Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an attractive, woody, half hardy perennial herb, with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves, 2-4 cm long and 2-5 mm broad, green above, and white below with dense short woolly hairs. The flowers are variable in color and can be white, pink, purple or blue and grow in small clusters at the leaf axils. Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden use. Forms range from upright to trailing; creeping varieties make excellent, dense groundcovers.

Rosemary is one of those wonderful herbs that make a beautiful ornamental plant with its compact, evergreen form as well as a welcome culinary seasoning, being a great addition to any garden or into a spice rack. Because of its compact form, Rosemary is easily pruned into shapes and can be used for topiary. The leaves can be harvested any time. Harvest no more than you can use fresh, as they loose most of their flavor when dried. To harvest Rosemary simply cut the stems with a sharp knife. During the growing season, pinch back growth tips to promote bushy plants; cut back hard only in early spring to allow the new growth time to mature.

If you live in a frost-free area, you can grow rosemary in your outdoor garden all year round. Rosemary needs a place in full sun, with about 6-8 hours of full sunlight and a sandy, well-drained soil that has been amended with lime. Established plants can survive for many years if left undisturbed and make excellent borders and hedges that require infrequent pruning. It cannot over-winter in cold climates so you will have to grow your Rosemary indoors in a container so you can bring them indoor over the winter. Bring the plants indoors at least several weeks before first frost date. Move them back outdoors in spring once all danger of frost has past. Water and feed potted rosemary regularly. When grown in pots, it is best kept trimmed to stop it getting too straggly and unsightly. Repot at least once a year. Spring is a good time to repot your rosemary, but it should be fine no matter what time of year you get to it.
 
Propagate Rosemary from cuttings of the twisted wood of non-flowering branches in early summer, or layer established branches. Rosemary can also be grown from seeds but they germinate slow and difficult and often don't grow true to their parent. Sow seeds in April but expect low germination rates. It's much faster to start with cuttings and you will be sure of what type of plant you will get. Place the cutting in a small pot filled with potting compost. Stand the pot in water to enable the compost to draw water up. Once the compost is moist place the pot in a propagator or cover the pot with a clear plastic bottle to retain heat. The cutting should develop roots and be ready for transplanting about 2 months after the cutting. Plants can be set out in the spring when the weather has warmed.