Dead Rosemary

A friend's rosemary bush stands dead in her kitchen garden. The now-brown pointy and still-fragrant leaves cling to the branches in stark contrast to the bright and sunny daffodils blooming nearby.

Rosemary is native to the lime-rich soils of the Mediterranean and is hardy to zone 7.

A couple of years ago i discovered prostrate rosemary, one that lays close to the ground instead of standing up straight and waving to the world, "Yoo, hoo. Here i am!" This low-growing rosemary has survived 2 winters in my Vermont herb garden, and yes, it tastes and smells like rosemary.

My friend's dead rosemary stands as a mute reminder of death among a throng of living, breathing green life surrounding it.