Photo Copyright: Maggie May
Rosmarinus Officinalis, otherwise commonly known as Rosemary, is every lamb lover's favourite herb. The two are meant to go well together. Well, I don't eat or cook lamb but I love the fragrance of this versatile herb and it livens up any pasta dish.
My two rabbits also love eating it for a special treat.
The plant is in flower right now and I think it looks rather pretty growing in a pot and being a Mediterranean plant, used to warmer climes, it stands a bit of neglect in the hotter months of summer when I don't always remember to water it.
During the last winter, two shrubs have died very mysteriously, both against the same wall facing south. One was a Tamarisk tree and the other was a Ceanothus. I had had the Tamarisk tree for years and the Ceanothus had also been with us some time and survived really cold weather. I think the possible thing that finished them off this winter was the fact that it had been very mild for months and most shrubs mistakenly started budding thinking that it was Spring and then we had a run of very frosty, severely cold weather. Its my belief that this proved too much for them.
Anyway, this morning my son, Sam, cut down the shrubs and chopped the remains up into tiny pieces.
I've been thinking of planting rosemary and a bay tree in their place.
Any suggestions for your idea of replacements would be gratefully received.
I really think that Spring is here to stay now and I keep going out in the garden to tidy up and to sit and reflect.
21 comments:
I love Rosemary too. Shame about your shrubs,your idea for replacements sounds good. :)
Maggie I don't think I have ever ate Rosemary, I know I haven't ate lamb. Your Rosemary bush is so pretty, sad that your others shrubs died, the weather has been really crazy the past couple of years. Hope you are both doing well......sending prayers and hugs as always.....:-)
Sitting and reflecting in your garden sounds like a wonderful thing to do. I envy you and in my mind I sit with you. Wish I could help you tidy up too.
Have you thought of planting mint? It's a nice thing to have around, and peppermint will keep the mice away! Or if you like cats, plant some catnip!
Apparently Ceanothus does that, one moment it is hale and hearty and the next it is doing a great impression of Monty Python's Norwegian Blue parrot! It happened to mum a couple of years ago
Rosemary is wonderful though, I have a small one in a tub by my door on my patio... hopefully this summer I shall cook a joint of lamb so that I can use it rather than just admire and sniff it!
So pretty! I love rosemary! We have had a beautiful spring but now for some reason the cold has returned only 30 degrees today (-1 c) everyone is worried about the fruit trees getting zapped! Mother nature is an odd one!
Rosemary and Lavendar....I love to walk through the garden and stroke their leaves and inhale their scent!!! Wishing you success with the replacement of your shrubs
hugs
Sandi
Both rosemary and a bay tree have survived the last few winters in our south facing but exposed garden, so the should be fine in yours. Our ceanothus died in the winter of 2010-11. They do not like the cold.
I love Rosemary too. Mine died off in the freeze last years after five years of growing happily. I like to take sprigs and stuff chicken with them to roast, yum!
my mum would blame vine weevil!
I noticed some nice Broom at the garden centre this weekend, and also noticed B&Q are cheaper for plants than the garden centre!
Tamarisk reminds me of my granny's garden :-)
My Rosemary has not flowered :-( !!
Rosemary and chicken; rosemary and beans; rosemary and sage with pork. Rosemary is quite aromatic. A sprig added to roasting potatoes perfumes the whole kitchen.
I was so happy to see my rosemary actually survived the winter here--normally, it would die if I didn't bring it indoors, but I forgot this year. I don't eat lamb either and rarely use the rosemary in cooking, but I just like the look of it and rubbing it to get the fragrance.
I'd give you shrub suggestions, but my climate is totally different than yours, so my favorites might not work for you. Just a word of caution about the suggestion to plant mint--it spreads and can easily take over:) A bay tree sounds like a great idea.
Didn't you have a nasty neighbour who was doing destructive things to your property at one time? Is that the same wall, I wonder?
I love Thyme.. it flavours chicken nicely.. and it's good in most veggie dishes. I quite like basil, too. Rosemary is not my favourite.. but give it to me over cilantro any day.
I love the smell and taste of Rosemary. I think a bay tree is an excellent idea..They look so attractive as well as being useful.
For openers, I'm not the least bit familiar with the trees/bushes, etc., you mentioned. For that matter, the picture you posted of the Rosemary in bloom is also the first -to my knowledge -that I've ever seen that too! But I do like rosemary as a seasoning and I have a really good, very easy too, recipe for chicken breasts with rosemary and apricot preserves that I love -and bonus here, so do the grandkids! (If you're interested in it, let me know and I can e-mail it to you. Drop me a note -avonlady at gotmc dot net.
This is a great posting I have read. I like your article...
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I am VERY worried about our plants. They have all started budding out, some are even flowering. I just know we are a couple weeks too early. I have a feeling this may end with a similar experience.
Sorry about your bushes Maggie, it suck to lose plants you have put life into.
And I will try and only be perfect some of the time. Thank you again for all of your comments on my blog. They mean the world to me.
I love Rosemary too. We lost many bushes and plants this year due to the drought.
Whatever you plant will be just beautiful. I know it.
I don't eat meat, but I do like rosemary on Italian bread!
My daughter uses rosemary with salmon and other fish dishes. I use basil on practically everything so I haven't had a rosemary plant since I left California. I know what you mean about the nice weather enticing you to want to tidy the garden and have outdoor time. I have been doing some things outside too.
I like rosemary, but they can take over the place; I grow mine in a pot. I don't know what else you could grow there, I'm rather fond of my Mexican Orange Blossom, but you can't put it in your Sunday roast!
I'm in dire need of suggestions for stocking an entire garden this spring! and preferably on a budget, I'm thinking growing stuff from seed and begging cuttings from friends and family!
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