Grow rosemary indoors and out

Bay Area gardeners who hail from the east coast, or at least, gardeners with visitors from the east, will be amazed the way rosemary will grow in Mediterranean climates like ours. Aromatic….dazzling…ubiquitous -- and thank goodness!  Rosemary is a truly versatile plant with year-round interest. It’s used in containers, edging or shrub borders, or use it in herb gardens

Rosemary is an evergreen perennial with edible purple flowers and highly fragrant needle like leaves.  It requires full sun, good drainage and needs very little maintenance beyond light pruning. The myriad forms of rosemary vary in habit from stiff and upright to rounded and squat. There are even dense mat forming groundcovers. The blossoms, appearing in late winter, attract birds, butterflies, and bees.  Rosemary is extremely drought tolerant once established and is gopher and deer resistant.

Celebrate winter with this terrific plant:

• Rosemary makes a lovely indoor Christmas tree
• Rosemary thrives in containers (it’s an essential culinary herb, so pot it up with sage, parsley and thyme)
• Rosemary is delicious: put a sprig in soup, a handful in a roast or sprinkled on potatoes
• Rosemary is decorative: tuck it under a bow on holiday gifts
• Rosemary makes a lovely place setting or table centerpiece
• Rosemary flowers are edible…add them to a salad for garnish
• Rosemary has a wonderful aroma to bring good cheer

Its Latin name (Rosmarinus officinalis), means "dew of the sea,”... Now, isn’t that a nice way to end the year?

The pleasure of eating fruits, herbs and vegetables harvested yourself is so sublime that sometimes mere words cannot do this experience justice. These are the fruits of your gardening labors and you should plan for them. Go ahead and dream of backyard strawberries, tomatoes in containers or herbs sprinkled onto the evening salad because now is the perfect time to get ready for edible gardening.

Need help growing your own? Stop by any Sloat Garden Center location with questions. We can help!

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