Purple Sage, Purple Basil, and Parsley - two uncommon herbs and one very common herb. But all three are full of flavor and well worthy of a spot in the kitchen garden. 

PURPLE SAGE: The pretty purple leaves of purple sage can be used ornamentally in container gardens, but they also are edible and can be used in dishes in place of common sage. The pungent flavor is known mostly for Thanksgiving stuffing, but has other uses as well. Add it when roasting potatoes or to fish dishes. The flowers of sage are edible, too, and can be added to salads. In the garden, purple sage should be treated as an annual as it is not hardy in our area. 

PURPLE BASIL: Basil is probably the herb most in demand and is used for Bruschetta, soups, sauces, and pesto. Purple basil's flavor is clove-like and has a slightly spicy flavor. It makes a pretty purple basil vinegar and adds color to dishes when used fresh. To keep basil from getting too leggy, pinch it back just above a set of leaves. 

PARSLEY: The 2021 Herb of the Year
 - Parsley has become so common in the kitchen, that we usually consider it an afterthought - a pretty garnish on the dinner plate. But parsley is so much more! Rich in vitamins A, B, C, calcium and magnesium, it has a fresh taste. Add it raw to salads, chop finely and sprinkle on sandwiches and egg dishes. Italian flat-leaf parsley is often preferred by chefs over curly parsley for it's rich, robust flavor. 

- In the garden, parsley is a biennial herb. It will often return in the second year and quickly flower and go to seed which is not necessarily a bad thing. Bees and pollinators will visit the flowers, and the finches will eat the seeds. 

​If you are familiar with catmint (Nepeta spp.), then think of calamint as a cousin. It is a member of the mint family with aromatic foliage and square stems, but it does not spread by invasive runners like the mint that comes to mind. It’s white delicate flowers are often touched with blue as they age. Calamint is one of the few perennials that has a long period of bloom - early summer into fall. It grows best in full sun up to 18 inches tall and wide.

Calamint also happens to be one of the most versatile plants when creating perennial combinations in the landscape. It’s bushy habit reminds me of a soft, white, billowy cloud which is the perfect filler plant in the landscape. One combination strategy is to plant it with vertical- growing perennials like purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), a mix of Betonys (Stachys ‘Summer Romance’ and ‘Summer Crush’), or any of the Salvias. A good partner that offers contrasting texture and will carry the interest into the fall is Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. My favorite combination is calamint interplanted with the broad leaves of Allium ‘Summer Beauty’  or ‘Windy City’ and the blue grassy foliage of Festuca ‘Cool as Ice’. 

​When shopping for calamint, a word of caution: Be aware that some cultivars can reseed and become a problem in the garden. Look for Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta, which has smooth, glossy leaves - not pubescent (soft, fuzzy) ones.
Happy gardening!

Tracy Hankwitz is a Horticulture Adjunct at Gateway Technical College and owner of Bella Botanica, LLC located  at 1787 Walworth Street, Springfield, WI. All photos in this post are compliments of Midwest Groundcovers, LLC.

​Every spring, I know it will happen. I expect it to happen. And it DOES happen. A seed is planted, is watered, and nurtured. It swells and sends out roots, sprouts up shoots, and within a couple months, it blossoms and bears fruit. It’s this crazy miracle that fills me with wonder and amazement every time I witness it. 

Cultivating a garden can be a lot of work, but for most of us, we do it because we enjoy it.  Whether we garden for aesthetics or for pollinators or for nourishment, part of the satisfaction is the joy of watching things grow. 

As we put time and effort into nurturing a garden, we are also nurturing ourselves. Personal growth, like this, happens in many ways. We grow when life gives us a bowl of lemons and we are forced to find a way to make lemonade - not exactly fun. But growth can be more intentional and enjoyable when we take an active role in it. There is no end to the possibilities of what we can learn and experience. Take a class, learn a new skill, do something creative, step out of our comfort zone and do that thing we've always wanted to do. 

What if we cultivate growth in a different way? What if we become intentional in becoming more patient with others, show them kindness and grace? What if we cultivate gratitude and generosity? This kind of growth not only changes us, but it affects those around us in wondrous ways! But how do we encourage this kind of self-growth?  

For me, the one thing that is at the core of this type of growth - true personal growth - is my faith. When I make the effort to spend time in God’s Word, I’m cultivating and nurturing my faith. The more I water it by learning about him and his love for me - for all of us, seeds of gratitude begin to swell and form roots. That gratitude then affects my whole life as it sprouts, grows, and blossoms into fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And those fruits, dear friend, are worth cultivating. They begin to self-sow and spread - changing not only us, but others in ways we don’t always see. 

How about you? This spring, as you think about what you will grow, I encourage you to also consider how you will grow or how you are growing. Spend some time being still so you can hear your thoughts. Take a walk and listen to what your heart is saying. Write in a journal to sort through your ideas. If you are a believer, pray to God who always listens and will guide you. Then begin. Begin to intentionally cultivate growth.​