Rosemary

	Rosemary
	Black Gold	*Herbal Tea*

	Trim Rosemary for any length of time without gloves and your fingers become covered with a sticky black resin. Actually it is oil. And, for lovers of Rosemary it is as good as gold. It is this black gold that gives Rosemary its aromatic, flavorful, and healthful properties. With over a thousand different kinds of herbs and perennials available to us here at Mountain Valley Growers it might seem difficult to choose a favorite, but for me it is definitely Rosemary. Disappointed? If you knew Rosemary, the way I know Rosemary you wouldn’t be. It’s versatility and ruggedness make it the perfect California scapegoat. In cooking, it is perfect for everything from soup to dessert. And, new health benefits are being brought to light as scientists research the chemical constituents in the black gold.
	Landscaping With Rosemary
	Our experience with Rosemary is extensive. It was one of the first plants purchased for the nursery. Planted sixteen years ago from a three inch pot, the original plant now measures almost five feet high and five feet wide. It became the parent to many others that eventually were planted with it and they, too, quickly became a permanent part of our landscape. Who knows, if we watered them more often they might even be bigger, but these plants receive only 2 or 3 deep waterings in the summer. Summers here run about 105 degrees. One summer, they were watered only once. While they did suffer from this abuse, losing several branches in their struggle for survival, several weeks after watering, the plants were healthy and green. Rosemary lets you know when it is critically dry by turning yellow green. Chances are even under this extreme stress the plants would not die completely.

	The driveway at Mountain Valley Growers is more than 400 feet long and 300 feet of it is planted with the offspring of our Upright Rosemary. The driveway hedge started out being trained in a formal way. Every two years the plants were suppose to be pruned to their most upright spires. All the undergrowth was to be removed, giving the appearance that the plant just touches the ground. They were pruned this way twice over four years. Removing the sprawling horizontal growth forced more of the plant to grow upright. This formed a wall about three feet high, and the overall appearance became a more solid display of color because the stems are standing together rather than splayed in all directions. This mass planting is now going on its 14th year, and the pruning has gone by the wayside. Now most of the bushes are 3 to 5 feet tall and just as wide. Not pruning hasn't hurt the elegant look of the hedge Its dark blue flower provides a rich hued mural of blue for many weeks in early spring. Visitors are often very surprised to discover the plant they are so taken with is Rosemary. Even though many have never grown Rosemary it seems to conjure up some boring picture in their mind. Sort of like never having tasted turnips but innately knowing they are not going to be first choice for dinner tonight. Maybe, this misconception comes from viewing poorly maintained parking lot plantings, often butchered by electric trimmers or driven over by some careless motorist. Perhaps, our tall regal variety is not readily available at the nursery where they shop. Whatever the reason, attitudes toward Rosemary change when our Rosemary driveway is in bloom.
	Tips for growing Rosemary successfully
	It is tempting to say there aren’t any rules for Rosemary. It is that easy to grow. Like most Mediterranean plants, Rosemary likes to be high and dry. If you plant it in the garden, a soil rich in organic compost that drains well will suit it fine. If you have wet summers, try raising your Rosemary up. Getting it off ground level will help to reduce humidity and increase drainage. Also, don’t crowd your Rosemary. With a few exceptions they are large plants and need space. This is especially important if you have humid summers, because it allows air to move more freely around the plant. If your soil is rich in organic matter, you should never need to fertilize. If your Rosemary is already planted and you want to improve the soil, layer compost three to four inches around the base of the plant. If you spray no harmful chemicals and use only organic fertilizers, the critters at ground level and below will take your compost to the plants roots and nourish the plants and the soil. Rosemary can be left in its natural state which provides a swirling wild native feel or it can be pruned to almost any shape. In fact, it is often used to make topiaries. Be sure to prune Rosemary only after it has bloomed. As new growth occurs, flower buds for the next year are already being set. The Achilles heel for rosemary is temperature. Ours have done well as temperatures plunge into the teens and even for a brief time at 5 degrees. If your climate is much more severe try the Arp, Madeline Hill or Hill Hardy. If you grow your Rosemary where the winters are below minus 15 then you either must bring your rosemary in or treat it as an annual. If you want to over winter your plants, grow them as container plants throughout the year. Use a good potting mix and add 25 to 30 percent perlite and an all purpose organic fertilizer. Each spring after danger of frost, move your Rosemary to a larger pot or root prune and refill the container with fresh soil. Bring your Rosemary pot in before the first frost and give it as much light as possible. Be careful not to let it get too close to ice cold window panes. Fluorescent lighting can be used by placing the lights about three inches above the plants and leaving the lights on for about 14 hours. Watch the water. Only water when the soil is dry. Use either a water meter or a pencil to test the soil before you water. Insert your pencil as far into the soil as it will go. If it comes out with just a few crumbs, then go ahead and water. Don’t let the pot sit in a saucer with water and use room temperature water to avoid shocking the plant. In the spring, move your Rosemary gradually into a sunny location by giving it a few more hours of sunlight each day.
	VARIETIES
	Upright Rosemary does not have to be pruned at all. It flows outward forming a perfect circle that can measure between six and eight feet in diameter and two feet or more in height. This produces a very pleasing natural look, requires no maintenance at all and makes the perfect companion for the native landscape. Low water requirements mean low weed germination during the dry months. And as it grows to cover the ground it smothers all weeds under it. Eight feet of weed cover from one plant is a lot of value for your dollar. Sprawling branches and a tough, extensive root system are also ideal for hillside retention. Mass planting can fill a large expanse with rich colors. While all Rosemary varieties can be used for cooking, this Rosemary is particularly nice because of its large leaves and all the black gold they contain.
	Creeping Rosemary is a tall ground cover that can cover eight or ten feet in diameter in a very short period of time. It can also trail down eight or ten feet. It makes a most beautiful planter box for a second story balcony. It falls all the way to the ground and is covered with pale blue flowers. Or, planted on a hot southern facing wall this man made waterfall is a welcome relief from the heat. Creeping Rosemary can be kept low to the ground by shearing the upper branches once a year. Or, it can attain heights of four feet by shearing the sides once a year
	Pine Scented Rosemary has finely textured leaves that are easily chopped up. This plus an excellent flavor make this Rosemary the variety many chefs prefer. This Rosemary is a different species than the others and it shows. Other Rosemary varieties have such coarse leaves that using them fresh can be a problem. Even chopped fine they are very tough, but this plant’s leaves are soft, like cilantro or parsley. A very pretty plant in the landscape, Pine Scented Rosemary is a soft sea green that grows to about three to four feet high by about four or more feet wide.
	Arp Rosemary is one of the Rosemarys to plant if you live where winter temperatures are frequently in the teens or less. Discovered on a cold snowy day by veteran herb pioneer Madeline Hill in the Texas town of Arp, this Rosemary has survived several winters in the Case Western University Botanic Garden in Cleveland, Ohio, where they must take their other kinds of Rosemary in for the winter. Madalene Hill Rosemary is also a cold hardy Rosemary. Both of these are rated to survive minus 15 degrees. And, both are erect, growing to about three feet. Their flowers are a light blue.
	Pink Rosemary has the thinnest leaves of all our Rosmarinus officinalis plants. Gracefully curved branches are punctuated by short spires that rise randomly like exclamation marks. Even though the flower color is pale, there are so many flowers that they combine and provide a respectable cloud of pink, especially when viewed at a distance. Growing quickly to two feet this plant can be enjoyed in its natural whirlwind state or pruned into a hedge. The small narrow leaves are not the best choice for cooking.
	White Rosemary is visually different This is a beautiful very erect plant with fat succulent leaves and white flowers that have just a spot of blue in the throat. The branches are reminiscent of candelabras and give the plant an open and airy look. It is a solid white flower for hot arid climates. Adequate for cooking but stunning in the landscape.
	Dancing Waters Rosemary the name alone makes one feel cooler. Shorter and more mounding than our regular Rosemary, Dancing Waters is especially graceful on a hillside. The dark blue flowers cascade down the hill in undulating waves providing a show worthy of rivers everywhere.
	Golden Rain Rosemary has weeping foliage that can brighten a semi shady spot or offer an interesting specimen in a gold garden. Located among too many green plants it can look in need of fertilizer. The golden hue turns darker green over summer and returns with cooler weather.
	Blue Boy Rosemary is the smallest of all the Rosemary varieties. Small leaves and little light blue pearls for flowers, this plant grows out to cover about 12 inches but rarely gets over six inches tall. It can be used for cooking but it takes quite a bit.
	Spice Islands Rosemary has thick juicy looking leaves and very upright growth with a nice dark blue flower. It should make a great barbecue skewer. It should also dry well. Since this is a fairly new variety the trials are ongoing.
	Cooking With Rosemary
	Wafting fragrance emitted from Rosemary on a hot sultry day can cool and refresh .The sound of the bees busily working the flowers is music to our freeway tired ears. Snapping a few branches and winding them in a loose wreath we take the herb into the kitchen to contemplate the possibilities. No matter how much we enjoy Rosemary in the garden, Rosemary in the kitchen is what it is all about. Cooking with Rosemary is a true delight. As it flavors our food, it perfumes our home. And while some prefer it dried, fresh is best. Any Rosemary can be used for cooking; we prefer our Upright Rosemary for both fresh and dried use and our Pine Scented Rosemary for fresh use.
	Red Stew
	A favorite dish for a cold winter day this was served many years ago by an excellent cook who included meat In his recipe. Over the years it has evolved into a vegetable stew. This makes a wonderful lunch served with fresh sourdough bread or an excellent side dish for pot roast or even hamburgers.
	Red Stew Recipe 3 or 4 large potatoes washed and cut into chunks 5 or 6 large carrots washed and cut into chunks 2-15 ounce cans Tomato Sauce 2-15 ounce cans Stewed Tomatoes Salt and Pepper to taste 2-8 inch Sprigs Rosemary	Cook carrots, sauce and tomatoes over low heat for about an hour. Add potatoes and rosemary and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about another hour. The process can be speeded up by increasing the heat and both vegetables can be added at the same time. Add the rosemary during the last half hour of cooking.

	Barbecue Potatoes with Rosemary And, if the season is summer, then throw your potatoes in a Ziploc with a little olive oil and Rosemary. Shake well and wrap in tinfoil. Toss on the barbecue and enjoy. Rosemary is a good burning herb because of its high essential oil content. Tie some Rosemary twigs together and brush your barbecue or marinade on and then throw the ‘brush into the fire’. Or, cut nice long stems and strip the leaves off and use the stems for shish kabob spears. More great Rosemary recipes can be found here:
	Which Rosemary will you choose?
	If you grow indoors and want to cook with your plants, choose our Standard Upright Rosemary or Pine Scented Rosemary. Have a little window box for summer herbs? Pick Blue Boy or Golden Rain. Dying to try a topiary? Choose Santa Barbara Trailing for single line frames like hearts and circles and Standard Rosemary for fill in shapes like balls or trees. Covering a hillside? Dancing Waters or Pink will cover large expanses with few bushes. If your chore is to decorate a parkway or cover the ground then Santa Barbara Rosemary is the ticket. No matter which variety you choose you will be rewarded with rich aromas, flavors and colors. Black Gold.

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