Rosemary In a Pot: The Almost Perfect Urban Garden Herb

Growing rosemary in a pot is what pulled me into gardening. It's so easy to grow! We didn't use a lot of rosemary in cooking when I started. Actually that came later, once my rosemary shrub was such a rip-roaring success.

Growing planting rosemary was such a big win that I felt like I could do no wrong. Rosemary even grows through the winter in zone 7a, where I live. If I could grow rosemary, I thought, why not tomatoes? Well tomatoes are a little more complicated, but I blame the rosemary for fooling me into it.

The perfection of rosemary in a pot

I think rosemary, in a pot or not, is the perfect herb for urban gardening, and here's why.

• It grows well both in containers and in the ground.

• It is happy indoors or outside.

• Rosemary winters over in warmer climates, and if your winters go below 10 degrees, you can cover it or bring it indoors.

• It doesn't mind heat - the sunnier the better!

• It survives drought well. I don't water mine all summer.

In Virginia, where we live, planting rosemary is a decorative endeavor. People plant them in the front yard as landscaping, sometimes even shaping them into balls or little Christmas trees. I say when you have a pretty yard and something to eat, that's a win-win.

Where to grow rosemary

We've been planting rosemary decoratively in the front yard and in a large pot outside the kitchen door for snipping. My neighbor has a giant shrub that's been growing in his front yard for 16 years. Basically it seems to be happier the more you ignore it.

In cooking, we use rosemary with chicken, potatoes, pizza, carrots and other root vegetables. Try Chef Iggy's easy recipe for Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Rosemary. Sometimes I just run my hands over the leaves and smell, because the piney scent is kind of soothing and invigorating at the same time. Weird.

So, get to planting rosemary this spring and you'll feel like a boss gardener all year long.