Thanks everyone, this probably saved the poor thing. I was wanting to prune it back to the ground like I do with many of the perennials, and I probably would have killed it!
Today was beautiful and sunny in NE Ohio, but it's too early to plant in the garden.
So, I started the cabbage indoors, and also planted some sage, parsley, and lavender.
You can see what I use for seed starting at: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/03/21/spring-seed-starting/)