Sages

I love sage. Salvia officinalis. So many think it is just for Thanksgiving stuffing. There is so much more to do with sage! There is an ancient quote to the effect of, "Why should a man die when he has sage in his garden?" Meaning, sage is so good for health, wouldn't everyone grow it? It is wonderfully anti-bacterial due to its volatile oils. We make an infusion of sage leaf, fresh ginger root, fresh lemon slice and honey for a VERY effective sore throat soother. And it is darned yummy. Traditionally, pork dishes had sage added because sage would help with digestion after a fatty meal. Add sage to your next batch of pork chops. Try wrapping a deveined shrimp in a sage leaf, then in bacon and either pan frying or oven baking. Delicious! In this photo, I have taken leaves of different sage varieties I have in the garden. All are salvia officinalis and all are edible. From top left is "regular" garden sage. The next is Dwarf Sage (Salvia officinalis, Nana), next is Bergartten Sage and the final on the top row is Lavender-Scented Sage (Salvia officinalis lavandulifolia). It has this wonderful mix of sage and lavender going on. Heavenly! In the second row, starting from the left we have Purple sage (Salvia officinalis purpuracens), Tricolor Sage, Golden Variegated Sage and White-edged Sage. In my zone 5 garden, the Tricolor sage doesn't survive the winter (unless it is abnormally mild) and the purple and golden sages sometimes survive, sometimes not. I suggest you grow your own sage and enjoy the wisdom of herbs.