The popular herb Rosemary is also commonly used as a decorative shrub and as topiary. It is native to the Mediterranean but also does well in Southern California. The Rosemary name has nothing to do with Rose or Mary – it comes from the Latin name for the shrub which literally means ‘dew of the sea.’ Rosemary has a reputation as a remedy for various ailments and is said to improve memory.
We have several bushes in the back yard which give us a year-round supply of the herb for the kitchen and other culinary uses – we use the thicker woody stems as skewers for shish-kebabs. Sometimes we will throw some Rosemary stems in the barbecue to add flavor to grilled chicken, pork or beef.
If you look closely at the little blue flowers, you will see a very pretty pattern that resembles an iris or similar flower. Of course, the bees are attracted to the flowers too as seen in the image above.
Click on the image below for a very big picture.
Camera: Canon EOS 400D Rebel XTi, EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens.