You may have been blessed with the "heat island effect" in the city. Rosemary needs good drainage so it doesn't seem that the soil would be the problem. You don't say when they are dieing, but I assume over the winter. I had lovely in the ground rosemary for 5 or 6 years but it winterkilled year before last when the temp went to -4. So I put the replacements in pots and take them into the greenhouse over the winter. Can't help you with Thyme. I can't keep that alive.

sunny location, almost no watering, and still green... :) Nope, I do NOT bring it in for the winter.

The one that was nearer the soakerhose died. As you can see, I mulched with newspaper torn in to strips.

Last time i grew rosemary in this zone (close to u), it was Arp. I just ordered 12 if u would like to try 1 or 2, i would be happy to contribute to the trial. Last time, i planted on the south side, very sandy loam, mulched like the dickens in the winter. Lasted at least 5 years, then I moved

So when you all mulch your rosemary for the winter, do you also cut it back? Just mulch the roots and leave the stems out? Mulch over the stems? I had 7 or 8 giant rosemary plants in Albuquerque, but haven't been able to keep a single plant alive here (not for lack of trying!)

Rosenary and thyme give me fits, too. I brouht a rosemary plant in last winter. It died and so did the one outside. These are the 4th or 5th we've tried. Have a new plant in the ground as of today. I have a Tangerine Thyme that is doing well, but ordinary thyme always dies, the only one surviving is above the kitchen sink.

beautiful Moni !

It's too dark and late or I'd venture out to get the name! (Note to self to do in the morning.) With all this advice - I think I've narrowed down a place that is southern exposed, all sand and the place I most often forget to water. Sounds like it might survive there. I'll plant the other 2 in pots that I can bring in over winter. My ones in the city got really leggy too after about 6 years and in a fit of trying to clean & tidy the garden (last year I lived there), I killed it by trimming too far back.

And about that Thyme....again, when I lived in "the city" - I had a western exposed but very shaded entry garden. I had a Jack-Mani clemantis that grew beautifully right next to my front door there. I planted impatiens in this area that came back (almost unheard of!) and then "creeping thyme" that did well for years and was still going strong when I sold and moved 9 years ago. The plants came from Home Depot back then. I've winter-sown thyme several times since I moved rural with minimal success but no survivors. It seems to require the opposite of rosemary if I compare notes.

Thank you all! I'm gonna find a way...I've got my parsley, sage, but need my rosemay and thyme too! (ok, old hippie joke....dadumDUM!)

Thyme is one of those iffy's for me. Some plants make it, others don't. Why? Who knows. Its so easy to find plants to buy I just try to plant them until one of them decides its happy. I need to get a new one now as I am thyme-less currently since I finally dug out my octogenarian with the big twisted gnarly stem last year. Lavender is the same way. A plant will look fine and then suddenly a whole portion dies, then another branch and then it looks so bad I pull it because more is gone than whats left. Of all things, Spanish Lavender did well for me while Hidcote and the French kind, the one with the fancy leaf edges and which I had ZERO expectations for all died in summer. I picked up another Spanish one today at Farmer's Mkt. Keeping my fingers crossed. They have very light colored foliage, almost white, but not much smell, still they are so gorgeous. I planted them on the higher part of the yard and am tempted to be a hog and go get yet another, they ran out quick last year.

I have rosemary in my south-facing garden. Grows like gangbusters. It is shaded slightly by an Autumn Sage. I don't cut it back or mulch for Winter. I had one once that got too big. Took it out and started over. This is year 3 for this one. Same spot. I water when I remember.

Year 5

Any suggestions on dividing? Or should I just root cuttings?

Okay. That's a beautiful rosemary plant ya have there. Is that lavender in the back? I always thot they'd do well together.

Sage

don't take it out, just kinda bent a couple of stems, and stake them down to the ground... so they can root. Then cut those off, and transplant.

:)

Moni

The sage I planted last spring bloomed this spring and its gorgeous! I had no idea culinary sage was such a pretty plant.