This native Mediterranean herb has been enjoyed for centuries for its culinary uses. The narrow, oval, gray-green leaves of this pungent herb are slightly bitter and have a musty mint taste and aroma. At harvesting, the sage should have a fresh color and aroma. Refrigerate wrapped in a paper towel and sealed in a plastic bag for up to 4 days. Dried sage should be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than 6 months. Sage is commonly used in dishes containing pork, cheese and beans, salads, jellies, poultry, soups, stuffings, wines, liqueurs, and ales. Sausage makers also frequently use it to flavor their products. Hardy, evergreen, perennial herb which forms a clump 1' - 2' high and spreading. Excellent for border, edging, rock gardens and container planting. Should be sheared after bloom. Very attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Sun, any well-drained soil and moderate to little watering when established. Pumpkin Sage Lasagna: From Epicurean.com Pasta dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour 4 eggs Preparation: Add eggs to flour and mix well until blended. Knead until pliable. Roll out into thin sheets for lasagna. Cook for 1 minute in boiling water Pumpkin Stuffing: 1 1/2 pounds pumpkin 1 bunch fresh sage Freshly ground nutmeg to taste 1 cup parmesan cheese Butter for sautéeing Preparation: Cut pumpkins in cubes Sauté pumpkin with butter, sage, nutmeg and salt. Sauté until brown. Besciamella: 3 cups milk 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all purpose flour Salt to taste Freshly ground nutmeg to taste Directions: Preparation: In a separate pot, heat milk almost to a boil. In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter. Slowly stir in flour, a touch of salt and nutmeg. Cook but do not brown flour mixture. Add milk slowly stirring until mixture is thick in texture. Final assembly: Lay cooked pasta in a lasagna pan. Place besciamella, parmesan cheese (to taste) and sautéed pumpkin on pasta. Repeat this until you have four layers. Top with parmesan cheese to taste and bake lasagna for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Serves 4 New England Sage Bread Stuffing: From Epicurean.com 10 cups lightly packed bread cubes (from 1 pound loaf of bread) or 9 cups cubed unseasoned stuffing mix 8 tablespoons butter 2 large onions, chopped 2 celery ribs, chopped 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1/2 cup chopped parsley 4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 to 1 cup chicken or turkey broth 1 egg, beaten 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the bread cubes out onto a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven, stirring once or twice, until firm to touch, 8 to 10 minutes. (If you are using packaged dried bread cubes, omit this step.) 2. In a large skillet, heat the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle on the poultry seasoning, add the parsley and fresh sage, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. 3. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes and the onion mixture, tossing gently to mix. Add 3/4 cup of broth, along with the egg, and mix lightly but thoroughly again. Add the remaining broth if you want moist stuffing. (Can be made a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. ) Broiled Sage Chicken: From Epicurean.com 2 tablespoons dried sage leaves 2 tablespoons chopped shallot 2 tablespoons low fat sour cream 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts Mix all ingredients except chicken in a large glass dish. Add chicken, turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Set oven to broil. Broil for 5 minutes each side or until juices run clear. Butter and Sage Sauce: from FoodNetwork.com Chef Mario Batali Pasta of choice 4 tablespoons butter 8 sage leaves 1/2 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano While your pasta cooks, melt butter in a 12 - 14" sauté pan and continue cooking until golden brown color appears in the thinnest liquid of the butter. Add sage leaves and remove from heat. Add lemon juice and set aside. Drain the pasta, but leaving some cooking water, and gently pour into sauté pan and return to heat. Add the cheese, toss to coat and serve immediately. Other sources used: Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, Sharon Tyler Herbst, Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

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Chicken manure is widely recognized as an excellent resource for the growth and maintenance of plants, in addition to being one of the best sources of organic matter. The composting production process of GroBetterT destroys pathogens and weed seeds, resulting in a high quality safe and low odor organic fertilizer that is pelletized for easy application. GroBetterT is safe for use around children and pets and slowly releases nutrients, resulting in longer feeding up to 4 months.

Japanese maples (Acer palmatum and cultivars) are extraordinarily beautiful garden trees. Grow them for their wonderful foliage color and winter branching structure. These trees are a wonderful smaller scale answer to limited size gardens.

Japanese maples can be grown almost anywhere in the West, except in the deserts. They thrive in the Pacific Northwest and coastal Northern California. In warmer areas of inland Northern California and in Southern California, a sheltered location - such as in a courtyard or on the north side of the house - is crucial for success. Any combination of strong sunlight, alkaline or salty soil, and dry winds can result in scorched leaf edges by midsummer. And that scorching usually ruins the fall color.

There are hundreds and hundreds of cultivars of Japanese maples. Of course, you won't find all of them here at our garden center, but you will find those varieties that will do well here. Still, you will have many to choose from. So how do you make your final selection(s)? Consider tree form, foliage shape and color, cultivar needs and the desired effect or look that you are trying to achieve.

Japanese maples will be most happy planted in front of north and east walls, in entryways and as small lawn trees. Exceptions to the rule would be if you have a shady area of your yard that is not north or east, but is protected by larger plants or a towering building (that offers shade much of the day). They are attractive in groves (like birches) or singly in woodland plantings including ferns, azaleas, columbine, and hosta.

There are upright forms and weeping forms, coral-colored bark that just 'pops' in winter. All leaf shapes are palmate or the classic maple shape, like the palm of your hand. Some are classically cut, others are deeply cut-leaves, giving the tree a lacy look. Spring color in most varieties is reddish-pink to pink. Summer colors range from burgundy to green to variegations of green, pink and white or cream. Fall colors can be yellow to orange to deep red-orange to red; again, depending on variety.

But fall color is only one of the only reasons to plant a Japanese maple. Few other trees are so well behaved. Their roots are noninvasive; their fallen leaves break down quickly or blow away in the wind, making autumn cleanup easy; and even the taller varieties can usually be pruned from a stepladder. The Japanese maple is an excellent choice for the smaller garden or use as a patio tree. Japanese maples also deliver four seasons of garden interest. In winter, their bare branches (they are deciduous) have a rare structural beauty--some highly colorful, others with graceful weeping silhouettes. The branch pattern can be strongly upright on trees over 20 feet tall, or weeping and dome-shaped on shrub-like trees less than 4 feet. Some varieties have green, red, or variegated bark. Unfortunately, many homeowners purchase a beautiful Japanese maple in spring only to watch the leaves get burned in summer. We get panicked calls from customers fearing that they have killed their beautiful young tree. The tree isn't dying - it's just suffering from heat stress, incorrect watering, or maybe even incorrect placement in the yard. Ideal conditions include filtered or partial shade, well-drained soil slightly on the acidic side, and consistent moisture. A 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch helps maintain soil moisture. This condition can also be caused by salt burn from the use or overuse of strong chemical fertilizers containing high amounts of nitrogen. Even if the soil is moist around the trees, the tree can burn because the moist soil actually activates the fertilizer, and the tree cannot control the amount of fertilizer it draws up. So take care to not over-fertilize. "So," you ask, "What do we do to minimize the leaf burn?" Japanese maples do need a consistently moist, well-drained environment and, preferably, the use of an organic fertilizer such as JM1. Use this fertilizer before the new growth appears in the spring. When planting your new Japanese maple, make sure that you mix JM2 acid planting mix with the native soil of your garden before planting. And always be sure to top off your soil with mulch to keep the soil cool and moist. Remember: never plant a Japanese maple in a low spot or near an area that may have standing water, or your new tree will succumb to root rot. Japanese maples are the spotlight of any garden as they pose with complete elegance any time of year. Surrounded by woodland plants such as ferns or azaleas, or under-planted with Chinese fringe (Loropetalum), Pittosporum 'Créme de Mint' and day lilies, this tree will bring beauty to your garden forever. Welcome one into your garden; you'll see just what we truly mean.