Hey Gumbo, ever thought about growing your own herbs for the pot? I know a trick for making rosemary stick around long enough to season a whole pot of your famous stew. Let's chat about that—plus I'll throw in a couple of my own soil‑saving hacks that might make your kitchen sizzle a bit less.

So you’re trying to make rosemary behave like a proper garden plant? First, grab a clay pot with a drainage hole—rosemary hates waterlogged roots. Fill it with a mix of half peat, half perlite; keep the soil slightly sandy so it dries faster. Water only when the top inch feels dry, and then give it a good soak—no more “just a splash” habit. If it still tries to run, pin the stem down with a small stake or a garden hose clamp to keep it from shooting up too fast. Now about keeping the stove from turning into a sauna: put a few charcoal briquettes under the burner, but leave a metal tray above them. The charcoal will absorb excess heat and keep the air below the flame a little cooler, so your pot won’t scorch as fast. And if you have a pot that’s been sweating a lot of moisture, flip it upside down on a dry towel for a couple of minutes—dry it out before you ladle it into the stew. That’s all the hacks I’ve got for now; give ‘em a try and let me know how the rosemary finally stays put.