Home Grown Rosemary Topiaries
I love Rosemary topiaries. Especially in an old crusty old pot. In fact, the crustier the better. I thought I would try my hand at Home Grown Rosemary Topiaries.
I found some real ones for about $50, and that was just way to much money to spend on something that I have a really good chance of killing. Even though growing your own can take from 2-3 years, I am willing to wait. What else have I got to do with my time after all? 🙂
Growing your own rosemary topiaries takes a sunny window, staking, trimming and frequent watering.
These are the little guys I’ve had on my window sill from transplants I took before the frost, but you could find small starts, or potted herbs from a nursery and use those. Rosemary is one of those plants that you can root with moist dirt, a sunny window and a cloche, it just takes a really long time.
You need bamboo cooking skewers, like the kind for kabobs and butcher twine. You can check out this post to see how to grow more Rosemary and Lavender plants with layering.
Basically, put the skewer in next to the base of the stem, carefully pick off all of the little leaves around the bottom, and tie the stem in a few places to the skewer. Not too tightly, just enough to secure them. Then water them well and keep them watered. Rosemary generally grows in bogs so it likes it’s feet wet a bit. To let them dry out at all is the kiss of death. We’ve had many a Rosemary memorial service around here.
I tied mine in two places. As it grows, add more ties if needed. This herb can actually grow to be a huge bush in the right conditions so to grow straight up it’s against it’s nature. It want’s get get all “bushy. You may have to replace the stick as it gets bigger to support it, but I would think at that point you might have to transplant it anyway. This is my first time trying it, so I’ll let you know in 2-3 years…I hope I’m still blogging then. 🙂
Even though they are still itsy-bitsy, they look adorable all lined up, ready to grow.
Jen
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We sell those at Bella.LOVE the scent.Thanks for the tip Jen. Hugs,Rachel
French Farmhouse 425
Every year I try to do a rosemary topiary and in spring I also try many other herbs in the house only to have to toss them a month or so later. I will keep trying because I love how they look. As for the Ballard fake, I think it is trying to look like lace vine. The real ones are very delicate and a beautiful dainty vine.
How awesome! Love them. I hope yours turn out lovely. Me? I’d kill them for sure. : )
I love topiaries too. In fact, I have been tempted to buy two of the ballard ones, for my mantel, but the price is stopping me. I would love real ones, but the heat that comes from the fireplace would definitly dry out rosemary. I am thinking about making moss ones…
Your’s will be fabulous!!
Hugs,
Penny
I would love to have real rosemary topiary in my kitchen, my I can never keep anything alive!! I just bought a fake rosemary topiary at one of those primitive country gift stores for $8.50 on clearance. I rarely shop in stores like that, but we were traveling and decided to go in. Glad we did!
Have fun nursing your little herbs to topiary perfection!!
Great idea . . . if I could only keep it alive that long!! You must keep blogging now, if only to keep us updated on your rosemary’s status! I do love the delicious odor of rosemary. May need to seriously consider this! Thanks for this wintry morning inspiration.
yes, I hope you will. I just started mine. I don’t expect to succeed – I live in the Canadian rockies. but will keep trying. it will be fun to watch yours grow. hello, shelley
I just love Rosemary! It smells so
good ~ I had a HUGE rosemary bush
in my backyard and tore it out because
it was out of control ~
I have been kicking myself ever since ~
xoxo
Lori
They do look adorable lined up! I want several topiaries for my buffet and am going to be very impatient waiting for mine to grow – but I’m not paying $50 for one!
Great photos, Jen…and I LOVE the smell of Rosemary. Not bad on a little chicken, either. So chances are my topiary would never happen! Lol!
Great tip, I wish I had a green thumb like you! ;o)
Mary
I’ve had that Ballard one on my mantle for a few years now…makes me happy every time I look at it 🙂 Having been a cancer patient, live things haven’t always been an option, but would certainly prefer the “edible” kind! Might give it a try now…thanks for the great instructions!
this post confirms that you are patient.
I love the look of rosemary, too, but every single time I buy it, it dies…and I’m not usually bad on house plants.
Great idea!
xoxox,
CC
I love them,I want them! So glad you like the kitchen..I keep pinching myself! x0
It’s about faith isn’t it. To start a oak from an acorn, or a rosemary topiary from a cutting. Wish I had a south facing window, I’d join you. Lovely photos. Love, Penny
Hi Jennifer~ So good to know a few more things about Rosemary… I love it, I try to grow it… it doesn’t seem to like me for some reason!! That and some lavenders… maybe I overwater? I love those plants so much, so I keep on a trying -pretty much every year. Anyway, Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and saying hello- I recently found your blog and am loving it and am a happy follower here- Hope you will be back by to say hello again soon! 🙂
It’ll be fun to see how these do! Thanks for stopping by and entering my giveaway~ good luck!
When I lived on the coast of BC rosemary grew out of doors quite well. A friend of mine gave me several starts, I killed them all, time and again, I don’t know what I was doing wrong. For one thing I was starting them in water, not soil, that is no doubt what I should have done. I love the smell of it, and to have a topiary of it would be really nice. I’m not very good with plants, though.
Hugs, Cindy
I so want a rosemary topiary too…but can’t keep anything green alive in the house…but I think I may be able to do this…thanks for the tips.
Jennifer,
Wanted to drop in and tell you “THANKS”, I am having Sadie Olive fix me up with a new blog. So I won’t be blogging for a bit, but am still stopping in to visit everyone elses.
I love topiaries of all kinds. I love the rosemary ones, but also really like Myrtle topiaries. Good luck with growing yours!
those are so sweet! i love the idea of making your own! patience is key here! have a wonderful weekend! susan
True Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, is native to the Mediterranean region and likes to be grown dry, not wet, it is possible to have confused it with a plant known as Bog Rosemary, Andromeda polifolia, which does like to be grown wet.
Whatever happened to these topiaries? Did they make it? I’d love to see an update. I’m planning to trip this soon 🙂
Greetings! I’ve been reading your weblog for some time now and finally got the courage to
go ahead and give you a shout out from Austin Tx!
Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic work!