Sage Advice

 

A heavy snow will disguise the smaller plants in the garden.

However, I know who lives here.

This snow-laden garden inhabitant is Sage, also known as Garden Sage, Salvia officinalis, one of my favorites.

Sage is an old friend of mine. I planted it, along with a few others, in my first little herb garden 50 years ago. I do not recall what sparked my interest in medicinal herbs when I was a teen, but something did. Sage was one of the few herbs I could find at the time, along with garlic chives, rosemary and oregano. Even though my parents had a garden my entire life, I wasn't particularly interested in doing anything in the garden, except eating peas when they were in season. (I still eat peas while I'm in the garden.) I grudgingly went out with a hoe to weed. However, when I became interested in herbs, I became interested in growing things.

Sage has followed me to every garden I've planted. They do say, “Where sage grows well, therein rules a strong woman.”

I like to think I'm a strong woman, but I do not rule. We try to make this a partnership.

My favorite use for sage is in making tea. The aromatic and bitter qualities of sage give it properties that are helpful to the digestion. As a pre-meal drink, sage tea revs up the digestive system, readying for the meal to come. It can be particularly useful with fatty meats. I prefer the flavor of fresh sage in my tea, but I'm also loving the tea from dried sage that I am drinking right now.

Not only is sage useful for digestion, but it is a great herb for women. It is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and thiamine, nutrients that support emotional energy and calm. Its estrogenic properties might help alleviate symptoms of both insufficient and excess estrogen. Sage's estrogenic effect is weaker than that of real estrogen, so if it attaches itself to estrogen receptors and takes the place of estrogen made by the body, it reduces estrogen's impact. On the other hand, in insufficiency, it will "take a seat" in estrogen receptors the body isn't filling, so increasing estrogen impact. That is what I was told. I am not certain how strong of an impact it actually has on either of these conditions.

However, it does help menopausal and post-menopausal women, particularly in reducing night sweats. Drink cold sage tea before bed, or keep a glass of it by the bed to drink when night sweats occur. It also helps eliminate menopausal headaches. I recommended this remedy to a friend who was experiencing night sweats, and it worked for her.

Sage is antiseptic and can be used as a mouthwash, or as a soak to relieve athletes foot..

Sage helps improve mental clarity and memory, something I need right now. It is not for nothing that the word "sage" also means "wise person." "Sagacity" is wisdom. This association goes back thousands of years. 

Sage is a key ingredient in poultry seasoning and stuffing. Saute sage and onions for a tasty accompaniment to meats or vegetables. Baked sage make a great looking and tasty garnish. Lightly coat large, fresh sage leaves with extra virgin olive oil, spread thinly on a baking sheet and put in a 400 degree oven until crispy (15-20 minutes). Chop a few sage leaves into soups and stews, along with other herbs such as oregano, thyme and bay. Add late in the cooking process as over cooking can bring out its bitterness. Chop on top of pizza, put in grilled cheese, bake into breads, butters, dips, spreads, toss with pasta, mix into sauerkraut or potato salad.

Sage has a long and storied history and was thought to bestow wisdom and longevity. Through its association with immortality it was once planted on graves. Although, if you eat enough sage, you shouldn't need a grave. After all, the “motto” of sorts of a 10^th Century medical school in Italy was “Why should a man die when he can go to his garden for sage?”

Late this winter, I will prune the sage plants a bit to remove some of the woodiness, and to encourage spring growth. Lightly harvesting sage throughout the growing season will spur it to produce fresh growth all summer long. 

Native to the Mediterranean region, sage is nonetheless pretty hardy here in Kansas. It does tend to wane in vigor after several years, but I once had a 20-year-old sage plant that survived two moves from one garden to another.

The flowers in late May or June have their own sagey flavor and can be used in salads or to garnish other types of dishes. Bumblebees visit the flowers often, and even hummingbirds will sip the nectar. The flower stalks are lovely mixed with other flowers in a vase. Plus, as a small, gray-green shrub, sage is lovely in the garden. While it could be used as sort of a short hedge, I think it looks best as a specimen plant, accenting different parts of the garden. Planting it near large stones helps it make it through cold winter months.

I love sage. I hope that it will help me become a wise, old, strong woman.