The Baby Rosemary

I was inspired to start gardening in September 2008 after seeing my friends' potted herbs on their corridor. And so I started with the thai basil, sweet basil, spearmint, kala mint, citronella and rosemary. A mighty bit ambitious perhaps, but I was fearless. Even started to propagate the thai basil, spearmint, kala mint, citronella and rosemary via cuttings. It was such an adventure, and having some fresh herbs to go with my salads made this process all the sweeter. Gardening was fun. Plants beautify the backyard.

BUT there came a turning point on 11 May 2009 when I immediately checked on my plants upon my return from a five-day overseas trip. The plants were generally rather ill-looking and overwatered. Was particularly distraught to find a rosemary cutting in a shrivelled state. This was the sole survivor of my attempts to propagate the rosemary, and there it was dying before my eyes. I immediately re-potted the rosemary, but it was too late. The media was wet and muddy right at the bottom of the pot. The roots had suffered, and the plant could not re-establish itself thereafter. That night, I went to bed feeling miserable. This episode made me realise that bit by bit, day by day, I had developed a love for my plants. They were no longer merely decorative items or something nice to eat. They had become part of my life. So whilst I have been slowly nursing the remaining plants back to health, I will always remember that baby rosemary as well as the beautiful citronella which also shrivelled away subsequently.