The Rose of Mary

Our Rosemary (front) with thyme
and other flowering plants keeping it company

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). Members of this family, which include mentha, basil, sage, and others, are among the most fragrant plants in the world. According to Wikipedia (help out by editing it or donating) the name "Rosemary" comes from the Latin rosmarinus which means "dew of the sea" because in many locations the only moisture it needs to survive is the dew from the sea. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary once spread her blue cloak over a rosemary bush and the flowers turned blue. Afterwards, the shrub became known as Rose of Mary.

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean which, luckily for us, easily adapts to tropical conditions. It can grow up to 5 feet but in containers it usually grows to 2-3 feet (Ours is about a foot tall at the moment). Its fragrant leaves, which are easily recognized since they look like miniature pine needles, are commonly used in the preparation of various dishes such as meats, soups, and even pesto. Who hasn't tried a rosemary chicken breast or rosemary bread. Delicious! (Editor's note: Need to convince Jessica to make some rosemary pesto)

 Rosemary can be grown from seed or cuttings. Even though we usually prefer seeds (watching plants sprout is a soul satisfying experience in my opinion) we've experienced a poor germination rate so we would recommend cuttings or buying young plants at a nursery. Another reason to use cuttings or young plants is that you will find a wider variety of cultivars than from seed. The common rosemary is a tall upright plant with thin leaves and blue spring flowers (We haven't seen any flowers on ours yet). The cultivars can be short, bushy, sprawling, upright with broad, short or thin leaves and blue, white, and even pink flowers. Even the fragrance can change from one cultivar to the other.

The bible (The Bountiful Container by McGee and Stuckey) recommends that rosemary be planted on a container of at least 8 inches in depth. However, ours has been happily growing in a 3 inch pot. Although I suspect that we will need to repot it soon. Rosemary, true to its Mediterranean origins, prefers dry conditions, however, the soil must not be allowed to dry completely or the plant will (almost instantly) die. Be careful though because overwatering will cause root rot which will also cause the plant to die. The moral of the story is that you will need to find the right balance between watering and dryness for the plant to thrive. We planted ours in a good draining soil which we let dry between waterings. Place your plant in a sunny location so that it receives between 4 and 6 hours of sunlight. Fertilize it every week or two weeks with a balanced fertilizer or one with a high nitrogen content (you are interested in the leaves after all).

We haven't experienced any pest problems with our rosemary but nevertheless you should check your plants regularly, especially if pests are present in your other garden plants. If you feel generous (always remember to #spreadthelove) or you want more for yourself you can propagate your rosemary using the cuttings method we've previously discussed (see Propagation:Cuttings). So what are you waiting for? Go to your local nursery and get yourself some rosemary.