Salvias of all kinds, including the culinary sage, Salvia of"cinalis (from the Latin root Salvare, meaning to save), is traditionally grown with roses, and the tall, dark blue S. guaranitica, can be propagated from any sturdy side shoots taken now, and at any time during the growing season.

You can encourage plenty of these side shoots to grow on a 'mother' or stock plant of some sages if you pinch out their growing tips.

Take the shoots with a 'heel' attached to each (a small piece of 'skin' from the main stem), pinch out its growing tip and strip off the lower leaves. Some people dip the cutting in hormone rooting powder at this stage, but I never do and a good percentage of my cuttings always 'strike', ie, take root.

Fill three-inch pots or another container with a light cuttings compost, make holes around the sides, insert the cuttings so that their remaining leaves don't overlap, water well and leave in a cool place to root. The common grey, narrow-leaved sage, which looks good all year, has pretty "owers and the best culinary "avour.

Singers use an infusion as a throat gargle for its antiseptic qualities.

Purple-leaved sage is very decorative, but some types never "ower and the "avour is very inferior. Both are hardy perennials which can be pruned quite hard to shape. Clary sage, which the English call "housemaid's armpits" or "sweaty Betty" depending on where you were brought up, and Painted Sage, are biennials with good, bicoloured "owers.

The English are mad drinkers, even madder than the Irish. (You just have to look at the lunchtime pub trade in London to see that. ) So they know a thing or two about alcohol, as when they used Clary Sage in fermenting alcohol, which then makes you dead drunk or else sets you raving. The Chinese, Greeks and ancient Romans all lauded it for its therapeutic properties. All the sages like sweet, stony soil in full sun.