Sage
Mother's Herb Garden
Lately, more and more people have begun to understand just how limited—in both variety and nutritional value our"modern" diets hove become. This realization has sparked a new and widespread interest in the culinary and therapeutic uses of herbs ... those plants which — although not wellknown today—were, just one short generation ago, honored "guests" on the dinner tables and in the medicine chests of our grandparents' homes. In this regular feature, MOTHER examines the availability, cultivation, and benefits of our "forgotten" vegetable foods and remedies. . . and—we hope—helps prevent the loss of still another bit of ancestral lore.
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The sage plant—an herb of the Labiatae (mint) family and the genus Salvia (and thus not to be confused with the range sage of the western U.S., which is a species of the genus Arternisla)—is commonly grown as a garden plant. Few people know, however, that there are a number of reasons why it's actually better to grow this pretty and pungent herb on a windowsill, indoors!
For one thing, a sage houseplant—which doesn't encounter the kind of cold nights and chilly, rainy days that can retard growth —will mature quickly and produce tender, delicately flavored leaves.
Furthermore, since sage is an evergreen perennial, such plants will last for a number of years In indoor containers ... where they're not likely to be disturbed or destroyed, as often happens when the herbs are grown in a garden that's plowed each spring. (Sage plants, by the way, were once thought to be barometers of success: As they thrived or withered, it was believed, so would their owner's business.)
CULTIVATION AND CARE
If you decide to raise this magnificent mint indoors, just plant several seeds in a five- to six-inch pot (I use plastic containers, as they tend to hold moisture longer than do clay pots). Then, once the sage has sprouted, thin It back to one or two seedlings In each container.
Before you can grow your herbs, of course, you'll need to locate a source of seed. The two following outlets can supply you if you can't find any "sage starters" close to home: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Dept. TMEN, Albion, Maine 04910 (70¢ per packet plus 64W for shipping) and J.L. Hudson, Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box 1058, Redwood City, California 94064 (55¢ plus 25¢ shipping). Plants are available from ABC Nursery, Dept. TMEN, Lecoma, Missouri 65540 ($1.00 each postpaid, $3.00 minimum order catalog 25¢) and Sunnybrook Farms, Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box 6, Chesterland, Ohio 44026 (16 varieties, most at $1.10 each plus shipping charges ... send $1.00 for their catalog).
