Posts Tagged: salvias
Some Sage Advice
Sage, as an adjective, is defined as "wise through reflection and experience" or "proceeding from or characterized by wisdom, prudence and good judgment." As a noun, sage can refer to "a mature or venerable [person] of sound judgment" or, as us gardeners know it "a European perennial mint (Salvia officinalis) with grayish-green aromatic leaves used especially in flavoring meats." Last, but not least, as a noun sage can also refer to a light grayish green color.
Before becoming an avid gardener, when I heard the word "sage" I thought of the dried leaves on my spice shelf, or the color. But now when I hear the word "sage" I think of all of the wonderful, beautiful varieties of the plant - half a dozen (at least) of which I have planted around my front yard.
Sages can be annual, biennial or perennial, depending on the variety. Many sages are heat and drought-tolerant, making them great additions to gardens in Contra Costa County. Once established, sages can be quite cold-hardy, too. Just cut them back in the winter and next spring they will come right back. Flowers on sages can vary from blue to purple to pink to orange to white. Hummingbirds and bees alike enjoy visiting the flowers of sages, and both are a daily visitors in my front yard.
The biggest presence in my front yard is by far Hot Lips Sage (Salvia microphylla). The bees and hummingbirds love this shrub - which has grown to be one of the largest ornamentals in my front yard at about 4 feet across by at least 4 feet tall. I love the pink and white flowers that bloom spring through fall, and the fact that it is evergreen. When this sage gets too big (like when it starts to take over the sidewalk or encroach on the mailbox) I just cut it back. Easy as can be.
Another sage with a fun name, and beautiful orange to pink color is the Lipstick Sage (Salvia greggii). The elongated blooms on this sage is where it gets its common name. This sage will also bloom from spring through fall. Another drought-tolerant evergreen beauty for any yard.
Sages come in all colors - and I have a few of the purple to blue variety in my yard, too. I love the contrasting colors on the Limelight Sage (Salvia mexicana). The blueish-purplish flowers and the lime-green leaves are stunning. This variety can get pretty tall - up to six feet, so it is less of a shrub than the Hot Lips or the Lipstick sages. It also blooms spring through fall, and is evergreen.
Some of this and that-My View
Say the word “geranium” out on the street, and someone will reply, “I know what that is” and be wrong 9 times out of 10, the plant so-named is actually named Pelargonium. The common name “geranium” has long been used both of these but botanically speaking, it is not accurate.
True geraniums are both annuals and perennials (with woody parts. They are mainly native to the Northern Hemisphere, and have delicate stems and leaves. The symmetrical flowers are either in clusters or appear singly. Pelargoniums, on the other hand, are frost-tender as they mostly from South Africa.
The reason I mention this is due to a conversation I had recently with an employee of a large box store which sells plants among other (lots of) items. I was looking over the selection offered in the nursery area, and was asked if I would like some help. They asked and then I asked, “Do you ever get any Geraniums in?” The immediate answer was “Of course!”, and I was directed to a display of pelargoniums. The clerk was shocked when I remarked that the plants being pointed out were not the geraniums I was looking for.
This was a textbook example of why referring asking for plants by the botanical name is the best way to assure you get what you’re asking for. This is also a reason to shop at a full-serve nursery where the sales staff is plant-savvy!
On a sad note, we are losing another specialty nursery in June. Vintage Gardens of Sebastopol is finally going out of business. This has been dragging out now for 1 ½ years. For those of us who looked for and purchased rose varieties that predated the 1950’s and earlier, the source pool has just gotten smaller. It’s a shame, but par for the financial times.
I hope to see you on April 13 at Annie’s Annuals for a talk on California natives, and again on May 25 for what promises to be an interesting talk on Salvias. Look on her web site for more details. (And no, the speaker is not me, but the experts!)