Το καλοκαίρι η γιαγιά μου κρατάει βασιλικό στο μπαλκόνι και θυμάρι στην κουζίνα.

No. Το καλοκαίρι means in the summer / during the summer, so it gives the time of the action.

The subject is η γιαγιά μου = my grandmother.

Greek often puts time expressions at the beginning of the sentence:

• Το καλοκαίρι η γιαγιά μου...
• Τον χειμώνα μένουμε μέσα.
• Κάθε μέρα πίνει καφέ.

So here, Το καλοκαίρι sets the scene first: In the summer, my grandmother...

Greek very often uses the accusative by itself for expressions of time, especially with seasons, days, months, and parts of the day.

So:

• το καλοκαίρι = in the summer
• τον χειμώνα = in the winter
• την Κυριακή = on Sunday
• το βράδυ = at night / in the evening

You may also hear other time expressions with prepositions, but in sentences like this, the simple accusative is very natural.

In Greek, possessive words like μου (my) usually come after the noun:

• η γιαγιά μου = my grandmother
• το σπίτι μου = my house
• ο φίλος μου = my friend

Putting μου before the noun is not the normal pattern in standard Greek.

Also, Greek usually uses the article with family words:

• η μητέρα μου
• ο πατέρας μου
• η γιαγιά μου

So η γιαγιά μου is exactly what you would expect.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English does.

With family members and many other nouns, Greek normally says:

• η γιαγιά μου = literally the grandmother my
• ο αδερφός μου = my brother
• η φίλη μου = my friend

This is standard Greek grammar, not extra emphasis.

It often does mean hold, but it can also mean keep, maintain, or in everyday context, keep/grow a plant in a place.

So in this sentence, κρατάει βασιλικό στο μπαλκόνι does not mean she is physically holding basil. It means she keeps or grows basil on the balcony.

This is a good example of how a very common verb has several natural meanings depending on context.

Yes. κρατάει and κρατά are both used for he/she/it keeps/holds in the present tense.

For this verb, Modern Greek commonly allows both forms:

• κρατάει
• κρατά

The longer form with -άει is very common in everyday speech and writing. The shorter form is also correct.

So:

• η γιαγιά μου κρατάει βασιλικό
• η γιαγιά μου κρατά βασιλικό

Both are fine.

Because they are being mentioned in a fairly general, indefinite way:

• κρατάει βασιλικό
• και θυμάρι

In English, this is similar to saying:

• she keeps basil
• and thyme

If Greek used the article here, it would sound more specific:

• τον βασιλικό = the basil
• το θυμάρι = the thyme

Without the article, the sentence simply refers to those herbs as things she keeps/grows.

They are in the accusative case because they are the direct objects of κρατάει.

She keeps:

• βασιλικό
• θυμάρι

Many neuter nouns have the same form in the nominative and accusative singular, so you do not see a visible change here.

For example:

• το θυμάρι = nominative
• κρατάει θυμάρι = accusative

Same form, different grammatical function.

Both mean in/on/to the..., and both come from σε + article.

στο

This is:

• σε + το = στο

So:

• στο μπαλκόνι = on the balcony / in the balcony area

στην

This is:

• σε + την = στην

So:

• στην κουζίνα = in the kitchen

The difference comes from the gender of the noun:

• το μπαλκόνι is neuter
• η κουζίνα is feminine

It can mean different things depending on context. The basic preposition is σε, which often covers meanings that English splits into in, on, at, or to.

So:

• στο μπαλκόνι can mean on the balcony
• στην κουζίνα can mean in the kitchen
• στο σπίτι = at home / to the house / in the house, depending on context

You have to translate it naturally rather than word-for-word every time.

Because Greek, like English, can leave out a repeated verb when it is understood.

So:

• κρατάει βασιλικό στο μπαλκόνι και θυμάρι στην κουζίνα

means:

• κρατάει βασιλικό στο μπαλκόνι και κρατάει θυμάρι στην κουζίνα

The second κρατάει is omitted because it would be repetitive.

English does the same:

• She keeps basil on the balcony and thyme in the kitchen.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

This sentence starts with the time phrase:

• Το καλοκαίρι η γιαγιά μου...

But you could also say:

• Η γιαγιά μου κρατάει βασιλικό στο μπαλκόνι και θυμάρι στην κουζίνα το καλοκαίρι.
• Βασιλικό κρατάει η γιαγιά μου στο μπαλκόνι...

These versions may sound slightly different in emphasis, but the basic meaning stays the same.

The original sentence is very natural because it introduces the time first, then the subject, then what she keeps and where.

Yes. They are related, but they are not being used the same way.

As a noun

• ο βασιλικός = the basil plant
• βασιλικό can also appear as a noun form in some contexts, especially when referring to basil generally or as an herb

As an adjective

• βασιλικός can also mean royal

Greek often has words whose form changes depending on whether they are used as adjectives or nouns, and plant names can vary in everyday usage.

In this sentence, βασιλικό is clearly the herb/plant, not royal.

There is no single simple rule that all plant names follow. Nouns in Greek have grammatical gender, and you usually need to learn each noun with its article:

• το θυμάρι
• το μπαλκόνι
• η κουζίνα
• η γιαγιά

Some endings can help you guess:

• nouns ending in -ι are often neuter, like θυμάρι, μπαλκόνι
• nouns ending in -α are often feminine, like κουζίνα, γιαγιά

But these are patterns, not absolute rules.

Yes: the stress stays on -τά-:

• κρα-ΤΑ-ei

In normal speech, -άει may sound quite smooth and compact, but it is still written with the accent:

• κρατάει

You may also hear the shorter form:

• κρατά

Both are common, and both keep the stress on the final stressed ά sound.

Yes, very easily. In context, a Greek speaker would probably understand that she keeps potted herbs there, and often that naturally suggests she is growing them there.

So:

• κρατάει βασιλικό στο μπαλκόνι can suggest
• she keeps a basil plant on the balcony
• she grows basil on the balcony

The exact nuance depends on context, but both are possible and natural.