This is my second installment of my spotlight feature, where I take certain herbs, flowers or plants and just talk about it.I am going to try to stick to Florida friendly plants, so my southern followers will be able to take what I write and use it in their own yards :)
So today I want to talk about rosemary. This is the first thing three years ago that I planted and had it actually survive! Everything else had wilted away and ended up in the compost heap, but this little herb stayed strong. It's another perennial, as are most herbs, so make sure you put it somewhere that you want it for years to come. Plant it in the early spring so it can become established before any cold sets in. It can be grown in a container on your window sill or right in your ground. Be careful, giant 6 foot wide 5 foot tall rosemary bushes are not unheard of! They prefer lots of sun, and don't like to be fussed with. If you forget to water it, rosemary is a very forgiving plant :)
Rosemary has very pretty dark green pointed leaves. The fragrance is unmistakable: it's bold, heavy and very perfumey, almost like eucalyptus. Just brushing your fingers along one will get lots of plant oils on your hand.
It has many culinary uses. I like to put a few sprigs of fresh rosemary in scrambled eggs, but it is also good in lamb, chicken and potatoes. Medicinally, it's used sort of like mint, in that it is believed to help improve memory function and stimulate circulation.
Rosemary is a great starter plant. It is beautiful, fragrant, loves the Florida heat, tolerates some drought, and hates to be fussed with. So head out to your local nursery and pick up a plant or two today :)
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