Greens & herbs
Rosemary
In a pot, overwintered indoors.
- Outside
- Out after mid May, in before frost
- Where
- A pot; winters on a cool bright sill
- Sun
- Every ray it can get
- Water
- Occasional soak once the top inch dries; worried watering drowns it
- Harvest
- Jun to Oct, a sprig at a time
Rosemary lives here in a pot, summering outside from mid May and wintering on a cool bright windowsill, one zone short of staying out. The growing is easy; the overwintering is the skill.
Growing
Pot it in a gritty, fast-draining mix, terra cotta if possible, and give it the sunniest spot outdoors after mid May; through summer it wants little beyond an occasional soak. Winter is the test: a cool, bright room, water only when the top inch dries, no radiator company. Most indoor rosemary dies of drought in furnace air or drowns under worried watering, and the cool room splits that difference. Growth stalls in the dark months, so snip lightly until the pot goes back out.
Varieties
Arp and Madeline Hill are the hardiest strains, the ones to try against a south wall if the pot routine ever gets old; Tuscan Blue makes the handsomest pot plant.
In the kitchen
A sprig under the potatoes or in the roast pan covers most uses. One healthy plant supplies a household with embarrassing ease.