Rosemary – How To get The Best From This Classic Mediterranean Plant
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By Jonathan Yaakobi
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The Rosemary plant has to be one of the mainstays of any garden in dry climates in general and Mediterranean ones in particular. Its uses as a herb are famous, being an excellent natural additive in roast potato, chicken and fish dishes. It is also grown of course as a fine ornamental.
In design terms, Rosemary, (Rosmarinus officianalis) as a small shrub reaching about a meter in height, can function as medium scale ground cover. Its pale green foliage and fine leaf texture contribute a typically Mediterranean feel to a garden composition. It also adds some color to the garden in the winter with its small, pale blue flowers. There are also a number of successful ground-hugging varieties available now. They associate well with other plants of prostrate habit like Myoporum parvifolium and the cranebill, Erodium reichardii.
Rosemary plants are relatively easy to grow. The only thing to worry about is to provide adequate drainage. Otherwise, they can tolerate drought, poor, shallow and alkaline soils. If planted in somewhat “cared for” settings, they should be lightly clipped now and again, in order to maintain compact growth. It is important to remember that Rosemary should not be cut back to the wood, as it does not grow back from old wood, and consequently overtime, the foliage will not cover the plant to the ground
This is often considered one of the drawbacks of the species, but in fact this property of Rosemary can be exploited to create interesting forms and shapes from the older specimens. The old and dry parts of the plant can be cut out and by so doing the plant is transformed into a mini tree, reaching a height of about a meter or so. The old stems become in fact gnarled, twisted trunks of considerable sculptural value, while the plant as a whole functions as a small scale accent or emphasis element in the composition.
Rosemary’s growth habit is typical of some other herb genera belonging to the Lamiaceae botanical family. (Labiatae) Examples that spring to mind are Lavender and Artemisia. In both cases, plants as with Rosemary do not rejuvenate from old wood, and therefore similar treatment can be considered for them.
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Author Bio Box: Jonathan Yaakobi
 My name is Jonathan Ya'akobi.
I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984.
I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners.
I also teach horticulture to students on training courses.
I'd love to help you get the very best from your garden,
so you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com
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