Fresh sage does have a strong flavour, and should be used sparingly. Are you accustomed to using dried sage, perhaps stuff that has been stored forever and therefore lost its flavour? You may be just noticing the difference.

There are umpteen different 'sages', but only one Salvia officinalis (well, there are a couple of cultivars of it), which I use. Very few of the salvias are edible. Check the label, or have the plant professionally identified. You could have an imposter!

Soil conditions have a lot to do with the taste and smell of plants.

Thanks Daisy. I bought a second one and planted in a different spot. They are so pretty and bloom their heads off at this time of year. Bees adore them so I just couldn't resist. I'll see if the second one tastes better.

Do you know when the best time to harvest is? I have to cut the older one back every year and I would like to dry the leaves instead of just throwing them away. Maybe I would like it better dried.

I just checked the tag on the new one and it says Salvia Officinalis x Fruiticosa. Improved variety of culinary Sage.

Maybe I'll like it better. It looks almost exactly like the older one (don't have the tag for it). The leaves are a smidge greener, I think, on the new one.

Thanks Ken, I was wondering if that might have something to do with it. I know my basil always tastes better when grown in the ground than it does when I grow it in a pot.

I usually harvest my herbs at least a couple of times over the Summer. For me, in New England, that's usually once sometime between late June and early August, and another time between late August and maybe early October.

I wouldn't worry too much about the timing, but I would try to get in a couple of harvests (or maybe 3, with your longer season?) at times that seem to work well for you.

Many people say that it's best to harvest herbs shortly before they bloom, because the flavors will be strongest then.

Here is a product that make my herbs grow better. It wasn't being offered for several years, and I almost ran out. But its back again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardens Alive Herb fertilizeer

You might be interested in this site:

Here is a link that might be useful: silver sage

I harvest my herbs as I need to. A leaf or two here and there will not hurt your sage. If you want to have some for winter use harvest as suggested above.

Once you sage gets to the height you want I find that pincing out the end of the stems make the plants bushier.

When sage gets old, up to 4 years and woody, it has no taste. It needs to be replaced with new seed.

^^ Not true at all!! Much like rosemary, culinary salvia is a woody shrub and if grown in the right conditions, has a long and very tasty lifespan. I have one that is maybe 12 years old and I still harvest from it regularly. Older leaves can be bitter so I always pluck the new growth for cooking or seasoning.