My favorite Salvias

Thought I'd kick off our new forum with some pics of my favorite Salvias

Here's 'Dancing Dolls':

S. buchananii:

'La Trinidad Pink'

S. serpyllifolia:

S. regla 'Jame'

S. sinaloensis:

S. urica:

and S. wagneriana:

Now I'm just crossing my fingers that all of these survived our horrible winter!

Ecrane,

Fantastic that we got this new forum! I'm so very happy! Yay!!! ;-))

Your Salvias are all very beautiful!

Is S. 'Dancing Dolls' a greggii? It looks like it is.

I'm getting S. sinaloensis this Spring of the ones you have posted. Not familiar with some of the other ones you posted, but I'll have to do a search for those beauties.

Marilyn

This message was edited Feb 23, 2007 5:09 PM

This message was edited Feb 23, 2007 5:09 PM

The colors are pretty. I am waiting for a salvia elegans. I planted one in the fall once, but there were several cold snaps and freezes that winter, and it didn't survive. I am hoping spring will prove to be a better time.

Ecrane: Enjoying your pics. I see some "blue"s that I'll want for my garden!

Here's my fave. Black and Blue.

I've posted this pic before elsewhere, but since this is a "special occasion"....and it's the only photo I have of this one.
I hope I'll have more this season!

Deb

Greggii "Navajo". Not quite true to color, but best I've managed with my camera so far.
Deb

Marilyn--you're right, Dancing Dolls is a greggii cultivar.

Deb--love the Black & Blue! I had that one at my old house, may have to get one for my new garden if I can find room for it somewhere!

Fireant,

For sure, plant it in the Spring. I'm surprised that you planted it in the fall, that's when it blooms for me when I plant it in the Spring.

Marilyn

Fall's actually a good time to plant (usually!) in warmer climates. Here in CA it's recommended as the best time of year to plant things because then you have the winter rains to help get things established. But then if you get some unusual cold spells, you can run into problems. So my new rule of thumb is that if it's hardy a zone or two colder than me, then I'll plant it in the fall, but if it's only hardy to my zone then I'll wait until spring.

Deb,

How did you get your 'Black and Blue' so brilliantly blue?! What soil conditions and light do you give it? What's your secret? Mine have never looked that good and that beautiful of a blue color.

I got the 'Navajo Pink' color from a 'superstore' locally last year (not Walmart), but I've never seen that red color you got (they only had one plant left, one color). Did you buy it locally?

Marilyn

Ecrane,

I didn't know that about plants in warmer zones, Fireant, forget what I said and listen to Ecrane or others in places that are alot warmer (hotter?).

Marilyn

Ecrane,

Where did you get 'Dancing Dolls'? A place in CA or mail order? What about those other Salvias you posted pics for?

Marilyn

I thought the fall planting thing was weird too when I first moved here from Cincinnati, but it really does work better. If I get things in the ground in the fall, they grow much better the following year and I don't have to waste nearly as much time watering them during our dry summers. Spring planting is OK too as long as you do it in early spring before it starts to get too hot, but fall is better for most things.

All of my salvias I got locally, CA is a really good climate for them so we tend to have a pretty good selection at local nurseries. Some of them at least (not Dancing Dolls though) came from Annie's Annuals which also does mail order so you might check their website and see what they have (their selection usually gets better in summer/fall, I don't think they have too much right now.) Dancing Dolls I think is a new patented variety, I never saw it until last summer so my guess would be that it'll be more widely available this year, and I bet you could have one of your local nurseries order it for you if they don't carry it.

Ecrane,

I live in the greater Cincinnati OH area (Hebron , KY is part of it). I've lived in OH for 40 and a half years and here in Hebron, KY since June 1996 (DH is an Airline Pilot and he's based here out of the international airport, which we're about 5 or 6 miles from).

What company introduced 'Dancing Dolls'? Do you know what it's rated zonewise? (from what zone to what zone). Hope it's at least a zone 6, but if not and I can get it, I'll still plant it.

Marilyn

It would make more sense to plant in the fall. The cold was unusual that year. These plants will get summer rain, which I hope isn't too much. I've seen salvias locally, but not agastaches.

Marilyn--I lived in Ohio for most of my life--grew up in Cleveland, then lived in Cincy for 5 yrs, mostly the northern half of it (Loveland, Montgomery, etc) before I moved here. I knew Hebron sounded familiar but I didn't get over to the KY side much except when I was headed to the airport!

The Dancing Dolls plant that I got came from a wholesale grower Suncrest Nurseries. I'm not sure if they're the ones that introduced it though or if they just had a license to grow it from the people who did introduce it. As far as zones, I'm pretty sure it's zone 7 (that's the zone I've seen for most S. greggii cultivars). So it might be a bit of a stretch for you, but if you've successfully grown other S. greggii cultivars then it's definitely worth a shot.

ecrane....great pictures....thanks for sharing...another new education for me..

Ecrane,

I lived in Dayton, Centerville, Kettering, Lebanon and Cincinnati (Siverton), before moving to KY to marry DH in 1996. I still feel so proud and loyal of OH, that I have a concrete piece in my garden of the shape of the state of OH when OH was celebrating their anniv. in 2003 (established in 1803).

I'll always grow S. greggii's, they bloom all season it seems and if I'm lucky (with the weather, soil conditions, etc...), they'll survive the Winter if they're not zone 6 rated. I'm getting alot of Salvias that I know aren't hardy for zone 6, but I'm always hoping anyway.

Marilyn

Glad we got a forum. My interest is mostly with the agastaches, as most of the salvias are not hardy here. I have grown S. greggis, but more or less as annuals. I really like your photos e. crane especially Dancing Dolls and La trinidad pink.

I am now making out my first this year order to High Country for some new agastaches.

Am leaving early in the morning for a bus tour to Reno, a friend and I have gone many times, actually I have been traveling with Paul for more than 20 years , of course not every year. Last year I didn't get to go as spent too much time in Hospitals and recovering. So I am looking forward to the trip this year. We leave, Jane & I at 4:00 am in the morning, I am driving to Wenatchee, WA 130 miles where we catch the bus. The bus goes to Reno one way and returns a different route. 40 to 45 passengers usually. Just a fun time. I*f I can locate my Black & blue I will send along a picture. Can't find the right folder.

Donna

Awesome pictures ! Deb love your blue flower with the butterfly !

Marilynbeth: The Black n Blue is in almost full sun (shade from about 3pm onward) and in very acid soil, due to the piles o pines. Pretty good drainage where it is. No special treatment. Last summer was it's first and I'm hoping it will return. (If not, I have seedlings. ;-> )

The greggii was labeled simple "Navajo", and I got it a Lowes about 3 years ago and have taken cutting after cutting. Just keeps going. The photo is pretty close to its true color. That pink one you have is lovely!

I planted all of mine in fall. The greggii bloom til it gets pretty cold.

Deb

Stupid question, but do a lot of these salvias you guys list here, survive here in the NW?
I really would like to grow more salvias.

I got the 'Black and Blue' from a trade here on DG but the plant has died back totally. It is in a pot in the greenhouse. Will it come back???

I had also received several salvias and planted them and they all died.
Does getting down to the teens in the winter time kill salvias???

Thanks, Carol

Gorgeous pictures everyone!

I wintersowed some Salvia discolor seeds last year and it bloomed beautifully. Since I was successful with wintersowing, I plan to germinate several more varieties of Salvia & Agastaches via this method this year. I hope to attract more butterflies & hummers with these plants.

Salvia discolor

Also wintersown is Salvia farincea.

Salvia, "May Night"

Wow, Shirley, those look great. Well, if they survive where you are, they should here then.

Thanks Carol. The Salvia discolor is an annual in my growing zone. It may be a perennial in warmer growing zones. The Salvia, Victoria farincea & Salvia, "May Night" are perennials in my zone 7 garden. I'm looking forward to seeing their lovely blooms again this summer.

Carol--I bet most of these would make it through your winters, a lot of salvias are hardy to zone 7 or 8. Some may die back in the winter, but they'll come back in the spring with new growth.

Thanks, will see how they do then.

Great pictures! I like my Black and Blue also but my favorite was Limelight. Plants didn't come back last year and the seeds I got in trade didn't germinate. I'd like the variegated one too.Plants Delight or maybe it was Heronswood that had it in their catalog.

I have one a friend in Calif. sent me one that has done super well.She didn't know which one it was but now that I have a camera,I can post a pix for id'ing once it's up and blooming again this year.

I'm not sure if my yellow salvia made it in last years heat. I cut it back Fri. and didn't see any signs of life.


Why can't we find salvia Red Hot Sally any more?

I have agastaches, Liqorice Blue and white,giant yellow ,Golden Jubilee and unknown variety. I've got seeds sewn for a.rugosa.


I have several more salvias and agastaches but I'd have to go look at tags to remeber what ones.

Wished I had spoken up before the forum was"born" and requested penstemons be added.

My list of salvias and agastaches isn't as impressives as some of your's but give me season or two to try and catch up*G*

P

Great pictures!

Penstemons sure would have been nice to include here too. I love to grow them too!
Carol

I've been growing p.tensui(never spell it right) for 2-3 yrs. Last year they were really nice. Bees,butterflies and such were all over them. I've sewn seeds and have seeds for several others to sew and just ordered several more from Specialty Seeds.

P