kitchen but encourage the plant to get bushier and last longer.

Basil's flavor is diminished when the plant flowers. Hindering blossoming will keep the plant producing those delightful leaves. Plant tops can be pruned weekly of all flower spikes; the soil around the plants can be mulched to keep roots cool, which also helps delay blooming. With diligence, it's possible to keep basil producing through the hottest part of the summer; after the days cool down in September, the plant will not try to bloom.

The basil lover ought to consider more than one variety. Besides the favorite sweet or common basil, others to look for include Lettuce Leaf, which has huge, crinkly foliage; Thai, indispensable in Asian cuisine; Mexican, for south-of-the-border cooking; and lemon, which has small, strongly perfumed leaves and is ideal for seafood, or chopped and sprinkled atop grilled vegetables. Delicious!

For small containers and window boxes, the tiny-leafed and low-growing Greek Basil or Spicy Globe are both excellent choices.

Though basil is varied of leaf--ranging from narrow and pointed to wide and frilly--it is less expansive in its range of colors. An exception is purple basil.

Nearly black in hue, this variety is perhaps less versatile in the kitchen; it's aroma is less complex than the green basils. But as an ornamental and for garnishes, the sheen and richness of purple basil leaves are unmatched.

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