Sage Leaves - Now and Then

Friday, November 16, 2007

My most popular post this time of year, by far, is the one I wrote about the sage infused turkey brine we tested last year. Lots of folks are looking for ways to prepare their Thanksgiving turkey, no doubt. We certainly enjoyed the brined version, although it was a tad on the salty side. (The saltiness, though, can be tempered by gobs of sweet-tart cranberry sauce, in my opinion.)

The featured ingredient in last year's brine came from my own sage plant, which suffered a case of severe wilting during the summer. I cut away all the afflicted parts of the plant and left just one strong stem that still had healthy leaves. The plant kept going for me and now here it is after we moved it into our new garden bed. It's much smaller now compared to last spring, but if you look closely you can see the tiny new leaves forming on it. Their fragrance is divine. Just one whiff and I'm transported to the Thanksgiving table (without having to peel all the potatoes).

The red leaves in the top photo of this post don't have anything to do with the sage. I just picked them up while I was in the garden. I thought they were a pretty contrast -- in color and texture -- to the soft sage leaves.

I didn't have anything to post for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day yesterday. With the exception of a pair of faded red roses, my garden is all finished blooming now. The leaves of the trees, though, are all ablaze at their peak of brilliance.

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus

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