This weather is tormenting me. Really. Rain is important but, come on. Enough is enough. The humidity gives me a headache; it’s too wet to mow so the grass is up to my … rhymes with grass, planting root vegetables is out of the question until it dries up, and I can’t possibly listen to my husband complain about the weather much longer. I can’t even stand myself, so I did the only thing I could. I pruned the sage and it’s now in the dehydrator filling my house with an enticing, sweet smell that can only be described as soothing; it’s kind of like a Thanksgiving hug. The entire house smells like turkey stuffing, love, and so much more. Sage is actually a member of the mint family and for thousands of years has been valued for its ability to make us feel better.
Sage’s Latin name, Salvere, means to heal. In ancient history, Hippocrates is credited with saying "How can a man die, when he has Sage in his garden?" That’s quite the recommendation, and history tells us that it was used as a versatile plant. The Egyptians used it in fertility rituals. The Greeks and Romans used it to aid digestion, soothe sore throats, and support memory function, and flavor food. In the Middle Ages, sage was rumored to ward off evil spirits and protect homes from disease. It was often planted beside the door. It is still used ceremonially today by indigenous and other people for cleansing and spiritual purposes. It's a beautiful plant with so many uses, all of them positive. I recently learned that sage can also be helpful with menopause symptoms. I wish I’d known this a few years ago. I’d have rolled in sage to get rid of hot flashes, although smelling like stuffing might trigger ideas of fertility in men, and more kids are a hard no.
Seriously, if you use sage in your cooking, just love the smell, or want to try it as a home remedy, it’s a great plant to grow. It’s easy to grow, produces beautiful flowers, and generally returns each year as a perennial. It can be consumed fresh, dried, as tea, and its smoke can be used as spiritual cleanser. Note: Common Sage, used in cooking, and White Sage, often used for ceremonial smudging are different varieties of sage so please know which plant you have and use accordingly. As a bonus, it’s a great pollinator plant and deer don’t like it much, so you can plant it among your beans as a possible deer deterrent. Sage may not solve every problem, but it has a long history of helpfulness, and in a trendy world, sage remains a great traditional option for surviving adulthood!
