Shakespeare said, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember.” The saying “rosemary for remembrance” is obviously taken from this quote, but interestingly enough, science shows us that rosemary and memory do have a connection. Several studies show that rosemary actually stimulates memory and may preserve some cognitive function. Who knew?
I love rosemary. One of the things I found fascinating in New Orleans is the number of people who use rosemary as an ornamental shrub. Maybe, they use it to snip for culinary uses as well. I hope so. I have actually been known to snip a bit off some of these shrubs as I’m out for a walk (don’t tell anybody).
My own pot of rosemary is pretty sad. I think it is actually a creeping rosemary rather than the upright plant I thought I was getting.
Well, as luck would have it, rosemary is easy to propagate so I decided to add a little upright rosemary to my already creeping pot.
I snipped a bit of rosemary from an upright shrub, removed the leaves (or needles) from the lower 2/3 and put them in a small vase of water. This is the way I usually try propagating everything at first because it is so easy. It doesn’t work for everything, but actually is pretty reliable on a lot of plants (at least the things I propagate). You can also put the cut stem in a rooting hormone and plant it in potting medium and cover until new growth appears. I may have rooting hormone around here somewhere – I think.
Here is the pot with the creeping rosemary and my newly rooted shoots. Hopefully, they will grow in harmony with the creeping rosemary and fill up the pot. I’ve got some more rooting in my kitchen window to add as well – can never get enough of a good thing.
I learned to propagate plants this way from my grandmother, who was always snipping cuttings. At one time, she lived on a farm and I think she could grow anything. I will have this rosemary in remembrance of her.
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