Rosemary is a tender perennial shrub that overwinters on the West Coast but dies in other, colder parts of North America. The silver lining for non-West Coast gardeners that want to enjoy its wonderful aroma year-round is that it adapts well to container living. Some gardeners will transplant rosemary outdoors to indoors and back again every year. For less hassle, place a young plant in an oversized pot filled with good starting soil and leave it indoors year-round in a sunny but relatively cool location.
Treat your rosemary to a biweekly misting, as it is native to the coast. Its name (ros-marinus) means dew of the sea. Use rosemary to effuse warmth into hearty breads and soups for winter. (Family: Lamiaceae)
Rosemary has stiff stems with crisp, fir-like leaves and the most wonderful aroma in the world. Dried leaves release more aroma if freshly crushed. Plant in full sun in the garden or a big planter. It will not survive most Coastal winters until it is quite large. Start seeds indoors late winter or early spring. Plants demand sharp drainage so avoid peat in starting mix and add sand and/or vermiculite. Plant 0.5cm (1/4") deep, and use bottom heat. Germinates in 21 days. Early growth rate is extremely slow. Mist instead of watering until germination.
