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• Decorative evergreen perennial shrub (height 60-100cm)
• Popular herb with many uses
• Very easy to care for

Rosemary, with its beautifully scented, silvery green, needle shaped leaves makes an attractive shrub that is suitable for container growth and even hedging.

Sowing Instructions

Sow: your rosemary seeds under glass, either in the autumn or spring, and cover seeds with a light layer of compost.  Seeds can be slow to germinate, so don’t give up too quickly.  Plant out seedlings when large enough to handle, in full sun, adding some grit or sharp sand to the soil around the roots.  Rosemary also makes an attractive patio plant.  Choose a deep pot and, again, add a couple of handfuls of grit or sharp sand to the compost to help with drainage.  

Aftercare: No feeding should be necessary, and, as rosemary originates from the Mediterranean, it’s even fairly tolerant of drought, although container grown plants are likely to need watering.  After flowering, prune back plants to keep them at your preferred size.  Rosemary is fairly hardy, but it’s safer to move container grown plants close to a wall or fence which will offer some protection from heavy frosts.

Harvest: the newish, softer stems and use fresh or dried.  The easiest way to dry leaves is to cut stems, pop them in a paper bag and leave in a warm dry place for 3-4 weeks. 

Usage

Small sprigs of rosemary, inserted into roasting joints such as lamb, prior to cooking, will give the meat a wonderful flavour.  Rosemary is also delicious sprinkled over roasting potatoes or used to flavour oils and vinegars.  Don’t throw away the stems once you’ve stripped the leaves off.  They make excellent skewers for the barbeque and will impart scrumptious rosemary flavouring into the meat while it cooks! 

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