My basil plants are thriving too much.
This is my thai basil:
And in the same pot lemon basil:
I've topped them quite a lot, as you can see in the bushy growth pattern.
They already started flowering months ago, even before I put them into the big pot. I read online that you just have to snip them off, and done.
But there are basically only flowers coming, and I don't want them to waste all their power into developing seeds.
Is this normal and just a part of their lives when they reach a certain size?
Im near certain Ive seen people cultivate basil into little trees. Ive no luck growing it, but you can keep annuals alive through winters doing like you suggest.