I'm working on an article- I bought two of those rosemary-Christmas tree pruned shaped ones, and decorated them and gave as gifts last year. Do nurseries sell them much? Lowes had tables full, Weis grocery store had a few, I don't think I;'ve ever seen them at my closest independant nursery but that may be a fluke. Could you just let me know, do you see them much or not?
Yes, I've seen quite a few, at Lowes and Home Depot. I received one as a gift a few years ago but it died a miserable death,LOL!
Sally, I bought one 2 years ago at our Giant Food Market. It sure was pretty and the price was right. With in a couple of weeks it started dropping needles like crazy. I was told that if they dry out just one time it would do that. I'll be looking forward to your article. I dug up this old picture only one I have. It was about the same time as I got my Prince of Orange.
I too have had several of them over the years. I think I paid $9.99 for each one, no matter the year, and every one died just as descirbed above, looking dried out and miserable, and some with terrible cases of wooly bugs (whatever it's called), undiscovered in the store. Last year, I was very careful about watering, but still by the end of January, one side of the bush had pretty much lost most of its leaves. I would still get one, although I would check it for hitch hiking bugs, and would consider it disposable. I have successfully raised many a rosemary, but never these Christmas ones. I just passed one up. It was about 3' tall and bushy as could be, but I just couldn't justify paying $49.99 or 59.99, whichever it was, after past experiences--but it was adorable, all dressed in little lights and bows....sighhhh. Pam
Forgot to mention, they are available here in some of my local nursuries, grocery store, and definitely at Lowes and Home Depot. Previously, I found them in FL over the past 10 years or so when I lived there, so I think they are now readily available in most markets.
Thanks for your feedback and info!
I've always seen them pre-pruned at our Walmarts. It was one of those years ago that made me realize what scent was missing from my front yard...boy, was I quick to buy another Bonnie's 4" that spring!!!
I think it would also be good advice to buy them as close to Christmas as possible. They do dry out really fast. I'm guessing most are pretty pot bound. I've never had one live for very long in the pot it came in.
DeBaggio's Nursery used to sell them exclusively as Christmas gift plants around in end of November-December, and I bought a few for Christmas gifts but everyone told me later that their plants didn't make it though winter. So, unless I know a person really knows how to cultivate them and how to overwinter them, I wouldn't do it again. I don't overwinter mine, anyway. I have a couple of hardy ones outside in the herb garden.
I've also seen Norfolk Island Pine trees (a houseplant) sold as Christmas decor plants, and I got one for Christmas about 5 years ago and still have it. It is about 4 feet tall now!! I think those make better gift plants because they're easier to mess with and less fussy.
I never bought the ones at Christmas times...I hit up the first deliveries at Walmart come March...baby them indoors till it's a bit warmer then in the ground they go. Very easy plants.
Continued thanks for the feedback. N I pine would be the better choice for longterm house/potted plant. Rosemary has the scent/culinary angle. And some people aren't going to keep the plant alive anyway, or don't want a long term relationship with one...(as opposed to me, and many of you pals, I suspect, marry the darn things.)
Sally, Your right in the idea that it would make a nice replacement for a Christmas tree. Especially for someone with limited space and someone with limited space might not really want to give up that space after the season anyway. If the attitude is {this is a replacement for a Christmas tree and will then be gone after the season} it is a very good idea. Where as I bought mine because I wanted a Rosemary tree and couldn't afford the larger more pricier ones I had seen at the nurseries.
Chantell, Rosemary doesn't overwinter in your area? I had a couple of small bushy ones that would stay alive in my previous house in zone 6 and here in 7a, I have a large bush and some prostrate shrubs that keep growing. Do you want some cuttings? I can try to root them for you when the plants get growing again....
I'm sorry - rereading my post - it did sound confusing. Yes, mine has done fine outside for years now. I just meant I didn't buy it in the winter and try to plant. When Walmart gets their first shipment of herbs (Bonnie brand) in it's generally still fairly cold out and I don't like putting "babies" in the ground while still that chilly...so I keep them indoors until the temps are a tad more moderate...whether it's Rosemary or Lavender and of those wonderful herbs. Very sweet to offer though...thank you!!!
LOL @ how some of us are married to the plants we acquire!
I wonder if you couldn't create a fairly long-lasting arrangement by sticking rosemary branches into a cone of floral foam... Rosemary keeps for a long time in a vase... might survive as long as some of the "tree" pruned ones!
say, Jill, not a half bad idea, for somebody with a big honkin' rosemary or two outside.( At the rate my Chantell's baby rosemary from hart's swap is going, it'll be me next year.) You could make any nice dense shape you want with the foam and rosemary. I am all talk and no action then it comes to flower arrangeing tho. For some reason, I am thinking of a half sphere in a bowl, with some colorful berries or something in it. Can you imagine how your fingers would smell after arranging rosemary stems?
Hey, I agree that rosemary smells the greatest and is a wonderful subsitute for a Christmas tree (meaning you're going to throw it out on Jan. 1st or when it drops needles, whichever is soonest). But I thought we were talking about buying it as a gift "that keeps giving?" Knowing what I know about rosemary now, I would only buy it for special Christmas decor for myself or to as charity for a poor soul or teacher who needs a Christmas tree. If you ask me, rosemary garlands around and springs on the prime rib are the best way to go.
I also want to add that most of the best-smelling rosemary plants are hardy only to Zones 8 or 9. I have two that were sold as spring nursery plant stock, not Christmas decor. They are Zones 6 & 7. I haven't really looked at any Christmas rosemary this year and don't know if they all include a care label which shows hardiness zone. I've been looking at those gorgeous amaryllis buds, though.....
I've never had any Rosemary overwinter indoors or out. Even the zone 6 ones have never made it. I sure would like a truly hardy one.
stormy - do you have any sheltered areas by your house maybe??
Chantell, I do, but only one is sunny. Maybe it would work there.
I'd give it a shot come spring...please let me know if you want me to pick up one for you at my Walmart if yours doesn't get them it for you.
Thank you, Chantelle. Our Walmart was under construction for the last 18 mos. as it was being turned into a superstore. They closed down the garden store during the renovations. But, I'll look in the spring.
Sally, you're welcome to come over here and clip the devil out of my huge rosemary... I doubt any die-back on the cut tips would bother it much. Actually, there's at least one big branch that should just come off anyway. (I wouldn't generally advocate doing a lot of pruning when temps are dipping below freezing.)
That's a generous offer, Jill. I'll have to pass- at the rate I'm (not )finishing what I already started on rosemary...
I have one big old one and a good young one. The old one came out of a pot when my friend moved across the country, eighteen years ago. There's a big branch rooted which I will try to dig up and pot this spring. About ten years ago, a neighbor was coming for big bunches, making fantastic bread to sell, and giving me some of what didn't sell - Great!
~
I went to Homestead -expensive- Gardens yesterday. They also had these, in better pots, for a 'better' price.
My finished plant. I am underwhelmed. Have I just been staring at it too long? Can some one be brutally honest and if it's terrible, tell me and I'll redo so I don't embarrass myself.
Ok...since you asked....but remember you did say to be honest
!!! I LOVE IT !!!
That's seriously adorable. I like the way the larger red balls pick up the color from the rather bold container, and I love those little dangly bits you added!
I too love it, Tree shape looks very good and the decorations are size appropriate and adorable. Only thing I see is the pot looks a little large for the tree. Maybe sit a few little things like mini boxes or small toy items around the bottom.
chuckle-- yup I guess I have stared at it too long. (chantell you nut!) Thanks for the support.
Yes Holly, it is an oddly tall pot, to hide the black nursery pot they grow it in.
Sally, I think it's cute and I'd be thrilled to receive it as a gift. Two thumbs up!!
Thanks stormyla.
I of course will give credit in my article to all the feedback from this great forum !
The first tree I bought three weeks ago, has some browning- I did let it get dry to point of slight wilt. Two more trees that I got at Lowes this week look great. Shame on me, Lowes took better care of them than I did.
Sallyg--it's a perfect tree shape!! So you trained a cutting into this?? Wonderful job!! I agree with Holly on the pot--it's nice and colorful but a tad klutzy on the size. Somehow, the white balls seem to be too plain. Perhaps some snowflake ornaments (or varied ornament shapes and colors) and red and white or red and gold striped ribbon garland would tie the ornaments together.
What if you took some burlap, or maybe white felt, and either bunched it up around the pot or skirted it around the bottom of the tree and let it drape down over the pot a bit... I'm thinking that something to tone down the volume of all that shiny red pot might focus attention on the delicate design of your tree.
I realize the pot has to be that big because of the big nursery pot the rosemary is in.
Whoa Foxy lady, I didn't train that myself--just decorated. Maybe you have something there about adding gold. There are cute candycanes but hard to see. I feel like it has two elements, the white and the red, and that maybe a third would spark it up. Take it to the next level as it were. I picked up more decors today.
Hey, another nightowl.
I 'could' just crop the pot mostly out of the pictures ...
I'd do that... I think it distracts/detracts from the delicate cuteness of the plant! In person, the decorations are doubtless much brighter and probably "balance out" just fine.
Geese...........I have seldom seen a plant so mistreated to do nothing but suggest it fits the Christmas story. The only thing that would maybe make this possible would be if you found in the historical mania that Joseph used it on his BBQ Chicken, with Rosemary and Thieved Chicken, from the owner of the inn. Or maybe Mary had a secret and a plant appeared green and with needles but never to become a pine tree or any way to fit in the Christmas story.
Otherwise the poor plant is chopped, force fed and a solid mass of roots just waiting for we fools to think we can keep it alive. I suggest you bode this plant farewell and not worry what kind of grower's poison lurks within if you did use it for food. I'm willing to bet no one will hang Easter Eggs on these poor Rosemary plants.
docgipe- You know I completely respect your opinion. I don't think a 'rebuttal' is called for, as you always tell the truth.
Seems to me the rosemary suffers much the same fate as the 'real' Christmas trees, and many other gift plants. At least rosemary is a Mediterranean plant, eh?
My article will run on Monday. Too late for any changes, but all are welcome to add comments at the bottom. Thanks again for the advice here.
Respectfully,
Sally
I have other potted plants that I enjoy for a while but just can't seem to keep alive (orchids are a notable failure for me)... I view them as I do cut flower arrangements, except that I can spend about as much on a plant as on cut flowers and have the plant last longer.
I did chuckle at "Thieved Chicken and Rosemary," and I agree that I'd hesitate to use prunings from such a plant in my kitchen.
