Adding herbs to your garden not only provides flavorful ingredients for cooking, but can also enhance the beauty and appeal of your outdoor space. One versatile herb that is easy to grow and offers both visual interest and culinary value is the baby sage plant. In this article, we’ll explore tips on how to successfully incorporate baby sage into your garden design.
Also known by its botanical name Salvia microphylla, baby sage is a compact, aromatic perennial in the mint family. It is native to Mexico and Central America and is grown for its tiny yet flavorful leaves and its showy flowers that attract pollinators
Baby sage plants form rounded, bushy mounds that reach 1 to 1.5 feet tall and wide. The leaves are petite, rounded, and gray-green in color. From early summer through fall, the plants produce spikes of tubular flowers in shades of red, pink, white or purple.
This herb thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It is drought tolerant once established. Baby sage is versatile, hardy and low maintenance – perfect for gardens of all sizes and styles.
Now let’s look at some ways to effectively integrate baby sage into your landscape design.
Choose the Right Location
When planning where to place baby sage, it’s important to select a site that offers the growing conditions this plant needs. Here are some tips:
-
Full sun: Baby sage thrives with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Morning sun is ideal.
-
Well-drained soil: Wet, heavy clay can cause root rot. Incorporate compost to improve drainage.
-
Avoid low spots: Low-lying areas that collect water can be problematic. Raise beds can help.
-
Near seating/paths: Site it near areas for easy harvest and enjoyment of flowers.
-
With other herbs: Locate with other sun-loving Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme.
Companion Planting with Baby Sage
One fun way to use baby sage is to interplant it with complementary flowers, herbs and vegetables. Some great companions include:
-
Lavender: The colors and fragrances combine beautifully. Repels deer.
-
Tomatoes: Baby sage helps repel certain tomato pests. Enhances flavor.
-
Marigolds: Deters garden pests. Attracts beneficial insects. Adds color.
-
Rosemary: Similar needs and growth habits. Enhances flavor when paired.
-
Nasturtiums: Trailing vines contrast nicely with bushy sage. Attracts pollinators.
When planting companions, make sure baby sage has good air circulation and spacing. Dense planting can increase susceptibility to mildew.
Container Gardening with Baby Sage
Don’t have an in-ground garden? You can easily grow baby sage on a patio, balcony or entryway in containers.
Choose a pot at least 10 inches wide and deep, with drainage holes. Use a quality potting mix and site the container where it will get at least 6 hours of sun. Provide routine watering, allowing the soil dry slightly between waterings. Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season.
Baby sage mixes nicely with other compact herbs like thyme and oregano or upright plants like lavender. For an edible container garden, pair it with bush beans, lettuce, kale or trailing tomatoes.
Designing a Dedicated Herb Garden
Want to create a purposeful space for growing herbs? Incorporating baby sage can add beauty and appeal to your culinary herb garden.
Situate baby sage as a low border or edging plant. Allow at least 12 to 18 inches between plants for good air circulation. Underplant with thyme, oregano or chamomile for a lovely carpet effect.
Plant baby sage in clusters among other bushy herbs like basil, parsley and rosemary. Weave in flowers like calendula and nasturtiums to attract pollinators.
Place taller herbs like dill and fennel towards the back as anchors. Use pathways, borders and vertical elements like trellises to create defined spaces and structure.
Using as Edging Plants
The compact, mounding form of baby sage plants makes them ideal candidates for garden edging. Consider using baby sage to:
- Border pathways, patios or decking
- Edge vegetable gardens or orchards
- Outline landscape beds and borders
- Contain spread of vigorous plants like mint
Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart for a continuous look. Their rounded shape and colorful blooms create beautiful structure and dimensionality along garden edges.
Trim plants after flowering to maintain shape, promote bushiness and encourage new growth. Apply mulch around plants to conserve moisture and deter weeds.
Attracting Pollinators
Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators flock to the nectar-rich blooms of baby sage. Integrating this plant into your landscape can support biodiversity through the seasons.
For maximum pollinator appeal:
- Plant in full sun locations with good air flow
- Choose varieties with long blooming periods
- Provide clusters or sweeps of baby sage for visibility
- Combine baby sage with other pollinator-friendly plants
- Avoid pesticides which can deter pollinators
- Provide shallow dishes of fresh water for visiting insects
Caring for Baby Sage Plants
To keep your baby sage looking its best and performing well:
- Pinch back tips of young plants to encourage bushy growth
- Remove faded flowers to prolong blooming
- Apply a balanced fertilizer or compost in spring
- Keep soil consistently moist but not soaked
- Prune lightly after flowering to shape plants
- Propagate in spring by stem cuttings or division
- Watch for pests like spider mites, aphids and mealybugs
- Protect from heavy frosts and freezing in winter if needed
With proper siting, care and maintenance, baby sage is sure to be a delightful addition that benefits your garden in many ways for years to come. What are you waiting for? Head to your local nursery and bring home some baby sage this weekend!
Flavor, Flowers and Folklore
With so many elaborate ornamental plants, it is kind of surprising that the sage most of us are most familiar with is good old Garden Sage. Salvia officinalis is from Zone 5 through 11 and blooms profusely for about three or four weeks in spring. Planted in a row or in a block it is one of the prettiest of all the Salvias. Garden Sage easily grow s to three feet and has bluish purple flowers. Prune back beyond the flowers when the bloom is finished, taking care not to prune into wood that has no growth showing. The flowers make an attractive garnish in salads, butters, soft cheeses and ice cubes.
As mentioned before, Cleveland Sage is also culinary. Go easy though; it is very powerful.
Spice Jar Sage
Oddly enough the sage that is in the spice jar at the market is not S. officinalis, but rather S. fruticosa or Greek Sage. This Sage is hardy in zones 8-11 and that may be why S. officinalis is grown and used more in this country. Greek Sage can be grown as an annual and usually reaches about three feet each season. It is an odd twisted looking plant with exceptional flavor.
HARVESTING AND USING SAGE
Culinary Sages are best used fresh, either whole or ground, but they can be dried. For drying large amounts of leaves, wait until after the plants have grown back after pruning blooms. Wash the plants in the garden with a fine spray of water the night before; and the next morning, when the dew has dried, cut stems as long as possible without cutting into old wood. Hang these in bunches of three of four in a dark, dry, clean area. As soon as they are crispy dry, strip the leaves (whole, if possible) and seal them in an airtight container placed out of direct light. The flavor should remain potent for three or four months, hopefullyâ at least until spring brings fresh, tender leaves again. Besides the traditional use in stuffing, Sage is good with pork, sausage, other meats, and cheese. It is often combined with thyme and used with beans and in soups. Use Sage with fruits in vinegars; if the vinegar is a light colored elixir, try one of the variegated forms. The flowers make an attractive garnish in salads, butters, soft cheeses, and ice cubes.
Fresh picked âhandsâ of Sage tips can be used to make wreaths or tussie mussies. They dry well and have that heavenly Sage fragrance. Just one more reason to give Garden Sage a good size space in your garden.
How to Prune Salvia to Get Continuous Blooms!! Learned this by Accident! My Selective Pruning Method
FAQ
Where to plant baby sage?
What is the use of baby sage?
Is sage a good companion plant?
Does sage spread in the garden?
What type of soil does baby sage grow in?
Baby sage (Salvia microphylla) is not a demanding plant regarding the type of soil and can grow in chalk, loam or sand. The chalky soil is pale and contains chunks of calcium-rich rock. It is a fertile and well-draining soil, almost always alkaline. The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals.
How do I start a sage garden?
Buying a sage plant that is already started is by far the easiest way to begin your herb garden. While seeds are easy to grow, they also have a longer lead time, so picking out a healthy plant from your local store will save you considerable time and effort.
How big does baby sage grow?
Baby sage (Salvia microphylla) is a shrub that can grow 50cm – 1.5m tall and 50cm – 1.5m wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Baby sage (Salvia microphylla). This plant is commonly known as baby sage. This is a evergreen plant that takes 2-5 years to reach full maturity.
Can Sage grow in a hydroponic system?
Sage can also be grow in a hydroponic growing system where the plant is grown in water, instead of in soil. With this type of system, the sage plant gets its nutrients from the water and air. Plant in sandy, well draining soil. The ideal pH for garden sage is between 6.0 and 7.0. Soil rich in nitrogen is also beneficial.