Can't believe I won an XBOX360 in the weekly competition thing - something new to review!
Can't believe I won an XBOX360 in the weekly competition thing - something new to review!
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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 :)
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