Leaf Flowers!

  Early this morning, Mark and I headed to the pier.  A slight mist was still falling after a night of heavy rains.  This was rather cooling and I did not mind getting a bit wet.  Just before we reached the first step of the pier, I noticed what appeared to be a green flower on the ground.  Well, not actually a flower but rather leaves shaped like the stereotypical flower shape.  Ahh, this is a young Lyre-leaf Sage!  Although most folks look at this sage as a weed,  I actually encourage it to grow in the yard.  There are even several that have taken up residence in the vegetable garden and I refuse to pull them.  They are there to stay right next to the Purple Basil.  Needless to say, the plant is a favorite.

  Folks have a tendency to believe Lyre-leaf Sage is a weed due to its habit of growing freely on the sides of roads, in open fields and unkempt yards.  Given a half of chance, the plant could prove these folks wrong. The plant is edible and has a slight minty flavor.  The young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a pot herb much like collard greens or kale.  These same leaves can be brewed as a tisane to use in soothing sore throats.  I am more interested in using the plant as a medicinal herb rather than a food source.  Adding this sage to the larder could come in handy during the winter months that are often filled with colds and sore throats.  We just laid in a goodly amount of common sage to be used so a bit of Lyre-leaf will only supplement our supply.
  
  Sage tisane is not only useful in curing sore throats but is also a relaxant that helps during those sleepless nights that so often plague folks.  A warm cup of sage tisane will gently lull you into dreamland.  

  With all of these lovely attributes, who can blame me for leaving "weeds" in my yard?  Lyre-leaf Sage is a wildflower!  It is an herb!  It is....well, it is just a good plant to have growing in the yard!