Friday's Herbal - Rosemary

"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance"

Ophelia, Hamlet;  Act 4. Scene V

Common name: Rosemary
Latin: Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary is a culinary herb that I personally find much more useful in other areas, but I'll get to that.

Rosemary is classified as a perennial evergreen in areas with warmer winters.  It is supposed to be hardy to 10℉, but I have never been able to overwinter it.  It's native to the Mediterranean region and cultivated widely.  It is known for its sharp, piny aroma.  It has tiny blue flowers that grow in clusters along the stem, and the leaves are thick, leathery needles.

This is an herb that shows up frequently in literature, music, and lore.  Shakespeare's Ophelia carries it during her mad moment; we have Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" with "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme".  A traditional Spanish Christmas carol tells of the Virgin Mary hanging diapers on the flowering rosemary.  A old legend says that the flowers of the rosemary used to be white, but when the Blessed Virgin, in her flight from King Herod, hung her cloak on the rosemary bush, the flowers turned blue.

Rosemary is said to bring one sweet dreams if placed under the pillow at night.  The problem with this is that rosemary is also very invigorating!  So don't place too much under your pillow or you'll be up all night.  In the middle ages the herb was believed to ward off evil spirits, especially those that came in the form of bad dreams.  In addition to putting the sprigs under their pillows, people burned it to rid their homes of demons, bad smells, and the plague. 

Brides traditionally carried rosemary in their wedding bouquets, and an old charm tells the newlywed couple to dip rosemary sprigs into their wine; sipping this wine will cause their love to flourish forever.  If you are looking for a husband, then place a prig under your pillow with a silver sixpence (where do you get one of those?) and you will dream of your future spouse.

I'm really disappointed to read that when a rosemary plant grows vigorously in the garden it means the woman is in charge of the domicile.  I really thought I was in charge, but you can see from the size of that puny plant up there....

Rosemary is also considered to be the herb of remembrance.  Give it to someone to ensure they will remember you always.  Ancient Greek students wore garlands of rosemary to help them study.

Here is Rose the Six-toed-cat who doesn't look very merry right now.  But she always has that look.  Probably because I was paying more attention to the rosemary than to her!  Do you think I should water my grass?  Nah.  Grass is overrated.

Medicinally, rosemary has been used to treat depression, headaches, muscle spasms, rheumatism, sores, eczema, bruises, and wounds.  The invigorating aroma surely helps with depression, but as a headache cure be careful, because I've found that too much can cause headaches.  I like to use the essential oil in my hair and as a scalp treatment.

Most of the medicinal effects haven't been proven, but studies do show the oils to have antibacterial qualities.  Large doses of the pure oil taken internally can cause irritation to the stomach, intestines, and kidneys.

In the kitchen you will find rosemary to be a lovely compliment to many meats, eggs dishes, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, squash and lentils.  I like to add a small sprig to a pot roast.  Use it in moderation, as a little goes a long way, and it can come off too perfumey for dinner.

Rosemary in your bathwater will invigorate and refresh you.  A steam facial with rosemary will brighten up your skin.  Like I said, I like to use it in my hair.  I think it makes it shiny, and it helps with itchy scalp.  Make a hair rinse by steeping a sprig in one cup of boiling water for ten minutes.  Let it cool and pour it over your just washed hair.

Sachets of rosemary placed with your clothes or wool yarn will help keep moths away.  A few drops of the essential oil added to some water, or an infusion made with a sprig or two, and placed in a spray bottle, makes a nice air freshener.

In the garden, rosemary is beautiful with other herbs or in a pot by itself.  I've read that it can be difficult to grow in pots, but I've had luck with it outside.  Just make sure the soil drains well and never let the roots sit in water.  When I bring my rosemary in the house in the winter, it usually dies, but that's probably from the shock, or not watering it right, because others seem to do well with it as a houseplant.  I will try again this winter.  I'm planning to take some cuttings from my plant and root them in the house.  Maybe if I grow it in the house from the start it will work.  I'm also going to try mulching my outdoor plant really well to see if I can get it to overwinter.

Outside, rosemary likes a very sunny spot and well drained soil.  It attracts bees and this makes for a very delicious honey.  Rosemary is difficult to start from seed.  The best way to grow it is from cuttings.  Do you know that when you buy fresh rosemary in the produce department of your grocery store, you can place it in a jar of water and it will sprout roots?  If you are transplanting a nursery start, be careful not to fuss too much with the roots.  They don't like their roots disturbed and can be difficult to transplant. 

Harvest your rosemary as needed throughout the year, taking care to never remove more than 20% of the growth at a time.  You can freeze whole sprigs of rosemary and just break off a few needles at a time for cooking or what not.

I only have two herbs left in my garden to write about.  Maybe only one.  I have a large peppermint, and a very sorry looking feverfew.  I was really counting on that one, because it is a very useful herb.  I'll talk nice to it over the next couple weeks and maybe I can get him to grow a little more.

Have a super wonderful weekend wherever you may be, and good weather whether you're moving into autumn or spring!  See you on Monday:)