It was sage advice.
The counsel came from the chef in the house who suggested snipping the forming flower buds of the culinary herb that had overwintered on our deck. That way the sage wouldn’t blossom and the leaves would remain at their best for cooking and eating.
Leaves on a flowering sage can become bitter, less potent and more fibrous than those from a plant that has not flowered. The stems are also known to become woody and spindly as its energies go to the flowers instead of the rest of the plant.
Pinching the buds off before they open can encourage the growth of more leaves and a denser plant for those that can’t get enough of this herb. To be fair, the changes are subtle, enough so that only the most sensitive palate might be able to discern the difference.
While I enjoy sage, I do not use it in quantities, and was willing to go without if necessary to see this experiment through to the possibly bitter end. Maybe I was curious to find out if I had that precise a palate. More likely, blame it on being too busy to clip the buds them before they became full-blown blossoms. No matter the reason or my excuses, the buds of my sage plant got the last word when they became fully formed flowers.
Or perhaps the wildlife did, in the form of a hummingbird, which provided her own opinion. Hers was a different viewpoint since she did a buzz-by syrup sip during my outdoor shower, sucking in the nectar of the purple flowers that had opened. If she had a say, she would have insisted that I let the bud flower. Self-interest is a powerful motivator.
And flower wildly the sage did, and will continue for quite a while. Spikes of purple brought color, fragrance and a profusion of pollinators. Bees, flies, butterflies and hummers drank the nectar of those ample flowers. And they will have little competition, since sage is deer-resistant, so might be able to persist in our deer-dense environment. Helpfully, sage also survives drought, which is plaguing other water-loving plants during this dry spell.
The faunal species that value Salvia officinales are in good company with the floral ones. Some plants benefit when sage is their neighbor. An excellent companion to tomatoes, strawberries, carrots and members of the cabbage family, sage repels pests, including predatory insects and mammals that are competitors for the garden bounty. Other plants would not desire a duo: the growth of cucumbers can be stunted by sage; rosemary and basil compete for nutrients; and fennel produces chemicals that are detrimental.
Besides being beautiful and beneficial, sage flowers are edible. Recipes include the familiar and the fantastic. Pesto, tea, herbed vinegar, infused syrup and candied flowers (ala violet) are some sage blossom staples for your pantry. Sage blossom jelly, flavored ice cream, flower butter or cheese, and even the petals sprinkled raw on salads (fresh or cold like potato or chicken) are more fanciful options.
Outside of the kitchen, use these pretty purple blooms in soaps, smudge sticks and tinctures or lotions. Of course, sachets and bath salts would be much improved with the flower’s inclusion.
The benefits of sage flourish in many spheres: the sturdy flowers for plump pollinators, long bloom time for everyone’s enjoyment and heat and drought resistance for survival. Even after the flowers fade, seeds will emerge nourishing finches and sparrows, and rabbits and mice.
No matter whose counsel you take, the hummers or the husband, having this plant in your garden and in your life will only bring benefits. So, follow this recommendation and plant twice as many sage plants as you think you need. That way you can have your blooms and eat sage too, keeping those in the house and outside of it happy.
Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, and author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.