Choosing Rosemary for the Garden
By Marilyn Zink
Ever since my rosemary died this past winter, I have been planning to replace it.
The space where my rosemary had been is like a missing tooth in the garden, as it had grown quite large over the past 3 years.
But when it came to choosing rosemary for the garden, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do the same thing again.
But sometimes I don’t rush out and replace a plant with a new one right away. The extra space has raised some new possibilities.
Should I go out and buy the same plant or replace it with something else? Should I plant a new rosemary plant in an entirely different space?
Should I plant a different type of rosemary?
Maybe the common rosemary (rosemarinus officinalis)wasn’t hardy enough and I should replace it with something tougher like a new type known as ‘Sawyer’s Selection. This plant has large mauve-blue flower and it can reach up to eight feet within three years!
There is another type of rosemary known as ‘Suffolk Blue’ which has hardy, bright sky-blue flowers. Common rosemary has pale blue orchid-like flowers in early summer.
This is the rosemary plant that most people will buy unless they get a plant from an herb farm or know how to check labels.
This is an upright plant but you can also get some prostrate varieties or semi-prostrate varieties, so that might be a consideration for a garden where you want an herb that is more of a ground cover or one where the plant spills over a wall.
It’s important to check the label to know what type of herb you are getting, how large it will grow, how much sun it needs and how hardy it is, particularly if a harsh winter may be an issue.
If flavour is important for a plant that will have culinary uses, then that is another consideration when purchasing an herb. Some herbs may be more ornamental and not have much flavour at all.
One quick way to check the flavour is to pick off a small leaf, rub it between your fingers and chew on it as well. You will learn in seconds whether that particular herb is flavourful.
Marilyn Zink is the publisher.editor of the Herbal Collective magazine. Here’s how to learn more about growing herbs
