It seems strange to start writing a gardening column in the midst of winter. Everything has been reduced to browns and greys, and frost keeps most plants from thriving beyond skeletal remains. When I look at my postage stamp of a yard, the raised beds are covered in snow and the tomato vines are wilted. However, there is one patch of green right beside the back gate, and that is my herb garden. Of the few remaining plants, rosemary is my favorite. I am always glad to put on my boots and trudge across crunchy grass to cut sprigs of the fragrant herb. While it is an incredibly common garden staple, I thought it would be fun to share a bit of history about how rosemary came to be.
According to my rudimentary research, rosemary has been utlized by humans for over 5000 years. It was the Spanish in the 13th century that began to cultivate the herb as we know it today, and it has been used in culinary and medicinal ways by the Greeks and Romans since approximately 500 B.C.E. Its earliest use was not in the kitchen, but rather to be fastened into crowns to be worn by Greek students who hoped it would help them remember their studies. One of its less common names is actually “herb of crowns” for this reason.
While we know it as rosemary, its scientific name, Rosemarinus, is a combination of the Latin word for “dew” (ros) and “belonging to the sea” (marinus). As a native plant to the Mediterranean region of the world, this makes a lot of sense. I read several articles that said an old folk saying was that if you could hear the sea from where you were, rosemary would thrive. Another fun source of the name comes from the legend that Jesus’ mother Mary hid behind a rosemary bush when she fled Egypt, and when she put her blue cloak over the white flowers they turned blue–thus the
to skewer meat instead of using wooden skewers. Not only does it hold just as well, but the oils of the herb will permeate through the meat you are grilling and add more delicious flavor for your meal.
Thank you for indulging me on a walk through rosemary land. I hope you learned something new, I sure did. Perhaps while you are still hunkered down waiting for spring to arrive, you can use the time to research other herbs and plants and learn their fascinating histories and surprising uses. It may not put food on the table like the vegetables of summer, but it may give you a deeper appreciation for what we now see to be common members of the garden family.
Rosemary is known to be somewhat finicky in cooler weather, but I’ve had great success with my bush surviving and remaining green through the past three winters we have been in this townhouse. Perhaps it is because while we live with cold winters here in Virginia, it is rarely at or below 20 degrees for too long–the lowest temperature of comfort for the hearty evergreen. It could also be because I bought my rosemary plant from Arlene at Glenhaven Greenhouse in Broadway!
Although the kitchen is often the most thought of place for rosemary to be found outside of the garden, there are so many uses for the versatile plant. From seasoning meats, breads, and even drinks to refreshing a room with a sachet of dried leaves, there’s surely a way for you to use it in your home. While poking around the internet to find resources for this article, I stumbled across a few ways to use it that I hadn’t thought of.
One of my favorite lesser-known uses for the plant is to place several sprigs on a campfire to help deter mosquitos. While it won’t make them disappear all together, it is said that mosquitos aren’t a huge fan of the strong smell the burning oil creates. As a human, however, you’ll likely find it to be a nice addition to your quiet evening among the stars! Another use that took me by surprise was including it in a pan of water with some lemon slices to simmer on your stove as potpourri.
That will surely give your house a fresh and clean scent to last all afternoon! Make sure to keep an eye on the water level of the pan, however, or the smell will drastically change from pleasant to burnt. Finally, you can use the sturdy strands of rosemary stems to skewer meat instead of using wooden skewers. Not only does it hold just as well, but the oils of the herb will permeate through the meat you are grilling and add more delicious flavor for your meal.
Thank you for indulging me on a walk through rosemary land. I hope you learned something new, I sure did. Perhaps while you are still hunkered down waiting for spring to arrive, you can use the time to research other herbs and plants and learn their fascinating histories and surprising uses. It may not put food on the table like the vegetables of summer, but it may give you a deeper appreciation for what we now see to be common members of the garden family.
