I had the joy of visiting the well tended garden of the father of a friend of mine the other day. His roots go back to Italy so, basil, rosemary, fig and plum trees and of course tomatoes along with nine types of arugula are a must.
He gardens with seeds brought over from the old country and each season as things begin to grow he picks out the best lettuces, tomatoes etc. and either replants then in a separate place so that he can allow them to go to seed or marks them so they are not picked. In the fall he collects the seeds ready for the following year.
This is basil just coming up. The climate in Jean’s garden is still a little cool for basil but in the sunny back yard of this garden you can see things are moving along.
Rosemary is a perennial shrub, native to the Mediterranean area that likes full sunshine and well drained soil. There are upright and trailing varieties. So the next time you are planting hanging baskets, try rosemary as a usable alternative to lobelia. Rosemary seeds are not always true to variety so cut tips in spring and or early autumn for propagation. Flower colours range from white, through to purple.
As mentioned above rosemary does best in well drained soil, this protects the plant from root rot. Light pruning or clipping for culinary use will allow you to shape the shrub or create topiary if you are feeling inspired.
Major harvesting is best done before flowering which in this garden has already happened. Fresh culinary harvesting can happen all season long however pregnant and breastfeeding moms are best to restrict their intake to culinary levels only.
Try using the stripped (or partially stripped) branches of rosemary for grilling and shish kebabs.
The leaves themselves are rather woody and work best when finely chopped in dishes with fluids that will cook a longer time. Dried rosemary leaves may not soften even when cooked that longer time so putting them in a bag for removal later is a good idea.
A final rinse including rosemary will help protect your animals against fleas. A few drops of rosemary essential oil their beds will also help.
Scholars used to carry rosemary into exams as it is said to help with concentration and it also has a long history as a digestive aid and has been used against muscle cramps and as protection against witches ( just sayin’).
For more information on rosemary check out herbs-info.com
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