Essential with roast lamb, the dark green aromatic foliage of rosemary has a multitude of culinary uses. This shrubby evergreen is ideal for a sunny herb garden and even survives in poor soils, requiring very little maintenance.

For reliable results, sow Rosemary indoors between March and May, on the top of a good free draining, moist seed compost. Do not cover the seed with compost. Make sure that the compost remains moist but not wet and seal in a polythene bag until after germination.

Transplant when large enough to handle into 7.5cm pots and in late summer / early autumn plant out 60cm apart into well drained soil in a sunny sheltered site. Rosemary prefers a slightly limey soil (the opposite of acid) because this results in smaller plants with more fragrant leaves. It will stand severe frosts if conditions are not windy and wet as well. Rosemary does not like to have its roots disturbed so leave as much of the root ball undisturbed as possible when planting on. Water well if the conditions are at all dry.

From its second year, Rosemary will flower between April and June.

To harvest, cut off portions of branches and dry in an airing cupboard. When brittle the leaves may be rubbed off into a container. The leaves can be harvested any time. Harvest no more than you can use fresh, as they loose most of their flavor when dried.