Sage Garden Herbs

“Our overriding goal is offering an authentic gardening experience,” says Dave Hanson, who owns Sage Garden Herbs alongside his wife Diane Yauk. “[We] recognize that people put a lot of their personality and their own interests into their garden.” Growing plants you can use in everyday life makes gardening a whole new learning experience, and Sage Garden Herbs hopes to help people attain the satisfaction that comes with putting your harvested plants into use. Hanson says being able to point out that all of the tasty fresh herbs used at your dinner party were of your doing is part of the perks of producing. Those perks also include flavour. “There are certain herbs that definitely taste better fresh.”

Hanson says people also appreciate having control over exactly what’s going into their gardens. While Sage Garden Herbs is not yet certified organic, they use an organic model for growing and sell a lot of the basics gardeners need to develop organic gardens, like soil ingredients. Benefits of going organic with your garden are not only to your health; Hanson says it will actually ease your workload. “The plants will do more of the work.”

Sage Garden Herbs is also seeing more popularity in the vegetables they offer, particularly heirloom varieties, as well as growing interest in edible flowers and perennials. Another area where the business has expanded is in having more stock and selection of exotic plants, like the San Pedro Cactus.

Hanson often encounters a few of the same questions from visitors to the greenhouse. “A lot of people ask about growing herbs indoors,” says Hanson, who admits more classic herbs are not as indoor-friendly. Bay rum and allspice are plants he recommends that grow well indoors and still have a lot of function.

Also, people can be mistaken when it comes to pruning and harvesting their herbs. “A lot of people think you’re not supposed to let the herb flower before harvesting,” says Hanson. While that might be true for herbs like basil, some perennial-type herbs come into their peak flavour when they flower. Hanson also points out that annuals are best for using fresh or freezing, while perennials intensify in flavour when dried and stored.

If you want to grow herbs in containers, Hanson says having a nice, healthy soil is important. “Fertilize regularly in the summer months, and harvest and prune it regularly.”

Staff is on hand at Sage Garden Herbs to help pair you with herbs, flowers, grasses, cacti or any plants that catch your eye. “We try to match up what [customers] are looking for with what the possibilities are in Manitoba,” Hanson says. “There’s so many different ways you can garden in Manitoba despite our winters and short summer season.” Sage Garden Herbs is definitely authentic and a playground for any gardener. If you’re heading down to the greenhouse, you better make space for the ton of plants you’re bound to bring home.