Genovese Basil

I thought I should do some research on the one thing that has grown rather well in my container garden to see if I what I learned would help me grow other plants successfully as well. Here are some things I learned about this variety of basil:
-It hates cold, which probably explains why my plant is starting to go downhill. I've noticed that recently signs of insect activity on my plant have increased. I plan to harvest all of the leaves soon and make pesto or something with them before they can be totally destroyed by insects.
-It tolerates partial shade. My balcony does not seem to get enough sun for most plants.
-It likes rich, well-drained soil
-It appears to help tomatoes and peppers grow better when they are planted together (haven't tried that yet--maybe this coming summer)
-It has few pests
Unfortunately, none of this new information really helps me understand why so many of my other plants have failed (such as arugula, which is also a part-shade plant).