March's Flower of the Month

Rosemary

(Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) ‘Prostrata’ is planted out by the street in the driest, sunniest place that I could find in my landscape. There it grows into a ground-hugging mat that out-competes weeds that attempt to grow in its space. Right now it is full of tiny blue flowers, and bees and other insects buzz around it incessantly gathering nectar from its blossoms. Taller versions of rosemary are planted in my perennial border 

Why, one might ask, would rosemary be planted in the perennial border? The reason would be obvious if you could see my border. At the back, rosemary’s grayish green, dense form is mounded, but in a spiky sort of way. Individual branches ascend skyward, up and away from the mound, forming an irregular and interesting outline much like the skyline of a city. The fine, needle-like texture contrasts nicely with large, coarser leaves nearby. To many, the subtle variations of color provided by various gradations of green are lost, but to the observant gardener, such color differences are often as intriguing as any blossom. 

Rosemary has always grown in my garden. In our area, it is dependable and long-lived. Propagation can be accomplished from cuttings or by layering. Because transplanting is risky, always try to place rosemary where you want it to stay for many years. A sunny site is best, and if your soil is acidic, apply lime, wood ashes, crushed eggshells, or another soil sweetener every two or three years. Most soils are rich enough for rosemary, but very poor soil might need to have a little fertilizer added occasionally. Well-drained soil is an absolute must. 

The word “officinalis” suggests that rosemary has medicinal applications. Herbal physicians have prescribed an infusion of the leaves as a tonic, astringent, and for treatment of depression, headaches, and muscle spasms. As recently as World War II, a mixture of rosemary leaves and juniper berries was burned in hospitals to kill germs. Amiable Spouse declares that rubbing his shoulder with a concoction of rosemary leaves steeped in water, strained, and mixed with olive oil helps his almost constant pain. I suspect that he just likes me to rub it, but who knows?

Rosemary is an authoritative herb in recipes. Its flavor harmonizes with those of poultry, fish, lamb, beef, veal, pork, and game. It also enhances tomatoes, spinach, peas, mushrooms, squash, cheese, eggs, and many other foods. Also, it is useful as a scented addition to soaps, creams, lotions, perfumes, and other toiletries. 

One of my favorite ways to use rosemary is to tie a few sprigs in a cheesecloth bag and toss it into my bathwater. After a hard day’s work in the garden, it stimulates and refreshes my weary body. Amiable Spouse likes to tie a few sprigs together and use them as a barbeque brush when he is cooking pork or chicken on the grill.  

Many varieties of rosemary can be chosen for the garden. Some are upright, and some prostrate. Flower colors may be pink, blue, or white. Some varieties are hardier than others, and leaf size and color varies somewhat with each variety or cultivar.  

It’s good to know, too, that an herb that I esteem so much protects me against evil spirits and improves my memory. At least some of that must be true, because I haven’t seen any evil spirits lately. I have noticed, however, that my memory keeps slipping in spite of all the rosemary can do. Maybe it’s not all it’s trumped up to be.