Of all the herbs in my garden Rosemary is without a doubt my favorite. I use it for cooking all year round and when I need a mystic Mediterranean scent to my house, or fresh cut bouquets, I rely on this versatile herb.

Rosemary, being native to the Mediterranean climate, is not particularly hardy. However if you live in a zone where the temperatures do not often dip below freezing you will have no problem keeping this herb alive in you garden.

Planting Rosemary in a sheltered spot, close to a wall or building also helps. If these planting solutions are not an option then taking your plants in for the winter and enjoying them indoors is another good option. Rosemary thrives in a slightly acid to neutral soil with full sun. It will however, tolerate partial shade. I have my Rosemary plants on the south side of my yard, one against a fence and the other within four feet of my house.

Rosemary is very difficult to grow from seed so you would be wise to purchase established plants or use cutting or layering propagation methods from an already established plant.

Rosemary is used abundantly in all the Mediterranean cuisine, especially Italian and French. Whether you are cooking fish, chicken, lamb or pasta Rosemary is the herb of choice. Using the flowers is also a good way to get a subtler flavor in your dishes.

There are upright and horizontal varieties of Rosemary and you should choose whichever one suits your purpose. The upright variety does great in pots and is easily pruned for topiaries. If for one reason or another I was only able to choose one herb for my garden, Rosemary would without a doubt be the herb I would choose.

If you interested in using Rosemary in your cooking and need some ideas check out our Recipes section in the Feature site.