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.
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.
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.
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.
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).