Blog article by Karen Metz, UC Master Gardener-Solano
Many, many years ago, I purchased a small rosemary Christmas Tree. It was adorable and lived on my porch, getting decorated every year. Gradually, it outgrew its pot and then the porch. We moved it to the sideyard and planted it in a half wine barrel along the fence.
It thrived there, getting larger and larger. It was cut back each year to harvest boughs to contribute to the UC Master Gardener Wreath Workshop. Smaller pieces were picked for cooking and bouquets. It was also shared with family and friends in both its fresh and dried states.
Over time, the wooden barrel started to rot and disintegrate. The metal hoops that had kept the staves together fell to the ground, so the rosemary grew in a raised mound of soil. But it did fine for many more years.
In mid-November, I finally noticed something was different. I had more difficulty getting past the rosemary to walk further down the side yard. At first, I thought that it just needed pruning, and I knew that I would be doing that soon for the workshop. But the next time I came by, it was even more in the way. I realized something was wrong.
We had been having some windy days, and the weight of the branches had pulled the plant forward, tearing some of the supporting roots. I harvested as usual for the Wreath Workshop, but I knew the plant couldn't survive this way. But life happened with the holidays, an illness in the family, and other responsibilities. Also, I couldn't quite figure out what to do to help the plant.
In January, my husband helped me try to rescue the rosemary. We cut the branches way back, especially in front of the plant. There were still some intact supporting roots, so I decided to prop up the anterior of the plant with old terracotta roof tiles. This got the plant in a vertical position. Then, I packed soil around the base and supported the sides of the soil mound with logs and more roof tiles. It looked a bit stark, so I added logs that had been colonized with a sedum ground cover. We watered it in and hoped that with the winter rains, the rosemary would survive.
I have always loved rosemary: its scent, its lovely blue flowers. I love watching the bees it attracts. It thrives in our Mediterranean climate and survives even our drought years. If our attempts at helping this rosemary fail, I will get another. I can't imagine having a yard without rosemary. But if I had to put money on it, I would bet on the tenacity of this rosemary. There are still some green leaves. In my mind, rosemary ranks up as a survivor plant like mint or blackberry brambles. But we'll just have to wait and see.