I have a Russian sage plant growing near my hot tub.
Russian sage is not a true sage
and is not in the family of our ever-present sagebrush, either. Sage is an outdoor ornamental plant—a hardy
one at that. This ornamental is not
opposed to dry and hot summers and cold winters.
Russian sage blooms in the heat
of summer and it blooms for an extended time.
When in full-bloom, the plant resembles lavender, but the flower color
leans a little harder on purple than lavender does.
Bees love it.
The most distinctive feature about
Russian Sage, though, is the aroma. If the
scent of a rose is like a woman singing an alluring song of love, the scent of
Russian sage is a full-on marching band surrounding you.
We are talking loud here.
Rubbing either the leaves or
flowers of sage into your palm will produce powerful waves of sensation. “Big medicine,” I call it. The scent is sharp, but earthy, and, in my
mind, pleasant.
The other day, I cut down the
dead stalks from this year’s growth.
That, too, enveloped me with big medicine. My final sensation of summer.
Russian Sage
—Mitchell Hegman
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