A Tale of Two Sages

This is the view I have of my front garden while I sit on my butt and cut back my culinary sage (salvia officinalis). I do this quite often, as said sage is apparently on a mission to take over the allium senescens "glaucum," panicum virgatum "Rotstrahlbusch," and anything else that has strappy leaves and grows nearby, really.

As I clip, I think about how to better this corner and thus my view. I planted nasturtium seeds recently to add some heftier foliage, and cut back the lemon thyme that was encroaching on the lavender.

One problem I cannot seem to solve happily is the problem of the two very different "Icterina" variegated sages. The bright yellow, compact plant in the near left corner of the bed and the bigger, looser-leaved, darker Icterina behind the solar light were both purchased at the same time and in the same sized pot.

They looked for all the world like twins when I planted them... but one gets a few hours more of sun than the other. Frankly, I like the darker twin better--the brighter one looks rather like a floozy. I'd have to ask my grandmother to confirm this assessment, of course, as Grandma could spot a floozy a mile away. I myself always paid more attention to the brazen hussies because I fully intended to grow up to be one of them someday.

In any case, the bright sage is going to have to go. I'm not sure where, I'm not sure when, and I'm not sure what to use to replace it. But I do know that I'll be going several more rounds with its vulgar culinary cousin this summer... so I'll have plenty of time to come up with a plan.