Rosemary in the Southern Garden

Rosemary is a snap to grow here in the south. Simply plant in a dry spot that gets full sun and leave it alone – except for harvesting that is. When I give someone a Rosemary plant I always tell them to give it no love at all; no water, no fertilizer, and no rich soil.

In return my Rosemary gives me wheelbarrow loads of fresh herb. The one thing that I do have to do to keep the plants in good shape is take frequent cuttings. If it is not cut often the plant starts to turn brown, and then black, at the bottom and will eventually die.

I hate throwing away fresh Rosemary so I often take bags of it to work to give away. Selling herbs at a local farmers market is on my ‘list of things to do’ when I retire. I will have to learn to properly dry and store it though – I haven’t figured that out yet.

I have found that the easiest way to make new plants is to simply pin down a branch and cover with dirt. When the branch takes root cut it from the parent plant and – presto you have a new plant. I like to keep several ‘starters’ going all of the time to give as presents.

One of my favorite ways to use fresh Rosemary is to put fresh sprigs in a pan of simmering water; it is better than any chemical room freshener.

Someone recently told me that they used the woody stems as skewers when grilling chicken – sounds heavenly – I’ll have to try that sometime.

I read somewhere once that growing Rosemary by your front door brings Good Luck. I don’t know if that is true or not but I don’t want to take a chance. I have Rosemary growing by the front AND back door J.

Create an Organic Wildlife Habitat

From death springs new life. The old tree was past its prime, he could no longer withstand the rigors of hot sun and winter winds. In the end the only thing left was his huge stub of a trunk.

My lovely neighbor saw it, not as an eyesore that needed to be removed, but rather an opportunity to encourage new life. Today the old stump is home to butterflies, skinks and toads and is a beautiful addition to the landscape.

http://organicgardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/create_an_organic_wildlife_habitat

Different Languages - One Happy Dance

I saw this video for the first time today and it is a fitting first post to this blog. Positive energy creates positive energy, no matter where you live, what color you are, or what language you speak.

http://lloydkahn-ongoing.blogspot.com/2009/09/happy-people-dancing-on-planet-earth.html

--Smile, it's free--