Rosemary

* Common name: Rosemary

* Botanical name: Rosmarinus officinalis

* What it is: A tender, upright herb with narrow, pine-scented leaves that make the plant look almost like a needled mini-evergreen. Leaves can be harvested for cooking, but the plant also is attractive enough for ornamental value. Most varieties die in most winters, so it’s typically sold as an annual.

* Size: 2 to 3 feet tall, 2 to 2½ feet wide.

* Where to use: Usually planted in herb gardens or spotted in a vegetable garden. Rosemary also does well in pots and offers textural interest in a sunny annual-flower garden. Best in full sun and excellent drainage. Avoid wet clay.

* Care: Rosemary is best planted as a young garden-center plant in May. Work compost into soil before planting and scatter a balanced, organic, granular fertilizer over the ground in early summer. Keep soil consistently damp but never soggy. Stems can be harvested throughout summer. Some varieties survive some winters, especially in wind-protected spots. ‘Arp’ and ‘Hardy Hill’ are two of the cold-hardiest varieties. Other gardeners grow rosemary in a pot next to a sunny window over winter and cut back and plant out the following spring.

* Great partner: Thyme and purple sage are good partners in the herb garden. In a flower garden, spot a few rosemary plants among bright-blooming sun-lovers, such as marigolds, dwarf zinnias or celosia.