“As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship, whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language.”  – Sir Thomas More (1478-1535). 

Rosemary – in flower as early as January in sheltered places

Like Sage, Rosemary (Romarinus officinalis) is an evergreen herb that can be picked all year round. It originated by the Mediterranean Sea and its Latin name, Rosmarinus, means “dew of the sea”.

There are several different varieties, from “Miss Jessopp’s Upright”, which is 2 metres tall and wide, to “Prostratus”, a tender, spreading form that is suitable for pots and only grows to 50cm tall and wide. It likes a sunny spot in the garden and well-drained soil.

In the Grapes Hill Community Garden we have a couple of patches of rosemary – one by the lawn and one by the top ash tree, all of form “Primley Blue” (80cm by 80cm).

Rosemary is relatively short lived. It was alleged to live as long as Jesus Christ (33 years) but this is a bit optimistic, certainly in the cold and damp of the British climate.

Rosemary leaves are used in many recipes, including vegetarian ones. Rosemary goes very well with pork and lamb and can be used to flavour new potatoes. The blue, pink or white flowers can be added to salads or fruit purees.

Rosemary oil, which you should only apply externally, can be used as a bath oil or as a rub to help poor circulation. Applied to the head, it can relieve a headache. As a bonus, this also repels insects.

If you steep rosemary leaves in boiling water, the resulting tea can be used as an antiseptic mouthwash or gargle. In small amounts it relieves flatulence but avoid drinking very large quantities.

Rosemary can be propagated by cuttings. Plants shouldn’t be pruned in autumn as this may damage or kill them.

Rosemary Beetle

The Rosemary Beetle, Chrysolina americana, is a shiny, metallic green beetle with purple stripes. is a native of southern Europe but became established in Britain in the 1990s. It has been in Norwich for a number of years and I have seen it in my garden and on my allotment.  Sometimes called the Lavender Beetle, it also eats Lavender, Sage, Perovskia and Thyme.

In the worst case, the beetles can destroy whole plants. However, in my garden and on my allotment they don’t seem to do much damage so I’m happy to share my growing space with such a pretty beetle.

This blog post is adapted from articles I wrote for the February 2012 edition of the Grapes Hill Community Garden Members’ Newsletter.