Xela's Garden

Herb .... Purple Sage [V]

Planted 08 Vistabile herb garden
Bought '08 Morissons £?
Skill Level: Beginner
Exposure: Full sun, Partial shade
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Dry, Sandy
Height: 80cm
Spread: 100cm

Sage was an old healing plant, sacred to the Romans, and it remains an important culinary herb with a distinctive taste. But it is also a decorative evergreen shrub that deserves a place in flower borders, especially purple sage which has reddy purple young leaves.
Purple sage has been given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which is for plants of outstanding excellence.
All kinds should be clipped annually to preserve their neat shape and encourage plenty of young foliage, which has the best flavour and colour.
Older plants eventually become woody but are easily propagated from cuttings or by layering the naturally arching branches.

Looks good with:
Phlomis fruticosa
Echinops ritro

Take heel cuttings or 15cm (6in) softwood cuttings in early summer
Simple layering after flowering is successful as is mound layering in spring
Sow seeds in spring and cover them with perlite. It is useful to provide a bottom heat of 15°C (59°F)
[Source: http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch ]

Photos of this plant