Herbs: Rosemary (and Recipes)

By Cindy Naas

Rosemary is a perfect choice for city gardeners who have some room on a porch or balcony, since it is one of the herbs which really should be grown in a planter.

Rosemary is too tender to be left outside in the winter in most of the U.S.

It also makes a beautiful indoor plant in the winter, filling your home with the spicy-fresh scent of rosemary.

Growing - Rosemary needs a fertile yet well-drained soil. I use an extra handful of manure added to my container potting soil mix, and I line the bottom of the pot with small rocks. Water fairly often, letting the soil become nearly but not quite dry between watering.

This plant will not thrive in constantly damp soil. Grow in full sun. In regions with late summers/early falls, place small stones on top of the planter soil to retain heat into the evening.

This will allow the essential oils to become more concentrated, at least according to my elderly Italian neighbor who grows perhaps the finest vegetable garden I have ever seen.

Harvesting - Rosemary is used in fairly small quantities. Using scissors, snip off ends of branches. Peel off the needles or snip the needles directly into your recipe. Rosemary doesn’t keep as well as some herbs, I always pick it just before I need it.

Recipes: Here are a couple of really good uses Read the rest of this entry »