Rosemary Hedge Qantas Amazing Australia
Rosemary is a classic Mediterranean plant requiring little rain through summer and surviving hot conditions. It is also tolerant of alkaline or limestone soils. Rosemary can be grown as an informal shrub or can be clipped into a dense and long-lived hedge.
In the kitchen rosemary is an ideal culinary companion for lamb. It is also the herb of remembrance and a sprig of rosemary is worn on Remembrance Day on the 11 November.
The success of rosemary in poor soil conditions and extremes of climate is apparent from a hedge Don discovered while visiting the Younghusband region of South Australia. Here, around the garden of a weekender, was a magnificent, dense hedge of rosemary. The soil was dry and rocky with evidence of limestone. Despite the harsh conditions the hedge was thriving and green. From a distance it resembled a small cypress hedge.
Plant details
Common name: Rosemary
Botanic name: Rosmarinus officinalis. The genus name Rosmarinus comes from the Latin meaning dew of the sea and refers to the maritime climate and habitat that the plant enjoys.
Family: Rosemary is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae.
Climate (see map): Rosemary is at its best in a Mediterranean climate, that is areas with hot, dry summer (low humidity) and limited rainfall in winter (for example parts of South Australia and Western Australia and inland Victoria). It will tolerate some frost (to -5 deg C). It also thrives in coastal regions with a Mediterranean climate such as the Younghusband Peninsula in South Australia. Despite its preference for a Mediterranean climate rosemary will grow in subtropical areas such as Brisbane and in sheltered positions in mountain gardens.
Good points:
- An aromatic herb that is also an attractive bush or hedge.
- Grows up to a height of 1.5-1.8m (4-6′) but can be trimmed to any height to form a thick hedge of grey-green foliage. Fully grown this plant may spread 2.5m (7-8′).
- Flowers pale to dark blue and sometimes white (flowers mostly seen from late winter to spring). A pink cultivar is also available (‘Majorca Pink’).
- A drought-tolerant plant that grows well in a dry climate and in alkaline soil, requiring little watering or care.
Uses:
- Grown as hedging or bushes along fencelines.
- Leaves used as a herb in cooking.
- Cultivated for the aromatic oils distilled from the flowers.
- Worn as a symbol of remembrance.
Likes:
- A warm, sunny spot in a well-drained soil (tolerates poor soils).
- Alkaline or limey soil.
Dislikes:
- Acid soil.
- Too much rain or high humidity through the warmer months or overwatering at any time of the year.
- Over fertilising – this plant thrives in low nutrient soils without added fertilisers.
Planting a hedge: To plant a dense hedge, space plants 45-60cm (18-24″) apart and trim to encourage bushy growth (prune at least once a year after main flowering). Use cutting grown plants or named varieties to have an even hedge.
Getting started:
Plants are available at garden centres in most areas. Small pots start at around $2.95 but well grown plants in 20cm (8″) pots cost around $14.
Rosemary is easy to grow from a cutting and can be propagated at most times of the year but best results are from tip cuttings taken from late summer to winter.
Further reading
1. Rosemary: For some of the history and uses of rosemary consult Jackie French’s Book of Rosemary (Angus & Robertson, 1993). ISBN: 0 207 17854 2.
2. Mediterranean gardening: For more information on Mediterranean plants and gardening consult one of the following: Heidi Gildemeister’s Mediterranean Gardening: A Waterwise Approach, (1995), $45 (rrp) is available from all good book stores or from The Green Book Company. Phone: (1800) 646 533 or (03) 9818 2801. Catalogue available.
Trevor Nottle’s Gardens of the Sun, (Kangaroo Press, 1996), $39.95 rrp. also available from all good book stores or from The Green Book Company. Phone: (1800) 646 533 or (03) 9818 2801. Also available from Florilegium. Phone: (02) 9555 8589. Catalogue available.
Hugo Latymer’s The Mediterranean Gardener (Frances Lincoln in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, 1990).