Rosemary plant
On the Welsh border, a thriving rosemary bush meant the lady of the house ruled the roost, while in Buckinghamshire it was said to grow or fail with the master's business. Both sayings treat the herb as a gauge of how a household is doing.
What it may mean
Rosemary has long been watched as a kind of household gauge. On the Welsh border, a flourishing bush in the garden showed that the lady of the house ruled the roost; in Buckinghamshire, people said it would thrive or decline as the master's business prospered or failed. Every home has its own gauges, the things that quietly show how life inside is going: the state of the fridge, the pile of unopened mail, whether the good dishes ever come out, how often the front door opens for friends. The English also carried rosemary at weddings, christenings and funerals, so the herb was there for every stage of family life. A struggling bush by the door is worth a look, and so are the gauges inside.
Depending on how you saw it
A big bush thriving near the steps
Rosemary loves sun, sharp drainage and little water, so a big, healthy bush near a doorway often marks a dry, bright spot and a gardener who leaves it alone. What part of your home is working well right now, and do you know why?
Rosemary at a wedding
In Crete, a bride lavishly decked with rosemary for good fortune would still call for one more sprig, taken as a good omen. More of a good thing was part of the custom. Which good thing would you gladly take one more helping of this week?
A potted rosemary dying indoors
Rosemary often struggles indoors in winter, in dry, warm air with too little light, and it can die suddenly after looking fine. That is less a failure of care than of climate. Suppose you chose your next project to suit the conditions you actually have: what would it be?
Why it happens in nature
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, long known as Rosmarinus officinalis) is an evergreen shrub from the Mediterranean that likes full sun, sharp drainage and little water. Its needle-like leaves are rich in fragrant oils. Outdoors it can live for many years in mild climates, while potted plants indoors often decline in winter from low light and dry heat.
What folk beliefs say
Welsh border
On the Welsh border, if rosemary flourished in the garden, it was thought that the lady ruled the roost.
Source: Cora Linn Daniels; C. M. Stevans (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, vol. 2 (1903), vol. 2, p. 840. View the page
England (Buckinghamshire)
In Buckinghamshire it was said that rosemary would thrive or decline as the master's business prospered or failed.
Source: Cora Linn Daniels; C. M. Stevans (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, vol. 2 (1903), vol. 2, p. 841. View the page
Crete (Greece)
In the Isle of Crete, a bride lavishly decked with rosemary for good fortune always called for one more sprig, which was taken as a good omen.
Source: Cora Linn Daniels; C. M. Stevans (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, vol. 2 (1903), vol. 2, pp. 840-841. View the page
England
In England, rosemary was once used at christening feasts and funerals for good fortune and worn at weddings; the christening cup was stirred with it, and slips were planted over the dead.
Source: Cora Linn Daniels; C. M. Stevans (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, vol. 2 (1903), vol. 2, p. 841. View the page
To reflect on
What do your household's gauges say about how things are going this month?