Perennial salvias (Salvia × sylvestris) represent a number of hybrid crosses between S. nemorosa and S. pratensis but may include S. × alpestris, S. × asperula, S. × collina, and S. × superba. Most cultivars are branched, upright, clump-forming, perennials with opposite, oblong to lanceolate, medium green leaves and showy spikes of tiny, tubular, two-lipped flowers (each to 1/2” long). Flower color choices range from blue to lavender to purple, depending […]
Archive for the ‘Salvia’ Category
Perennial Salvias Getting Better
Posted by Hugh on June 14th, 2024
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Salvia nemorosa, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Perennial Salvias Getting BetterThree Salvias To Try
Posted by Hugh on September 16th, 2023
Back in early spring you may have planted several kinds of salvias (sages). The arrival of the cool autumn weather turns up the flower power of sages. They’re members of the mint family and the leaves emit a mild anise scent when crushed. Looking ahead to summer of 2024, here are three salvias that you […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blue anise sage (S. guaranitica), Butterflies, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Heat Tolerance, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Salvia leucantha, Salvia oxyphora, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Texas Sage (Salvia), Wind protection Comments Off on Three Salvias To TryWhat’s New At Your Local Florist Shop
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2022
What’s New At Your Local Florist Your local florist shop…that is often the first place you think of when gifting something green and flowery to an ailing friend. Besides the standard florist shops, most supermarkets contain a florist department. Check out the recently published USDA Floriculture Crops Report. It lists most of the potted plants […]
Posted in African violet (Saintpaulia), Amaryllis, Amaryllis (Bulb), Annuals, Anthurium, Begonia, Bromeliads, Bulb Crops, Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), Chrysanthemum, Dianthus (Pinks), Ferns, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Geranium, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Lily (Lilium), Norfolk Island Pine, Orchids, Ornamental Pepper, Paperwhite narcissus, Poinsettia, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Sedum, Southern Appalachian Region, Torenia (wishbone flw.) Comments Off on What’s New At Your Local Florist ShopSalvias – Nature’s Last Hurrah
Posted by Hugh on September 1st, 2022
Salvias are native to central South America. Some species may surprising survive here in Tennessee/Virginia (zone 7) as tender perennials. In the early days of autumn, salvias seem to revitalize – vegetatively and flower numbers. Salvias are both reliable nectar and pollen sources for butterflies and hummingbirds and are seldom damaged by deer. Listed here […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Flower arrangments, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Salvias – Nature’s Last HurrahFuzzy Bolivian Sage
Posted by Hugh on September 27th, 2021
The large and bright fuzzy blossoms of Bolivian Spearhead Sage (Salvia oxyphora), aka Fuzzy Bolivian Sage, should catch your eye in late summer and early autumn. Equally attractive is the plant’s lush tropical-like glossy green foliage. This sage inhabits the edges of moist forests in the foothills of the Andes. It is grown as an annual in full sun in Northern […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Salvia oxyphora, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Fuzzy Bolivian SageSmart Water Use In The Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on August 17th, 2021
When the heat of the summer settles in, water is in high demand. Here is some practices to implement when planting a water-wise garden, irrigating lawngrass, and better mulching practices to improve soil moisture levels: Lawn grass species vary in their water needs. Cool season grasses like fescues and bluegrasses are moderately drought tolerant, turn […]
Posted in Agastache (Hyssop), Alliums (onion), Annuals, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Euphorbias, Heat Tolerance, Ice Plant (Delosperma), Irrigation, Lamb's ears (Stachys), Landscape ideas, Lantana, Lavender (Lavandula), Lawn Care, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Prickly cactus, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rain barrel, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Sedum (Groundcover types), Sedum (Shrub type), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on Smart Water Use In The Summer GardenMexican Bush Sage
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2021
Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), aka velvet sage, is a perennial that lights up the late summer / fall garden (USDA hardiness zone 7b-10). Indigenous to Central America and Mexico, it can be grown as an annual that grows to about 3-4 feet tall. In the U.S., bush sage is only hardy from the lower […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Salvia leucantha, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Mexican Bush SageAnnuals To Plant In 2021
Posted by Hugh on April 21st, 2021
I spend spring, summer, and fall months visiting public gardens mostly in the eastern and southeast U.S. (Ohio/Pennsylvania south to Florida with camera in hand). I get ideas of new flowers to plant in my garden next year. Here are five flowering annuals that caught my attention. Begonia ‘Canary Wing’ – this golden leaf plant […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Catharanthus (Vinca), Coleus, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowers, Fragrant, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, organic gardening, Periwinkle (annual vinca), Planting tips, Plectranthus, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Annuals To Plant In 2021Attracting Hummingbirds
Posted by Hugh on July 6th, 2020
This time of year many gardeners are setting out bird feeders, including those filled with a sugar solution to encourage hummingbirds to visit your garden. Unfortunately, the sugary drink will also attracts numerous ants, bees, and wasps. When warm spring and summer weather arrives, the solution clouds up with bacteria which ferments or perhaps fatal […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Daylilies, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Fall Garden Interest, Foxglove (Digitalis), Honey bees, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Landscape ideas, Lantana, Liatris, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Native wildflowers, Nepeta (catmint), Penstemon, Perennials, Phlox, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Trees & Shrubs, Vine, Weigela, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Attracting HummingbirdsBerggarten Salvia Favors Both Gardeners And Culinary Afficiendos
Posted by Hugh on May 13th, 2018
Common sage (Salvia officinalis), a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), is the culinary sage familiar to most cooks (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8). The species grow 1.5 – 3 feet high and wide. Multitudes of showy two-lipped, 1-inch long, violet-blue flowers arise on short, upright spikes in late spring. Flowers attracts numerous bees […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Culinary, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Foliage plant, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Herb, Honey bees, Mealy bugs, Mites, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, White flies, winter hardiness Comments Off on Berggarten Salvia Favors Both Gardeners And Culinary Afficiendos
