^ The Scented Qarden (j^ 



seeds in August and September as they were with flowers 

 throughout spring and early autumn. They should be 

 collected on a dry day in September and thoroughly 

 dried by spreading out on tissue paper placed on sieves. 

 When dry they can be tied up in ' sweet bags ' for the 

 house. Rosemary does not often propagate itself by 

 seed in Britain, but a self-sown rosemary has appeared 

 by the side of a path in our garden, and as it has chosen 

 such poor soil I am watching it hopefully, and wonder 

 whether it will grow into a ' gilded rosemary.' 



Gilded branches o f rosemary tied with different coloured 

 ribbons were given as ' favours ' to the guests at a wedding, 

 and the bridesmaids wore sprigs of gilded rosemary tied 

 to their left arms. Why do not we revive this pretty old 

 custom ? Churches were decorated with boughs of rose- 

 mary at Christmas, and it was also the custom to strew 

 the floor with it for its pleasant savour. Rosemary and 

 bays were commonly used with holly, ivy and mistletoe 

 for indoor decoration at Christmas time, and in accord- 

 ance with tradition carefully removed on Christmas Eve. 



' Down with the rosemary, and so 

 Down with the bays and mistletoe, 

 Down with the holly, ivy, all 

 Wherewith ye dressed the Christmas hall, 

 That so the superstitious find 

 No one least branch there left behind ; 

 For look, how many leaves there be 

 Neglected there, maids, trust to me, 

 So many goblins you shall see.' 



Above all rosemary was the herb of friendship. * As 

 for rosemary,' wrote Sir Thomas More, ' I lette it runne 

 all over my garden walls, not onlie because my bees love 



74 



