Rosemary does NOT like being indoors. It needs full sun and lots of heat from the sun all day, every day, and it really hates having wet feet. I'm prepared to guarantee that the instructions did not mention that the saucer it sits on should be kept empty of excess water. Rosemary will be really resenting that. If your climate permits in winter, get it outside NOW. Full sun, remember.

Also, rosemary can become quite a large shrub - almost as tall as you, and at least twice as wide (unless you are extremely obese, and even then it will overlap you!), so if it's in a small pot (which I will bet my soul on), it won't be happy and will be wanting more room to spread its roots.

Where in Ca are you? Cept for the mountains, rosemary loves to be outdoors, and loves FULL sun! Most of the valley and so cal are perfect for Rosemary outdoors.

Yup, my rosemary here is started from seeds and its transplanted outside once the weather is suitable. It does in fact love heat and sun, and indoors will be spindly and poor. Mine doesn't survive a winter here, and I don't bother digging it up to help it through the winter months, as its easy enough to grow from primed seeds.

I am very interested in the rosemary topiaries that you are talking about. Can someone please explain how to get one started? I have a rosemary plant that I brought in for the winter and would like to know if I can form one from it? It is about 8"tall right now. Thank You

Rosemary is a great topiary plant, but I prefer to let it grow au naturel. However, why not pay a visit to the Topiary Forum?

Here is a link that might be useful: topiary forum

Heathen or anyone else. Will Rosemary live in NC in strong morning sun only? I have a spot that I'd really like to use it in. Any ideas for something that looks similar that works in partial or strong morning only sun?

Although rosemary does enjoy sunshine, it will grow healthily in climates with overcast skies much of the time. You know the place I'm referring to! In my garden rosemary puts up with pouring rain, damp air and grey skies for many months. But it must have reasonable drainage and fresh air.

It also must have plenty of light and cool temps in winter. Indoors, fresh air, in the form of a fan, is a must, as is excellent drainage. Rosemary is also very particular about not drying out and will will not recover if waatering is neglected. It does want to be a big shrub, almost a tree and I personally had success using a rather generous pot, because if it is happy, its roots quickly fill up the pot and drink all the water in no time.

I now have two plants, both of which I started last year because our huge former plant which we had kept going for many years succumbed at last when we went on a vacation and left it with a plant sitter (I have to admit, though, that, it didn't use to look so great by the time it was ready to go outside at the end of winter). Ironically, it met its death in the summer, while outdoors.

This time I also am trying a topiary, because I just don't have room for more huge plants on my windowsills. I just put mine outside because I noticed signs of mildew. They would be happier in a greenhouse, I guess. But I have to have it for pork chops. Only fresh rosemary will do and I don't have a greenhouse.

Will it live in North Carolina? Well, I did have a so-called hardy one live over for two winters in a sheltered, large wooden container near the house on L.Island, that I planted for my friend who has a house there. I don't think the experience of freezing winters made it very happy because it was a puny thing that never grew as big as the ones I take in for the winter.

Rosemary is kind of on the unforgiving side, but on the other hand it is so easy to propagate from seeds or cuttings that it balances out.

I've had a potted Rosemary plant since last summer that I brought in and it survived all winter. It wasn't even the sunniest window, it got a lot of spotty light, though, and it did just fine. Granted, it does have a lot of long spindly growths without a ton of thick leaves, but it's still pretty bushy and VERY fragrant. I've just put it outside for the summer again!