dido22 wrote:
Hello

I have grown Rosemary in a large pot for many years during the summer
months, and have always thrown it away late Autumn, then bought a new
plant next spring.

I've just bought a new plant ( 'upright Rosemary' ) and I read on its
label that it can be grown into a bush up to 2 metres high !!

Has anyone grown a Rosemary bush before?, does it survive the winter?,
does it smell & taste as good as a new plant does ?

The new growth tastes fine - if you like rosemary. Obviously the old
growth goes woody and forms attractive gnarled stems eventually. It is
winter hardy at least as far north as Newcastle but requires well
drained soil. Doesn't like wet feet in winter, but it tolerates our
Yorkshire clay reasonably well up against the garage wall.

There is a sort of white fungal thing that attacks leaf nodes of very
elderly rosemary (30y) killing off the odd stem but not really
affecting most of the plant. You can prune the dying bits out if that
happens. 1.5m high is closer.

It is always worth trying to overwinter things rather than throw them
out. The worst that can happen is that it goes on the compost heap later!

Regards,
Martin Brown