Rosemary and Asparagus

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as rosemary, is one of the most commonly grown herbs in the garden. It is a decorative herb originating from the Mediterranean and bears small, blue or white flowers in late spring. It is a fantastically versatile herb in the kitchen, sprigs of rosemary can be added to roast vegetable and to meats. Rosemary is an evergreen, perennial plant that thrives in good soil in full sun. It is a hardy plant and will live for up to twenty years, growing to a height of around 1m. It requires minimal attention throughout the growing season. 

It is native to the Mediterranean and Asia, but is reasonably hardy in cool climates. It can withstand droughts, surviving a severe lack of water for lengthy periods. Forms range from upright to trailing; the upright forms can reach 1.5 m (5 ft) tall, rarely 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The leaves are evergreen, 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long and 2–5 mm broad, green above, and white below, with dense, short, woolly hair. The plant flowers in spring and summer in temperate climates, but the plants can be in constant bloom in warm climates; flowers are white, pink, purple or deep blue. Rosemary also has a tendency to flower outside its normal flowering season; it has been known to flower as late as early December, and as early as mid-February (in the northern hemisphere).

According to myth, the Virgin Mary is said to have spread her blue cloak over a white-blossomed rosemary bush when she was resting, and the flowers turned blue. The shrub then became known as the "Rose of Mary”. Rosemary was considered sacred to ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks.

Since it is attractive and drought-tolerant, rosemary is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and for xeriscape landscaping, especially in regions of Mediterranean climate. It is considered easy to grow and pest-resistant. Rosemary can grow quite large and retain attractiveness for many years, can be pruned into formal shapes and low hedges. It is easily grown in pots.

It will not withstand waterlogging and some varieties are susceptible to frost. It grows best in neutral to alkaline conditions (pH 7–7.8) with average fertility. It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot (from a soft new growth) 10–15 cm long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

Herbal tea can be made from the leaves. When roasted with meats or vegetables, the leaves impart a mustard-like aroma with an additional fragrance of charred wood compatible with barbecued foods.

Rosemary oil is used for purposes of fragrant bodily perfumes or to emit an aroma into a room. It is also burnt as incense, and used in shampoos and cleaning products.

Rosemary has long had a popular reputation for improving memory. The Guardian reported in 2017 that sales of Rosemary oil to students in the UK studying for exams had skyrocketed because of Rosemary's perceived benefits to memory. The plant has also been used as a symbol for remembrance during war commemorations and funerals in Europe and Australia

Asparagus

Asparagus, or garden asparagus is a spring vegetable, a flowering plant that lives for more then two years. If you decide to grow Asparagus, it may take 2 to 3 years for it to truly get started and produce, so patience is needed! But then again, the plant can be productive up to 20 years, so some bloggers say they think it's worth the wait.

Asparagus grows to 100–150 cm tall. The "leaves" are needle-like 6–32 mm long and 1 mm broad, up to 15 together clustered in a rose-like shape. The flowers are bell-shaped, greenish-white to yellowish, 4.5–6.5 mm long. It usually uses biparental reproduction, with male and female flowers on separate plants, but sometimes hermaphrodite flowers are found. The fruit is a small red berry 6–10 mm diameter, which is poisonous to humans.

Asparagus has been used as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavour and diuretic properties / a.k.a. increased production of urine, and more. It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 BC. In ancient times, it was also known in Syria and in Spain. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season, and dried the vegetable for use in winter. An Emperor named Augustus coined the expression "faster than cooking asparagus" referring to quick action. A recipe for cooking asparagus is in the oldest surviving book of recipes. Asparagus became available to the New World around the 1850.

Only young asparagus shoots are commonly eaten: once the buds start to open, the shoots quickly turn woody. Water makes up 93% of asparagus's composition. Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, E, K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, and selenium, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. The amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus, as the asparagus plant is relatively rich in this compound.

The shoots are prepared and served in a number of ways around the world, typically as an appetizer or vegetable side dish. In Asian-style cooking, asparagus is often stir-fried. Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stir-fried with chicken, shrimp, or beef. It may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers, and is also used as an ingredient in some stews and soups. In recent years, asparagus eaten raw, as a component of a salad, has regained popularity. Asparagus can also be pickled and stored for several years.

Stem thickness indicates the age of the plant, with the thicker stems coming from older plants. Older, thicker stalks can be woody, although peeling the skin at the base removes the tough layer. Peeled asparagus will poach much faster. Green asparagus is eaten worldwide, though the availability of imports throughout the year has made it less of a delicacy than it once was.