The Sage Tricolor, ‘Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’, has green, white, and purple varigated leaves and the color intensifies in full sun. Tricolor Sage is beautiul in the garden. Salvia officinalis is the basic sage long famed for culinary and medicinal value, but it is also highly decorative in the garden. It one-ups the usual Purple Sage by mixing green, white, & purple foliage on a single pubescent-leafed plant. Tricolor Sage is an extremely drought-hardy evergreen groundcover, Tricolored Sage is a perfect plant for a low-maintenance sun-garden. Europeans believe sage helps digest rich foods, which might account for its association with duck and game recipes there. Today sage is familiar as an essential ingredient in turkey stuffing. Crush or grind leaves to release full flavor and use to season soups, dressings, teas, cooked vegetables, and fish. To encourage a plentiful supply of young red-purple foliage gather the leaves regularly and prune lightly in July after flowering. This eye-catching variegated sage makes a perfect evergreen edge for a sunny border.

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The Basil Italian Large Leaf, ‘Ocimum basilicum’, is a sweet basil that is particularly good for pesto and is also excellent for fresh use. There is nothing like the smell of basil, it is the smell of summer. There is no more useful herb. The Italian Large Leaf Basil has just that, a larger leaf than other basils. It is a good all “around basil” and it has very few pests. Basil is used in so many foods, it is hard to mention them all. It is used in Italian foods and pesto and pasta sauces. Fresh basil makes a nice tea, an excellent vinegar, and tastes great fresh with fish, poultry, rice, mild vegetables, eggplant and many others. Plant 1 to 2 weeks after the last average frost date. Place the Basil seeds in well drained soil with lots of organic matter.

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