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Meet the multi-tasking Rosemary
The flowers of rosemary are edible, with a gingery flavour, luxurious when sprinkled on ice cream, tempts MAT COWARD
Rosemary bush and its flower attended to by a bee [(L to R) Acabashi/CC / Zeynel Cebeci/CC]

IN THIS country there aren’t many edible plants that are available to use 12 months of the year, which is one of the reasons rosemary is worth a place in every garden, large or small.

As well as being an evergreen, Salvia rosmarinus is a long-lived perennial. Proverbially it lasts for 33 years, the same as Jesus, but in any case you’d be unlucky not to get 15 years out of it provided it’s planted in the right place.

There are numerous varieties and cultivars available, offering differences in flower and leaf colour, height and the shape of the shrub. Rosemary is most commonly grown in the ground, but will do fine in a large pot, provided you prevent the roots from getting waterlogged.

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