Love goes where my Rosemary grows!

Two years.... two years I had that herb growing in a pot; a red pot I might add, my favourite colour, and then I transplanted it!

The roots were long and the stalk thick and woody; she was doing so well

The previous winter I had overwintered a number of geraniums in my living room along with several herbs, Rosemary being my favourite. Winter at our house practically consists of us wringing out our shorts from sweat due to the tropical temperatures inside, the result of our efficient Pacific Energy wood stove. Rosemary survived the heat and the winter, while all the geraniums, save for one or two, shrivelled up into leafless stalks akin to deformed Charlie Brown Christmas trees. They were pathetic and I was disgusted. Rosemary’s savoury stalks had always flavoured my meatless shepherd's pie, nourishing us throughout the cold months; paired with home grown potatoes and carrots, nothing could compare to this hearty dish, and she had been generous. Spring arrived and Rosemary, in her little red pot, found herself outside, flourishing like nobody's business as she spread her arms and absorbed the rays of sun and drank the droplets of rain. I was so proud! When Fall arrived I knew Rosemary must come inside along with her ever growing circle of sweet and savoury herb friends... but I’d be darned if I was going to have a multitude of pots crowding my window ledge, I had had enough of that last year. Determined to have less watering duties but still having these savouries close at hand, I found four ledge pots, two smaller and two larger, the perfect solution for my needs. Filling the drainage holes in the larger pots with silicone to seal them up, I proceeded to place the smaller pots inside and planted four plants in each then filled them with top grade soil; they were good to go. I had two plant pots to water throughout winter instead of the dozen or so of the previous year. Bonus! Now here we are, less than two months later, November, and I have killed Rosemary and three of her associates. No more fresh savoury Rosemary to enhance the taste of my food, dried store bought herbs it shall be, oh the shame. Notwithstanding I had crowded four different plants per pot, I can only assume my faux pas had to do with Rosemary's size; trying to cram her extra long feet into a pretty short pot, our extreme in-house temperatures and, I suspect, not enough day light hours mingled with cloudy days.... or maybe she just missed her little red pot On impulse, I purchased a grow light. The use of a tension rod positioned between the window frame allowed me to hang the light from it. The best feature is that I can easily adjust the height of the light from the plants by raising or lowering the chains. Here's hoping my efforts will pay off and these survivors of the aromatic plant world will thrive. Now to track down some herb seeds since I cannot get established plants anywhere around here at this time of year, let alone in the spring.... and I have to wonder, does anybody ever grow an indoor herb garden any more?

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