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How to grow and care for a rosemary shrub

Growing rosemary is really quite easy, even if you've never grown a thing before! I have to say that year on year this plant never ceases to amaze me : it can take quite nasty weather and soil conditions and still soldier on.

First things first - get a plant. Most garden centres stock at least one variety, and if you buy local chances are this variety will be well suited to the climatic conditions of the area you live in. Expect to pay between USD3 and USD8 for a small, well rooted subject, and a bit more for a larger bush. Rosemary grows quite quickly so unless you have a need for a mature plant as part of a new garden, for instance, don't hesitate to pick a small but healthy subject.

Then pick where it's going to be placed. While most rosemary varieties can cope with a little bit of shade these plants are made for sunshine - the more sun they get the better. Unlike most other herbs, with the exception of thyme and oregano, rosemary can tolerate very hot and dry conditions for a sustained period of time without permanent damage.

Before putting your plant in the garden, don't forget to give it a good soak at least thirty minutes to an hour beforehand: it allows the plant to come out of the plastic pot without trouble and loosens the root ball so it finds it easier to settle in its new home. The hole you need to dig should be twice as wide and a couple of inches deeper than the pot: this allows you to add some compost under the plant and to its sides for additional nourishment. Rosemary does well in poor soils but I find it always pays to give new subjects a little bit of added tender loveing care!

The only extra precaution I would take would be if your soil tends to get water-logged. If this is the case, dig a deeper hole - about 5 inches more that the pot - and put in a mixture of gravel and sand under the plant instead of compost, to increase drainage.

Once the plant is in, fill in the hole with additional compost or top soil, firm up the soil around the plant and water thoroughly.

This really is it - providing your garden is not exposed to sub-zero conditions straight away it will start to do its thing. You don't really need to water that often: in most temperate areas whatever rain you get should be enough to keep it ticking along. Just keep an eye on it if you get a particularly dry summer though, as ot may benefit from the additional watering.

When we moved to our home 3 years ago we found an old shrub in our backyard.

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