While the rosemary plant is lesser known to be associated with Christmas, a few centuries ago rosemary was included as part of the Nativity story. Baby Jesus’ clothes were said to have been dried on a rosemary bush, so Christians then believed that smelling rosemary at Christmas brought good luck.

Rosemary was also sometimes called the friendship plant and during the Middle Ages, it was the most common garnish put on the boar’s head that richer people ate for Christmas dinner!

Today, rosemary is sold as an on-trend Christmas plant pruned in the form of a Christmas tree. Its fresh piney scent is uplifting in the middle of a dreary winter and you can always trim off bits to add to stews and roasts.

To look after a rosemary plant indoors, place it in bright light in a south or west-facing window – the more light the better or it tends to drop leaves. Check the pot every few days to make sure the soil is moist as rosemary does not like the soil to dry out completely.

Once the temperature warms up in late springtime, you can move your rosemary plant outdoors and let it grow on in your garden for a constant supply of this aromatic fresh herb.