Sage is a great plant in the garden. Their smell is alluring, their flowers are captivating, the wildlife they bring in is unparalleled. Hummingbirds drink the nectar alongside the bees while birds eat the seed. In the garden, sages can make a great backbone plant, letting more colorful plants play off their foliage. The dried flowers are attractive and can be used in floral arrangements or dried and shredded as potpourri.

Sages should be cut back in the winter by a third to a half; if you let them grow untrimmed too long they turn woody and loose their form. They also become absolutely massive. If you buy a sage and put it in your garden, give it an extra foot of space on either side, possibly even more. My sages tolerate a deep watering in the summer to keep them from going completely dormant, but that also means it’s possible to burn them out early with favorable growing conditions. It’s a risk I’m happy to take in my garden. Sages are survivors; if you opt for summer water, be sure to prune to control size and prevent it from becoming woody.

Pruning sage is a pleasure so try not to skip it— leave the trimmings on pathways so when you walk on them their smell wafts into the air, or bring them inside and enjoy the gift of sage all day everyday.

Calscape