Hit the Dirt; Salvia

Good morning. This is the hit the dirt. So what plant does that bring to mind. A massive screaming red bedding plants. I hope not so obvious Brenda as this God that Salvia is the least attractive and the most used of a genus that has over 800 species a genus that is under used in the garden. They're animals and perennials and sub shrubs. Some tender perennials we treat as annuals many are a matic and in general they like to grow in full sun in Limey soil. They're quite tolerant of drought conditions. They have spikes of tuba tuned up to flowers and shades of blues pinks and reds and range from one to four feet in height. Some species are native to Mexico and was sent to England in the 18th and 19th centuries. One species salvia scar is a biannual and is used for the bouquet and Muscatel wines. The common name sage we all know the cool an airy sage. The word comes from the medieval French assertion meaning wise or healthful mentions sage being used in England in the late sixties century and describes it as

singularly good for the head and brain. It quit going to the senses and memory strengthen this the sinews restores health to those that have the palsy and take of the way shaky trembling of the members. I hope everyone has at least one plant in their garden. Common sage salvia aficionados grows wild in coastal areas of the Mediterranean and Adriatic. It is hard enough to grow as a perennial here in Maine but some of the other sages pineapple sage salvia elegans which has scarlet flowers golden sage salvia already salvia tri color purple sage and its salvia purple restrooms and variegated sage a tender they don't want to fall in tubs of mixed and edible annuals such as lemon jam marigold in the stir and then texture and interest to a sunny perennial border. An attractive and useful Annual is the blue caps age salvia for NACA. Also over used as it is so readily available in six packs. This native of Texas is

hardy to zone 8. It is easy to grow from seed and produces 3 foot spires of blue flowers that lasts from the summer until frost. It makes a fine vertical accent on the brown your garden and could be used in front of patches left by hooded uranium they're also purple and white cult of salvia Greggy autumn Sage is another native of Texas and makes a shabby four foot Bush with panicles of 1 inch tubular flowers of scarlet deep pink peach on graceful stems. To add interest the fresh green arrow shaped leaves smell of underwrite Peaches when crushed cars may vary and cuttings are easily taken from the choice ones and wintered over. Salvia Veritas also known as whole Myname is grown as an annual and its value lies in the colorful bracts of they and deep purple pink or white. When winter road writes in his annual Super connoisseur. That among Muslims in Artemesia is they can glow like the rarest thing. There are many tens of sages and three

that I don't wish to leave out other Texas sage salvia Cox India with open spikes of red flowers and a cult with shrimp pink and white flowers. Salvia Tika. And these scented sage a three foot plant with deep blue flowers from June to frost and aromatic foliage and salvia of Anhui a 4 foot plant with garnet colored carelessly is in Selma opening to bright crimson flowers from late summer until frost. The perennial Salvias may not be so spectacular but are attractive drug resistant and could be used more in the Premier garden meadow sage salvia pretenses has lavender blue flowers and is Hardy does own 3 grows 12 to 36 inches tall. Rose has attractive Rose purple flowers and outro violacea has deep purple flowers. The hybrids sage. Salvia Exoo Pravda is hard to zone for and they have dense spikes of rich deep purple flowers in

midsummer. There are five good cult of blue Queen 18 to 24 inches with violet flowers rose queen with lavender pink flowers East Friesland 18 inches tall with Deep Purple Flowers Lubeck a similar but as tall as 30 inches and May night which is deep indigo flowers is about 18 inches tall. These hybrids should be propagated by cutting or division as seed will not come true to color line Excel via Silva. Salvia verticillata has thick of spikes of light it flowers about fairly wide so wrinkled leaves. It does well in a woodland and there is an attractive cult of Purple Rain. A plant in my gun that was chewed by a woodchuck is not flowering profusely. Which leads me to believe that you might get a second flash of blooms if the spent flowers stems are cut back. A promising sage for the rock garden is salvia. Join a sickie tremulous labia with a deep lilac flower growing upside down on 12 inch

stems. It's hardy does own four and one last is sage salvia as Oriya only hot it does own five but toll three to four feet with slender spikes of azure blue flowers. Try some salvias in your garden. Some may still be available in nurseries. Others you can find in catalogs as seeds or plants and you can plan for next year. This is Sally if I hit the.