Fantastically easy to grow, this Mediterranean herb loves a sunny spot and thrives on neglect. It forms a bushy, evergreen shrub with pretty, small, blue flowers for months on end in spring. Rarer pink- and white-flowering types can also be found.The flowers are attractive to bees and it has pleasantly aromatic foliage so it’s worth planting it next to a path where you will brush against it. Think about what shape would look best as different shaped plants are available.
The vigorous
Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ has branches that point upwards and is good for the back of a border or for making an informal hedge. In contrast, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Severn Sea’ is lower-growing with arching branches and looks good edging a path or terrace.
The ‘Prostratus Group’ sprawl over the ground and are only about 15cm tall. These can work well planted between paving slabs in a path or terrace but, as they are less hardy than the taller types, they may not survive a very cold wet winter.
To harvest your rosemary, simply snip off the tips of branches as you need them at any time of the year.
Planting - Plant pot grown plants at any time except during the coldest wettest weather. Allow enough space for the plant to develop; they grow to be about 1.5m tall and wide, unless you intend to chop it back constantly for your lamb chops.
Soil and position – prefers full sun and a gravelly, gritty soil but fine in any well-drained soil and tolerates some shade.
Care – as they grow on rocky hillsides, they need little food or watering, the main thing to avoid is water logging – don’t overwater them or plant them in boggy soil or in a pot with inadequate drainage. Old stems and straggly shoots can be cut out after flowering in spring.
