Garden Sage

This herb has a long culinary and medicinal history. It is one of my favourites. Large plants have soft gray leaves and spikes of blue/purple flowers, very showy in the herb or flower garden. Bees love it as much as I do and I have seen hummingbirds feeding on the flowers. In the kitchen try a few leaves of fresh sage frizzled in some brown butter and tossed with your favourite pasta. Sage has many uses in traditional medicine but my favourite is to use it as a gargle for throat conditions. A favourite of bees and seed eating songbirds. A must in every herb garden.

Salvia officinalis

Bloom type: Perennial

Direct seed outdoors around last frost date or start indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost.  Sow seed .5—1 cm deep, firm soil and water lightly. Transplants can be planted outdoors around the last frost date. Space plants 30-45 cm. apart. Sage likes well drained soil and full sun. Pinch back tips to encourage branching. Hardy perennial. Zones 4-8