Rosemary is the memory herb. This is both a fact and a metaphor: the smell of rosemary improves retention and concentration, and its stems were traditionally offered as tokens of devotion, especially between lovers who were driven apart.
I don’t know if it works for memory and concentration, but I became fond of its fragrance, which is both sharp and soothing. For some reason it reminds me of rain, a strange memory association for an herb that thrives in dry soil, on sun baked cliffs.
According to plant lore you should always plant rosemary by the door for luck, and you should never buy the plant for yourself; it is supposed to be received as a gift, otherwise it will not thrive.
Rosemary tea makes a great leave-in rinse for dark hair, especially when combined with sage: it strengthens the hair’s roots, makes it smooth and shiny and gives it rich highlights.
Romantic associations aside, rosemary’s main utility is to flavor meat, fish and poultry.
The dried version, the one that comes in spice jars, doesn’t do the plant justice, fresh rosemary is tender, fragrant, and soft to the touch, and its scent lingers, roused by any breath of air.
Main Areas: Garden Writing; Sustainable Gardening; Homegrown Harvest
Published Books: “Terra Two”; “Generations”; "Letters to Lelia", "Door No. 8", "Fair"; "A Year and A Day"; "The Plant - A Steampunk Story"
Career Focus: Author; Consummate Gardener;
Affiliation: All Year Garden; The Weekly Gardener; Francis Rosenfeld's Blog
I started blogging in 2010, to share the joy of growing all things green and the beauty of the garden through the seasons. Two garden blogs were born this way: allyeargarden.com and theweeklygardener.com, a periodical that followed it one year later. I wanted to assemble an informal compendium of the things I learned from my grandfather, wonderful books, educational websites, and my own experience, in the hope that other people might find it useful in their own gardening practice.