Want to get off to a great start as a newbie gardener? Try basil. Not only is it easy to grow, it adds incredible flavor to so many dishes.

Basil plants are happy as long as they have plenty of sun and water (and a little organic fertilizer now and then). You can grow basil almost anywhere -- in backyards, community gardens and even small pots. I have a big garden, but I still like to keep the basil close to the kitchen in big wooden planters on the deck.

Starting as early as March in warmer climates, you can find basil at nurseries, farmer's markets, and most places that sell gardening supplies and plants.

The Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm knows their stuff when it comes to growing lavender. Located in the cool hills of Kula in Maui’s Upcountry area, the farm has approximately 55,000 lavender plants in 45 different varieties. Here are some of their tips on growing lavender.  

Lavender requires few things to grow well. It likes full sun, needs very little water and is drought tolerant. Lavender likes porous soil preferably on a slope so that the roots do not sit in water.

Lavender likes to be planted facing south - west. Lavender does not require a lot of fertilizer. During the summer, when the temperature goes up and rainfall is less, plants are watered by hand. When growing for maximum essential oil content, the lavender must be given a warm sunny position. Mixing sand with the soil also improves the quality of the plant growth, due to the increased drainage potential.