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In this versus episode, we bring you two of the nicest-smelling and slowest-growing plants in the garden. Sean gets us started with rosemary, which is known to science as Salvia rosemarinus (though some botanists may be surprised to hear that!). We learn how to grow this Mediterranean plant and how to help it handle a northern winter, even if that means bringing it indoors. One option, of course, is to take softwood or hardwood cuttings and root them for next year, and Sean gives us a crash course in doing that before moving on to the fascinating research being done on rosemary and cognition.
In the second half, Erin narrows down the many species and cultivars of lavender to just two: Lavandula angustifolia, often called English Lavender or “true lavender,” and Lavandula X Intermedia, a hybrid you may see marketed as “lavandin.” One is good to eat, and the other is great for toiletries. How do you know which is which? Erin has the intel. Just don’t ask her to talk about French lavender. You might be in for a plant rant.
You’re also in for some fun facts about growing lavender at home, becoming a commercial lavender grower in Ontario, and what historical humans and modern scientists think it’s good for. We wrap up with a busted myth: what does lavender have to do with King Tut? It’s not what you think!
Who won the plant face-off? You decide! Email us, tag us on social media, or pipe up in our friendly Discord server to let us know who you thought made their plant the most interesting.
Will YOU be growing lavender or rosemary this year?
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Credits
Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin
Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays
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Citations
Rosemary Plant Profile
Rosmarinus officinalis L. (n.d.). USDA Plants Database. https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/ROOF
Rosemary. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 8, 2026, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/rosemary
Rosemary and cognition
Kamdar, D. (2025). Rosemary has been linked to better memory, lower anxiety and even protection from Alzheimer’s. The Conversation. https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.fu4jyy3mx
Banerjee, P., Wang, Y., Carnevale, L. N., Patel, P., Raspur, C. K., Tran, N., Zhang, X., Natarajan, R., Roberts, A. J., Baran, P. S., & Lipton, S. A. (2025). DIACCA, a Pro-Drug for carnosic acid that activates the NRF2 transcriptional pathway, shows efficacy in the 5xFAD transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Antioxidants, 14(3), 293. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14030293
Herbs that can boost your mood and memory. (2026, June 2). Northumbria University. https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/news/2016/04/herbs-that-can-boost-your-mood-and-memory/
Studying Hinoki cypress oil and relaxation
Ikei, H., Song, C., & Miyazaki, Y. (2015). Physiological effect of olfactory stimulation by Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) leaf oil. Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 34(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-015-0082-2
Etymology of lavender
Lavender – Etymology, Origin & Meaning. (n.d.). Etymonline. https://www.etymonline.com/word/lavender
Growing lavender in Ontario
Growing lavender in Ontario: an introduction for prospective growers. (2023, February 22). ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/page/growing-lavender-ontario-introduction-prospective-growers
What people historically thought lavender was good for, and what scientists think today
Civilyte, A., Karanikola, K., & Kramer, A. (2025). From antiquity to modern hygiene: the archaeological and medicinal legacy of lavender as a promising antimicrobial agent. PubMed, 20, Doc21. https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000550
Medicinal uses and side effects of lavender
Lavender: Overview, uses, side effects, precautions, interactions, dosing and reviews. (n.d.). https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-838/lavender#dosing
Lavender: Usefulness and safety. (n.d.). National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/lavender
The Ontario Lavender Association
Ontario Lavender Association. (n.d.). Lavender Ontario. Lavender Ontario. https://lavenderontario.org/
History, taxonomy, and production of lavender
McCoy, J.-A., PhD. (2022). Lavender: History, Taxonomy, and Production (J. Davis, Ed.). NC State Extension. https://newcropsorganics.ces.ncsu.edu/herb/lavender-history-taxonomy-and-production/
Timestamps
00:17 Introduction
01:00 What’s Growing On? Erin at the Landscape Ontario Conference
02:09 What’s Growing On? Sean on the Modern Landscaping Industry
05:09 Sean’s Ask a Master Gardener events in Huntsville, Ontario
06:23 Water Break: Seedy Saturdays
07:17 The Plant Face-off: Rosemary
07:20 Keeping Rosemary in a Zone 4 Winter
09:28 Rosemary’s Changing Taxonomy
12:14 Surprise! The Name Rosemary is about the Sea
13:46 How Rosemary Grows
15:16 Caring for Rosemary
16:24 Sean’s Big Mistake Prepping Rosemary for Winter
17:40 Starting Rosemary from Seed…EARLY
19:05 Sean’s Daughter’s Lavender Plants
20:24 Propagating Rosemary by Softwood and Hardwood Cuttings
21:14 Rosemary as Specimen or Bonsai
22:49 What does “Specimen” Mean in Horticulture?
25:10 Pests and Diseases Don’t Bother Rosemary Much
26:00 Plant Rant: Deer Resistance
27:43 Culinary Uses for Rosemary
28:00 Cultural History of Rosemary
28:27 Rosemary for Memory and Concentration, According to Science
34:18 Water Break: Libraries and Seed Libraries
35:33 The Plant Face-Off: Lavender
36:18 “English Lavender” vs. “French Lavender” is Not Helpful!
37:30 Lavandula Angustifolia, aka English Lavender
39:20 Lavandula X Intermedia, aka Lavandin
41:50 Etymology of Lavender: It’s All About Washing
42:44 What Lavender Looks Like
44:11 Range and Growing Conditions for Lavender
45:36 The Ontario Lavender Association: Growing Lavender Commercially in Ontario
47:17 Soil Conditions for Growing Lavender
49:28 Growing Lavender from Seed
50:20 Propagating Lavender by Cutting and Layering
52:53 Pruning Lavender for Rounded Mounds
57:13 Harvesting Lavender: Timing Matters
58:14 Food and Medicinal Uses of Lavender
1:00:21 Cautions about Lavender: No Lavender Oil for Prepubescent Boys
1:02:55 Cultural History of Lavender
1:06:17 Myth Busting: King Tut’s Tomb Did NOT Smell of Lavender
1:09:13 Outro and Contact Us