Rosie Rosemary

A lot of sources will tell you that Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is only reliably perennial from zone 9 upwards, zone 8 pushing it, and zone 7 should be wintered indoors. This is where a location’s microclimate as well as choosing cold hardy varieties come into play–where I am on the south shore of Long Island, rosemary is a fine perennial as long as it receives some protection during the winter.

And by some, I mean not a whole lot. I simply have my rosemary close to the house, so that the house’s heat mass keeps it alive during the winter. I do have a few plants in an unprotected area of my food forest, and they survived last winter and the winter before, although they are smaller than the one close to the house.

Rosemary does tolerate partial shade (which is where I have all of mine), but it does best in full sun. It’s very drought tolerant, and prefers light and well drained soils in the slightly acidic spectrum. Most gardens should do fine with it.

I love cutting it and hanging them to dry, and using it as part of an olive oil dip or when I’m roasting chicken or beef or making stew. It really is such a versatile plant and no garden would be complete without it!

Recipes With Rosemary
Oven Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes
Fish A La Sophie
Seared Venison
“Sundried” Tomatoes, Garlic, and Rosemary In Olive Oil
Hearty Garden Bean Soup
Herb Butter From Scratch
Panzanella
Sundried Tomato And Mozzarella Salad