January
15, 2004
If your household is like mine, there is considerable activity putting
things in storage and in their newfound locations after the holidays. It is
also time to begin anew with resolutions and goals as well as anticipation for
brighter, more colorful and productive outdoor gardens.
Placing holiday shrubs in good growing conditions in anticipation of their
increased productivity is one garden practice that will reap rewards for you
into the spring and summer - and beyond. After use in design or decoration, the
holiday shrub rosemary (Rosmarunus officinalis) should be moved outdoors to relish full to
partial sun and benefit from nature's humidity.
It will not continue to prosper well inside in dry air. As an herb, it will
likely withstand cooler temperatures and grow into the spring and summer,
providing desired cuttings for tasty cuisine.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus) is one of the easiest herbs
to grow. Most "accidental deaths" of this plant are due to
over-watering. Good drainage is a must, so a raised bed is advantageous if you
have
Full sun is best, but it can take light shade. It performs quite well in the
Rosemary and lavender pair quite well together with light and water
requirements. My rosemary plants withstood the freezes of 2001 when the
temperature dropped to 22 degrees. There are many different cultivars, and the
upright variety and gray-needled varieties are said to be more cold-tolerant
than the prostate variety.
Rosemary can be propagated from seed or from cuttings, but seed is not
recommended unless you are a very patient person. It can take two years to
reach 2-3 inches in height. One year after Christmas at the local home
improvement store, the rosemary topiaries went on sale, and I brought one home
and planted it. It began to die, but came back to life in March or April. This
was an inexpensive way to buy a large rosemary bush.
I enjoy using herbs in my cooking, but I take caution in how they are grown.
It is probably best to purchase all herbs from an organic nursery or one that
can assure you that the herbs were grown either organically or with pesticides
approved for the appropriate edible crop.
If you do buy one of the rosemary topiaries, please remember that this
outdoor plant will not grow well in the dry indoor heat. Bring it in for
limited times, but return it to the sunshine and humidity of the outdoors as
often as possible until you can plant it.
Caring for your rosemary bush could not be easier. Whether you garden
organically, or otherwise, follow all pesticide recommendations, because
rosemary, as other vegetables, is edible. If you use it frequently in cooking
or wreaths, there will be no need to prune.
Always try to gather stems of rosemary for cooking in the morning or
evening, because the flavorful oils in the needles will be most concentrated at
those times.
If you do not prune your bush enough with daily use, prune it in the spring to
a manageable size. Both the prostrate and upright rosemary bushes can be worked
into a beautiful xeriscape landscaping plan.
Several of the most common questions asked about all herbs are:
How do you use them in cooking?
How do I cut them up for cooking?
How do I know which herb goes with what dish?
First, cooking in itself is an individual expression, so cooking with herbs
is also according to your own taste. When I'm cooking a dish and I'm unsure
which herb to use, I go into the herb garden and smell the different herbs,
keeping in mind the dish I'm preparing.
Always err on the conservative side when unfamiliar with the taste or amount
of the herb. Practice is a good teacher.
Rosemary adds that extra zest to various types of dishes, and is easy to
prepare for cooking. To cook a pot roast, I just cut two or three stems, wash
them, and throw them whole into the pot. I do the same with soup or chowder.
They are easy to take out before serving.
To cut up Rosemary, I strip it from the stem by running my index finger and thumb down the stem to take off the needles. Then I pulse
them in the food processor.
Frequently, I prepare four to five herbs at the same time in this manner for
spaghetti sauces.
Properly plant and care for your holiday rosemary - then bon appetit!