Oregano does grow very slowly from seed. You might want to consider picking up a plant or two from a nursery though your plants will probably eventually form a good mound of oregano.

Not sure what zone you're in 5 or 6? Anyways it's best to wait until nighttime temperatures aren't dropping under 50F before planting basil out.

Basil does just fine planted in clumps though you might want to thin them a bit with scissors.

Agree with gicore.
Basils are heat lovers. In cold weather, even if they survive, they will not do anything in terms of growth.

Sorry I do not know what Zone I am in I am in Rhode Island. It gets to be about 70 in the day but the nights it drops down to 40 degrees it probably wont be in the 50's until summer time.

Jamin,

Soil temperature also plays a role. In the case of warm weather veggies, the roots need warmer medium. As long ast soil temperaturs is 65F, cold nights might be tolerated.
So my advice to you is to cover around the basil palnt base with black plastid. It will absorb heat from sun(or air) during the day but will not let the soil cool down too fast.
You can also mound around the base of plants with black mulch. Why black? because blaclk color traps heat waves and woul not reflect. That is the quite opposite of white.

Your zone is probably 6b, unless you are right on the water which might make you zone 7. I'm in RI too. It is still pretty cool for basil to take off. I'm going to put seed in pots outside tomorrow and maybe a month from now, plant them in the ground.

Carol