Eggarton Cottages, Eggarton Lane, Godmersham, Kent, CT4 7DY
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Rosemary oil is used as an insect repellent and on aching joints. A few leaves added to a bath is said to stimulate blood circulation. Rosemary can be used as a hair tonic and to clean the face - simmer leaves in water and use the resultant water mixture. Add 2 drops of Rosemary oil to your shampoo to improve the nutrient supply to the hair roots, resulting in healthy, shiny hair. Fresh leaves placed under a pillow are alleged to aid restful sleep, and, similarly, dried seeds placed in muslin and hung around the bedroom will encourage sleep and ward off demons. Use sparingly as a flavouring in dishes. Makes an effective gargle for mouth ulcers. It is also a mild sedative and painkiller. Makes a good combination with garlic. Also a fresh Rosemary leaf on a piece of buttered bread clears the breath of garlic. Sniffing Rosemary aids memory.
To make a Rosemary disinfectant, simmer leaves and small stems for 30 minutes. Strain and use. Burning the leaves or branches releases the calming effect of the plant's scent. A handful of leaves simmered for one hour and added to bathwater helps ease fatigue and stimulates the skin. Similarly, Rosemary footbaths ease aching feet. Rosemary tea is good for headache, colic, colds, nervous depression. Has been used as a remedy for drunkenness - an infusion was often put in casks of beer in Wales to stop it turning sour. The plant also stimulates appetite and aids digestion. Good for stress. Rosemary is also being researched as a possible cancer preventative. Antiseptic and anti-spasmodic.
In antiquity, Rosemary was a sacred Christian plant because the Virgin Mary sheltered under a Rosemary bush and spread her cloak over the bush to dry - the white flowers then turned blue. Legend also has it that the plant can live 33 years when it will be the same height as Christ when He was crucified. Pharoahs had Rosemary branches placed in their tombs to help them recall their former life. Washing the feet of a thief with Rosemary lotion was thought to cure him of stealing. Rosemary won't grow in the gardens of evil people.
Rosemary represents friendship and was used in wedding garlands hundreds of years ago. At funerals, mourners would carry sprigs of Rosemary to the church and throw them on the coffin, to ensure remembrance of them by the dead. Sprigs of Rosemary will also stop snakes coming in the house. The Greeks wore Rosemary for memory improvement. Used in Tudor times as a hair tonic. A comb made of Rosemary wood would cure baldness! A spoon made of Rosemary wood meant that the user would never be poisoned. If a child touches Rosemary when he/she is first taken into the garden they'll have a happy life, doing good.
Sicilians thought Rosemary was the favourite plant of fairies and that young fairies would turn themselves into snakes and lie amongst the branches. Baby fairies would sleep in the flowers. Legend says that Rosemary was used to help waken Sleeping Beauty. If Rosemary grows naturally in your garden then the woman rules. If she moves away the plant will die. Dip Rosemary sprigs into your wine before taking your first sip and love will flourish. Burning Rosemary twigs will rid the room of negativity. It was burnt at ancient shrines to repel evil spirits. Place a fresh sprig under your pillow to prevent nightmares. A necklace made from Rosemary will preserve your youth. Grow the plant to attract elves.
In medieval times, Rosemary was regarded as a wonder herb, particularly with anti-plague properties. It was carried in the handles of walking sticks during times of plague and sniffed in the hope of preventing infection.
During World War II, Rosemary and Juniper berries were burned in French hospitals to kill germs. If a young girl places a plate of flowers under a Rosemary bush at sunset on Midsummer Eve, and goes to get it at first light on Midsummer morning, she'll find her true love's initials traced in the flowers. Elizabethans made toothpicks from Rosemary wood. Rosemary ashes were used to clean teeth. Roots were chewed for toothache. In animals, Rosemary treats fits, heart disease, rheumatism, diarrhoea, wounds and falling hair.
An old Italian legend is attached to Rosemary. A queen was walking in her garden, weeping because she couldn't have children. She stopped by a Rosemary bush and wished she, too, was as fruitful. Her wish was granted and she gave birth to a Rosemary bush, which she loved. However, her nephew, a king, stole the bush and watered it with goats' milk. One day, he was playing the flute in his garden and a beautiful maiden appeared from the plant. He fell in love with her but was soon called to go to war. Fearful that no harm should come to the plant or the maiden he ordered his gardener to look after it and not let anyone make music near it. The gardener forgot and later plated some music and the maiden appeared. This made the king's sisters, who saw her, jealous of her beauty and they beat her until she disappeared. The plant started to wilt. The gardener ran off to the forest in fear and came upon a dragon who told him the plant could be revived with dragon's blood. The gardener killed the dragon and revived the plant with its blood. The king returned, praised his gardener and married the maiden - Rose Marina.
The plant is also a good deterrent to cabbage white butterflies and slugs.
Plant in a sheltered sunny spot in May, and protect from frost. Doesn't like clay or wet soil - too much cold or wet can rot the plant. Will need winter protection in exposed sites. Pruning after it has flowered will promote bushy growth.
CAUTION - DO NOT USE THE OIL DURING PREGNANCY - CAN LEAD TO ABORTION.
*This sheet is provided for information only and is in no way a prescription for use. Please seek the advice of a qualified herbalist before using*
Perennial, evergreen shrub, bearing thin leaves and mauvy flowers in early summer. Member of the Mint family. Can grow to about 6 ft (2 m) high. Makes a good hedge. Ros-marinus means "dew of the sea" because it was alleged that the plant grew better within the sound of the sea. It is an ancient herb, having been used by the Romans and is dedicated to Venus/Aphrodite. Bee, butterfly and hoverfly plant. Plant grows wild in southern France, Spain and Italy. Introduced into England in 1598.