Rosemary is one of those plants I'll always love. Not for its flavour, its looks, or its smell, although these are great, but for very personal reasons.
When I was very young, the person dearest to me in all the world was my grandmother on my father side, Janet. She was the kindest, warmest, ... Read review
Advantages: easy to grow, tough, tasty, nice smell Disadvantages: none.
Rosemary is one of those plants I'll always love. Not for its flavour, its looks, or its smell, although these are great, but for very personal reasons.
When I was very young, the person dearest to me in all the world was my grandmother on my father side, Janet. She was the kindest, warmest, most loving woman in the world, and (unlike my evil parents!) she let me eat the sugary cereals, and spend my pennies on chocolate. Sadly, when ... ...we buried her ashes, a Rosemary plant was planted on top, and each branch of the family (she had 3 sons) took a cutting, took it home, and nurtured it. When the time came for me to branch out on my own, I took my own cutting, and each time I've moved house, I've taken a new cutting with me .
So, now you know WHY this is one of my favourite plants, let me tell you about it.
What is Rosemary?
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Rosemary is one of those plants I'll always love. Not for its flavour, its looks, or its smell, although these are great, but for very personal reasons.
When I was very young, the person dearest to me in all the world was my grandmother on my father side, Janet. She was the kindest, warmest, most loving woman in the world, and (unlike my evil parents!) she let me eat the sugary cereals, and spend my pennies on chocolate. Sadly, when I was 9, she got cancer.
Actually, that's not strictly true. She got cancer before that, but being the kind woman she was, chose not to tell anyone other than her husband about it until the point when it became clear she wouldn't be shaking it off anytime soon. We had a year more of her, and then sadly she passed away.
Her middle name was Rosemary, and when we buried her ashes, a Rosemary plant was planted on top, and each branch of the family (she had 3 sons) took a cutting, took it home, and nurtured it. When the time came for me to branch out on my own, I took my own cutting, and each time I've moved house, I've taken a new cutting with me .
So, now you know WHY this is one of my favourite plants, let me tell you about it.
What is Rosemary? ---------------------------
Rosmarinus officinalis, or Rosemary, is a highly fragrant evergreen herb. Commonly grown in the UK nowadays, it's believed to have originated in the Mediterranean, and to have been introduced here by the Romans. Mentions of the herb exist from around 5000 years BC, and it's had many healing, magical, and religious uses throughout the years.
What does it look, taste, and smell like? ---------------------------------------------
The leaves of Rosemary are spiky and narrow, similar to pine needles, with a glossy green colour on the uppermost side, and a grayish tint on the underside. The underside of the leaves have a downy texture. It flowers from May to June, with small flowers in colours from white to dark blue, most commonly light blue, which bees love.
The plant can grow in height up to four or five feet, although most varieties usually reach around the 2-3 feet mark.
The fragrance of the plant is strong, and if you were to rub a leaf between your fingers, the smell would linger for hours, The scent itself smells a like a combination of pine and camphor, and the taste of the plant is bitter, and again, very like pine with a hint of lemon .
Rosemary- Traditions, Superstitions, and Religion ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----
Rosemary has had a reputation from early times as aiding memory, and has many uses associated with this. Greek scholars wore garlands of Rosemary atop their heads to aid memory before exams, and also massaged the oils from the plant onto their temples.
Because of its memory aiding properties, the herb was commonly used at funerals as a symbol that the dead would not be forgotten. Sprigs of the plant would be given to mourners to throw onto the coffin once it was lowered, a custom that is still practiced at some funerals today.
Its memory boosting properties also lent it some weight in romantic circles, where it became associated with fidelity, and a sprig was often included in bridal bouquets , to signal that not only would the bride be faithful, but that she would remember her family ( in a time when many marriages were made to further a families interests, this was important)
It has some religious symbolism too. Some people believe that the Rosemary bush sheltered the Virgin Mary on her journey to Egypt, and indeed in Spain, it's called "Romero" meaning "The Pilgrims Flower". According to the story, Mary covered the bush with her cloak, turning the flowers from white to pale blue. Perhaps in relation to Mary's association with the plant, it has also been used in many cultures to ward off evil spirits, witchcraft, and bad dreams. Bancke's Herbal (1525) advises us to "Also put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be delivered of all evill dreames.".
Interestingly, The Treasury of Botany says: ''There is a vulgar belief in Gloucestershire and other counties, that Rosemary will not grow well unless where the mistress is "master"; and so touchy are some of the lords of creation upon this point, that we have more than once had reason to suspect them of privately injuring a growing rosemary in order to destroy this evidence of their want of authority.''
What can Rosemary be used for? ----------------------------------------------
Rosemary is often used in cooking, particularly lamb and chicken dishes, as well as soups and stews. Stripped stems make excellent skewers for barbecues, and throwing a few sprigs of rosemary onto barbecue coals infuses foods cooked on the barbecue with its flavour.
It has many other uses as well - as an herbal remedy, in beauty products, as decoration, for adding its scent to a room, and as a natural moth repellant.
The belief that Rosemary may aid memory and recollection may have some truth to it. Modern research has shown that rosemary contains certain substances that prevent the break down of neurotransmitters in the brain, which could certainly prevent memory loss.
It also has a calming effect on the nervous system, can soothe muscle pain, and can stimulate circulation. It can also combat water retention, and is a common ingredient in cosmetics as it's known to strengthen the capillaries.
There are many traditional uses of rosemary in medicine. One of the more credible is the burning of rosemary in sick rooms to purify the air, while one of the more unusual, again from Bancke's Herbal, advises to:
'Take the Timber thereof and burn it to coales and make powder thereof and rubbe thy teeth thereof and it shall keep thy teeth from all evils. Smell it oft and it shall keep thee youngly.'
And ''If thy legges be blowen with gowte, boyle the leaves in water and binde them in a linnen cloath and winde it about thy legges and it shall do thee much good.'
Another Herbal of the time, this time written by Grete, advises the use of Rosemary 'For weyknesse of ye brayne. Against weyknesse of the brayne and coldenesse thereof, sethe rosemaria in wyne and lete the pacyent receye the smoke at his nose and keep his heed warme.'
How to grow Rosemary --------------------------------
Rosemary is incredibly easy to grow from cuttings, and can grow simply by placing a cutting in water.
Take a cutting from new growth on a well established plant, about 10cms long, and carefully remove the leaves from the bottom of the plant. Put the stripped end into a pot containing potting compost, and stand the pot in a dish of water. Once the soil is moist, place under a propagator (if you don't want to buy one, the bottom half of a clear plastic pop bottle works well) to keep the heat in, and place it where it will get plenty of natural light. It takes about 2 months for the roots to become strong enough for replanting.
Once replanting, the plant does well in either pots of flowerbeds, it likes plenty of sunshine and well drained soil. You can always dig some sand into the soil to assist with drainage.
The plant is pretty strong and can easily survive winter. To harvest it, simply cut of a stem with scissors or a sharp knife.
Some interesting Rosemary quotes -------------------------------------------------
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember; and there is pansies, that's for thoughts." - From Hamlet, by William Shakespeare.
"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
Conclusion ----------------
Rosemary is a great herb that can be grown cheaply (free if you have a friend with a plant already) and can be used in many recipes, as well as in alternative health remedies and in home made beauty products. It's a great way to fragrance a room also, and it scent will bring lots of bees to your garden. It's an attractive plant, and in hot weather the smell of it in a garden is amazing. I definitely recommend growing a plant!
I'll leave you with one final quote.
"Speaking of the powers of rosemary, it overtoppeth all the flowers in the garden, boasting man's rule. It helpeth the brain, strengtheneth the memorie, and is very medicinable for the head. Another property of the rosemary is, it affects the heart. Let this rosmarinus, this flower of men ensigne of your wisdom, love and loyaltie, be carried not only in your hands, but in your hearts and heads." - Roger Hackett, 1607
Thanks for reading!
Links --------
http://growingtaste.com/herbs/rosemary.sht ml - Sound advice on varieties of the plant, and on cultivating your own plant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary - some interesting reading :)
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/rosema17.html - many interesting old remedies using Rosemary, and lots of interesting information :)
Advantages: It does look quite pretty and you can eat it! Disadvantages: Not totally hardy in cold areas and needs a bit of sand.
Like many herbs, rosemary is a rather attractive plant. It has long, narrow, spine-like leaves of a silvery, grey-green colour. There is a single species – r.officinalis – but you can buy several varieties. Albus is the most popular and the one I prefer, for it has delicate, blue-mauve flowers and is perfect for culinary use. There is also a white-flowered variety, Miss Jessops, and you can buy a ground cover type, Prostratus, to use in rockeries ... ...Originating in the Mediterranean, rosemary prefers sunny spots and sandy soil. The sunshine is essential, perhaps the sandy soil less so. My soil here has a lot of clay in it, but is dressed regularly with homemade compost and – aside from a sprinkling of sand and some compost when I planted it – my rosemary bush has thrived in its sunny corner of the heavy-soiled garden. Aside from needing sunshine and as light a soil as possible, rosemary is a ...
jillmurphy 30.05.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rosemary
Advantages: Very attractive. Very useful. Disadvantages: Not happy in shade.
...keep a bunch of dried rosemary under my bed as a charm against bad dreams. It seems to work, or perhaps I'm just lucky.
I'm confident that I've grown enough to bind round my legs if I get Gout at any time in the future. (If you have suffered from Gout, try dandelion tea to guard against it. Feel free to ask me questions later!).
It's a symbol of remembrance and love and has been carried at funerals and weddings. If used in a posy, it means someone ... ...bit of folklore is that rosemary always had white flowers, until the Virgin Mary sheltered by a bush, while fleeing from Egypt, and the flowers changed colour to match the blue of her cloak.
Growing your own is easy.
I never bother to grow from seeds, as cuttings are so simple. You could just buy a plant from a garden centre. I would get the one litre size if you can find one.
Wyevale have been selling this size for £2.99 this year. They are doing ...
Marans 20.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rosemary
...of my favourites is Rosemary. Rosemary is easy to grow, looks and smells wonderful and can be used in many ways.
Growing Rosemary.
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How to grow Rosemary is the obvious place to start this review. The first thing to say is that Rosemary is really easy to grow and in my experience quite forgiving too! Having said that Rosemary is not easy to grow from seed. I recommend you buy your plant from a nursery. They are really cheap, usually ... ...late now in early may. Rosemary originates from the Mediterranean and so not surprisingly likes to grow in a sunny spot. It also likes sandy soil although my plants grow very happily in clay soil. Planting is really easy; simply dig a hole about 3 inches deep and plant. Rosemary does not like too much water and can survive drought well. Plants can grow up to 1.5 metres tall if you let them. Rosemary can be trimmed and even pruned into shapes if you ...
anwar 02.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rosemary
Advantages: Lovely Aroma, Many Uses Disadvantages: Grows Quickly And can Soon Take Over A Garden
...Summer I quickly discovered that Rosemary Bushes had taken over the bottom of my Garden. Despite looking quite nice and smelling lovely I cut them back considerably since they were in danger of completely taking over the Garden and suffocating my other Plants. It was several weeks later whilst preparing my Sunday Lunch that I decided to take a walk down to the bottom of my Garden and pick a few of the leaves to add seasoning to the Pork Chops that ... ...coloured leaves of Rosemary.
Rosemary is incredibly aromatic. Just picking a few of its leaves will leave your fingers smelling scented for hours and this is why it has been used in Culinary dishes for hundreds of years.
Rosemary is native to the Southern Mediterranean Regions of Europe but will have little trouble growing in a British Garden providing that it is in a well lit sunny spot. It also prefers a well-drained Soil and therefore performs ...
micksheff 21.01.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rosemary
Advantages: Great smell and flavour Disadvantages: none
...this country in the mid-70's rosemary was known but not widely used or at least its use was limited to recipes involving lamb. Whilst its flavour makes it a wonderful herb to use with lamb there are also many other uses it can be put to. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) from the family Labiatae, is a shrub with short (1.5cm) tough, pointed evergreen leaves similar to pine needles spaced densely on the branches. It flowers in the late spring/summer ... ...HISTORY AND MYTHS
Rosemary as a long history and has been know to European civilisations for many centuries, it was originally introduced into Britain by the Romans. As a herb it was used to spice food as a remedy for many ailment and as a magical plant used in many rituals and ceremonies. From the earliest days of Christianity the plant has been associated with the Virgin Mary, the colour of the flowers is supposedly derived from when she threw ...
Mauri 22.04.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rosemary
Advantages: Aromatic smell, high performance from an own brand Disadvantages: Slightly drying on the skin
My brand of choice for washing up liquid is actually Persil Aloe Vera. However, for some strange reason my local Sainsbury seem to have stopped stocking it and as a result, choices are limited. It appears to be Fairy or a Sainsbury own brand version. I refuse to pay over £1 for a 500ml bottle of Persil from the nearest corner shop, so opted for Sainsbury?s Perform + Protect Rosemary & Basil Washing Up Liquid.
In Sainsbury, premium brands like Persil or Fairy washing up liquid, retail at 88p for 500ml. The Rosemary & Basil own brand version sells at 79p so there?s not a huge difference in price. Given that I was paying a near to premium price for this, I did have high expectations.
The washing up liquid comes in a clear container, so you can see the liquid through the bottle. It?s an intense turquoise sea blue colour (quite ...
Advantages: Wholesome and natural ingredients Disadvantages: Expensive
When my husband and I bought our first Siamese cat from a reputable and trusted breeder we were advised that James Wellbeloved cat food was the best brand to use. When we bought our second Siamese, once again James Welbeloved was recommended and we were even given a James Welbeloved gift pack containing food, a bowl and a few other goodies.
James Wellbeloved complete cat food contains wholesome, natural ingredients such as succulent turkey, lamb, duck , potato, maize, fish, rice and tomato. It is baked into crunchy nuggets before being smothered in gravy and then dried. Chicory, cranberry and rosemary are added to help support the immune system and to maintain urinary tract health. Omega 3 oils are added to give your cat a healthy and silky coat.
This product is available in four flavours; lamb and rice, turkey and rice, duck ...
Advantages: Allows you to eat in style Disadvantages: Rather lightweight for outdoor picnics on windy days
assured that I will be filled with a positive attitude for the rest of the day. As I head out into the world each day I am confident that I can face all that life throws at me because I know I've got my special little pink one waiting for me when I get home.
As it says on the packet, this little table is ideal for watching your favourite TV programmes whilst eating. Many's the time I've sat at my pink table to comfortably enjoy my M&S takeaway meals whilst watching such cultural delights as Location, Location, Location, Golden balls or Rosemary and Thyme. But it's really more than just a TV dinner table. It's also great for picnics. It's so easy to pack into the boot of even the most smallest of hatchbacks. It really makes you stand out from the crowd (as I like to do on occasion). Although there are times when other picnic goers look over ...
