When we moved up here, over three years ago now, I brought with me one rooted rosemary cutting from the herb garden I was leaving behind. It ended up being placed in a pretty blue ceramic pot and had managed to do quite well up here. I even took some more cuttings off of it to fill the yard with. 
Rosemary is one herb that I absolutely love to have growing in the garden. It is not a hard herb to grow. Occasionally I have had problems with it getting spider mites but for the most part it is pretty happy go lucky for me. Rosemary is hardy in zones 8 and up and has done just fine for me here in Oregon these past 3 years. That is until this year.
More than once when it snowed upon snow during December and January I questioned myself about leaving my pot of rosemary out on the deck. “Is it going to be okay out there with all this crazy weather?” I would ask myself. I contemplated bringing it in more than once but I know how hard it can be to overwinter rosemary indoors. It gets rather picky about getting enough light and if it is not happy it will drop all of its fragrant needle like leaves. So because of this reason I left it alone out there to fend for itself hoping all the while that I was making the right decision.
I discovered about a week ago that was a fatal decision on my part. When we had a break in the rain I went outside armed with a pair of clippers in hand. I held my breath as I carefully snipped back some of its stems hoping to find even just a hint of green inside them. My heart sank when I saw with one quick glance that there was not a trace of green, all was brown and dead. I cut farther down the branch thinking well maybe it was still alive deeper down but sadly no, the plant that I carried with me over 900 miles was lost to a freak snow storm along with its entire cloned offspring.
Isn’t it funny how we gardeners can get so attached to a plant, almost like it has become our little child? We nurture it and pamper it like a child all while we watch it grow and thrive under our care. Then it so graciously rewards us with the fruits of our labor. I used up the last bit of dried rosemary I harvested last summer the other night. It truly saddens me that I will not be able to gather more of it here in the coming months. It is one herb that I really enjoy using both in the kitchen and throughout my home.
The only good thing though about loosing a beloved plant (if there is a good thing) is now I get to go shopping for a new rosemary plant to take its place. So here in a few weeks look out Portland Nursery cause here I come!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
That is to bad and you’re right it is like part of the family. I lost some dahlias this year because I didn’t store them properly I guess and I’m just sick about it. I could have lost all of them except the one and I wouldn’t have felt so bad – my new favorite flower. It may still be ok but I’m not holding my breath. I can always buy another but I had planned on giving some of the many bulbs I had to some friends. O’well.
I’m sorry about your rosemary, but I’m sure your new adopted Rosemary will do just as well for you.
I love that blue planter!
Oh, I’m so sorry! Never fun to lose a plant, and when it had such special meaning… I lost my trailing rosemary, I think, all along the retaining wall on the street. The big one in back has a lot of dieback but it may survive (it was in the ground – I guess pots are more vulnerable). Good luck finding a worthy successor! I’d give you a cutting of mine if you lived closer!
PS I have that same pot, a thyme growing in it. It’s probably dead too, I keep forgetting to check.
R.I.P Rosemary! You looked so healthy, and freezing to death is such an awful way to go…
Yes, actual death is good, hanging on barely, very lopsidedly, for years and years and years is a mean trick. I have a rosemary that has been in my garden for nearly the twenty three years we have been here but it took lot of damage one year early in its life and has been awkwardly lopsided every since. I think I will finally put a big bottomless pot around it and fix it. I’ll either stool it or kill it but my issue will be solved!
Ah the poor thing. I keep trying to overwinter “hardy” rosemary in my zone 6 garden to no avail. The hardy stuff is only hardy to zone 7. I really need to learn how to keep one alive inside in the winter.
Ah the poor thing. I keep trying to overwinter “hardy” rosemary in my zone 6 garden to no avail. The hardy stuff is only hardy to zone 7. I really need to learn how to keep one alive inside in the winter.
Sorry… forgot to say great post – can’t wait to read your next one!
Aw, I’m sorry about your poor Rosemary plant Cynthia. But at least you will be able to replace it easily. That pot you had it planted in is very pretty.
So sorry to hear about your “baby.” It looked really pretty in the pot.
I actually brought mine in and it’s not growing a lot, but it’s not shedding any leaves either, so maybe it will be okay. I’m trying layer a few branches so I’ll have a couple new plants.
Your poor rosemary. This was such a strange winter, I know I’ve lost several plants that normally will do fine over the cold months. I have the same attitude, a little sad, but also a little excited to find a new replacement.
Rosemary is my favorite, did you know the dead plant still smells pretty, I had one die and I just cut up all the pieces and put them in containers they still smell good, thank you for joing my blog!
Hi Cynthia.
You can never have enough rosemary, keep planting it!
The honey bees adore it.
It smells good.
It makes great skewers for chicken on the barbie!
ESP.