One of the best examples of herbs blurring the line between form and function is golden sage. It is a variegated version of the standard cooking sage we all enjoy with turkey and stuffing, but I’m so taken with the appearance of its leaves, I don’t really care how it tastes!

Golden sage foliage is gray with striking light yellow variagation. The bi-colored leaves read as a splash of chartreuse, particularly from a distance, that provides luminosity to the garden that’s hard to described. The plants literally glow.

Although I find myself replanting sage at least every other year, it is worth the effort – even if it’s just old gray cooking sage. It’s lavender flowers can be one of the showiest bloomers in the herb garden.