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Rosemary (a photo of the plant is presented below) is an evergreen shrub belonging to the Lamb family. It was brought to Russia from the Mediterranean, where it is found in natural conditions. It is widely used as a condiment in cooking. The plant has healing properties, therefore it is used in folk medicine. Saplings are often used in landscape design.
What rosemary looks like
Reaches 1.8 m in height. Flowers are blue-violet, rarely white. The flowers are small, collected in dense inflorescences. Flowering ends by mid-summer. After that, grayish-brown nuts are formed, inside which there are seeds. The grass has a dense woody stem, leaves in the form of needles with a leathery structure. The leaves are located tightly to each other. The stem color ranges from light brown to gray. The plant emits a camphor aroma reminiscent of sea freshness. The branches are tetrahedral, elongated. The root system is well developed, reaching three meters.
Types and varieties of rosemary
According to the description, the rosemary plant prefers a warm, dry climate. With excess moisture, it dies and develops poorly. It has two main types (prostrate and common) and many varieties. The main types and popular varieties are described below.
Medicinal rosemary (ordinary)
The most famous and widespread species. The founder of all varieties of shrubs. Has a well-developed root system, dark gray woody shoots. Leaves with a leathery cover, up to 3.5 cm in length. The inflorescences of ordinary rosemary are densely located next to each other. They have a light blue tint. This type of herb is widely used in medicine and cooking. It has a choleretic effect, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and is effective in diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
Rosemary open
An ornamental plant is often planted in gardens to decorate the landscape. The grass reaches a height of no more than 75 cm. The branches of the bush grow, and the rosemary takes the form of a ball. If it is planted along the fence, then the shrub will branch out and overgrow the support, thus forming "hedges". The flowers are blue or bright purple. This variety is used in cooking, because the herb has a pleasant smell. Bushes do not take root well in cold climates. For the winter, they are covered or transplanted into a greenhouse.
Rosemary Crimean
This variety appeared in Crimea around the 19th century. It was originally grown in the Nikitsky Garden, located on the Crimean peninsula. The flowering period begins in February. The height of the Crimean rosemary reaches one meter. Leaves in the form of green needles, have a grayish tint and leathery structure. Has a pleasant scent. Bushes can be found on rocky slopes, they are often used in the design of curbs and ridges. This species is also grown on plantations for medicinal purposes. It does not survive the cold well; for the winter, seedlings are covered or transplanted into a greenhouse.
Rosemary Tenderness
This is one of the popular plant varieties. It reaches a height of 1 meter. The flowers are light blue in color. Leaves, with a leathery structure, change color depending on the growing season.At the beginning of flowering, the leaves are green, and towards the end they have a gray-green color. It is a perennial plant. Shrubs are thermophilic, they can hardly tolerate a sharp drop in air temperature. They take root well in countries with warm climates. In northern countries, rosemary is grown indoors.
Rosemary Rosinka
Rosemary Rosinka is a perennial plant widely used in cooking. It reaches a height of 40–60 cm. The leaves are elongated and resemble spruce needles. They contain a large amount of essential oils. The color of the leaves is dark green, they are densely located on the stem. The shrub exudes a pleasant aroma reminiscent of a mixture of sea and lavender. The flowers are bluish-purple, fragrant. The plant is difficult to tolerate low temperatures, therefore, when grown in open ground, for the winter the bush is transferred to a room with a low, but positive temperature, or covered.
How rosemary grows
The shrub prefers soils rich in humus and well aerated. It is difficult to tolerate increased moisture. In southern countries, it grows on rocky slopes. It tolerates summer heat well, loves illuminated areas. The leaves have a leathery structure, are dense and accumulate moisture well, due to which the plant easily tolerates drought.
For planting rosemary in open ground, you should choose a southern area with good lighting. If the plant has wintered in a cool room, it is taken out to the street for planting only after the threat of recurrent frosts has passed. Before planting, the plant is given several days to acclimatize, only after that it is planted in open ground.
How much rosemary grows
It is a perennial evergreen, a plant that has lived for over twenty years. Rosemary can be grown as a houseplant or used as an outdoor decor.
In order for the plant to please the eye, it is imperative that fertilizing is carried out with mineral fertilizers. Bushes are planted at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.
Where does rosemary grow
As a wild plant, rosemary is widely distributed in Greece, the Mediterranean, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and the Caucasus. It can often be found in the mountains. Artificial plantations are being erected in the Crimea, subtropics and tropics. Cultivated rosemary grows in the southern part of Russia; it is not found in the wild. In 1813, it was first cultivated on the territory of the Crimea in the Nikitsky Garden. Since then, it has been grown as a cultivated plant.
The use of rosemary in landscape design
Shrubs to decorate the landscape are planted in groups or combined with other species and varieties. In southern countries, they are planted along the fence, thus making fences. Species with creeping shoots are planted next to fences, supporting walls or steps. Shrubs beautifully wrap around the fence, and during the flowering period they delight with their smell. They should not be watered more often than 1 time a week, as the bushes are hard to tolerate moisture and may die.
In Russia, plants are grown in pots. In the warm season, they are taken out into the garden. Pots are matched to the landscape of the garden. Most often they are located next to the summer kitchen and are combined with other herbs. Shrubs go well with thyme, oregano, lavender, sage, juniper, veronica. Eremurus looks harmoniously next to it.
The bushes tolerate a haircut well, after pruning they become denser. They are used in mixed border plantings, along the edge of a mixborder, in container gardening.
Conclusion
The beauty of the rosemary herb (photo of the plant below) was appreciated by landscape designers. It is widely used to decorate flower beds, borders, hedges. In addition, the herb is used as a spice, as a medicine in folk and traditional medicine. The plant has many species and varieties, they are large over 1 meter in height and small about 40 centimeters.This herb is also home grown and used as a fresh spice in dishes.
