Salvia, a large genus of mints, has over 1,000 varieties. They come in an amazing array of sizes, colours and hardiness. Most of the Salvia varieties are either annuals, perennials, temporary perennials or small shrubs. They have beautiful and colourful flowers with aromatic foliage. Salvias tolerate a variety of soils, conditions and water requirements. As a garden designer of 30 years, I have used this family for many perennial border designs. Salvias and Nepetas, or Catmint, are a powerful deer-proof combination. This deer-resistant plant is described in my Nepetas article.

I celebrate the early blooming Salvias in early to mid-May, which announces the transition from Spring into summer. You can add a Salvia to your border and keep it in bloom until the hard frost.

Hardy Salvias Vs Temp Perennial Salvias

Meadow Sage is a perennial Salvia that I choose almost always for its big impact and for solving problems in tricky situations. Salvias are a great choice when other plants begin to fade. They provide vibrant colour that lasts for a long time. With careful selections, you can extend your Salvia bloom until the end of summer. Salvias are available in a variety of varieties, including temperamental perennials which will extend the colour show to the first frost.

Skyscraper Salvias, which come in an amazing range of colours, are also outstanding and tender. I use them exclusively for containers. When I planted them along a border, they didn’t do well. If you put a Skyscraper in a container, the hummingbirds flock there.

As a garden designer who specialises in creating colourful, herbaceous borders for the mid-Atlantic area, I have used hardy Salvias extensively in my designs and have found that some are more useful than others.

Marvelous Marvels

Salvia sylvestris May Night is a powerful indigo-purple performer. It thrives in the clay soil we have in the mid-Atlantic. The newer varieties are more compact, have a wider variety of colours and are more floriferous. I don’t use the older ones. Salvia Nemorosa Rose Marvel, and Blue Marvel make for little wonders in the landscape. These plants are only 10-15 inches tall (or sometimes a little higher) and will bloom all summer if you deadhead them with your trimmers. The English call this the “Chelsea Chop“. The stalky seed heads are attractive to a variety of birds, including finches.

Rose Marvel has large magenta-pink spikes that can be seen far away. Like all Salvias, it is a favourite of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. I’ve seen hummingbirds fly in and out of Salvia flower stalks in a very systematic way in search of nectar. Grouping these flowers in three- to six-foot drifts will give you more impact. This is available at nurseries and is perfect for sunny, deer-browsed areas.

Eveline Salvia and Purple Rain

Salvia Eveline is an extra-long, pastel pink salvia. It is one of my favourite plants and was selected by Piet Oudolf because of its superior colour. It has no foliage when it blooms. The soft pink colour blends with any other colour. It is a tough plant that tends to move around, but can be easily removed. The foliage, like other Salvias, is a rosette-like base of fragrance, and the flowers make a great bouquet. It will bloom for several weeks if planted in front of my home.

Salvia Verticillata, another magnet for pollinators, attracts with its densely packed velvety purple flowers that can reach 24″ on upright reddish stalks. The heart-shaped, fuzzy leaves are particularly attractive. This cultivar was first seen in Scotland, and I have used it ever since in my gardens as an eye-catching choice. This season, I am trying out a white alba cultivar.

Early Bloomers

To extend the blooming period from mid-spring to summer, I use Sallyrosa May Night. The electric violet-blue blooms appear one month before the award-winning May Night, and its small size gives it a prominent place at the front border.

There are many semi-native Salvias to choose from that will complement your garden and add colour. Salvia Greggii Heavenscent Red or Autumn Sage will bloom in our zone from May to frost.

It is not the same as other Salvias. This one is native to Texas and thrives in hot, dry climates. It can reach two feet in height and has a vibrant colour that is perfect for the middle of a border. I’m interested in a new Mirage series – Mirage Cherry Red, Cream, Salmon, Deep Purple, and Soft Pink. In August, I did the C Helsea Chop to reduce my Arctic Blaze by 1/3. This gave me another flush of fiery blooms that would last for the rest of the year.

The last sage I would choose is Salvia Azura ‘Nekan, or Pitcher Sage. Native to the southern US. When I visited the Delaware Botanic Gardens in Wilmington, Delaware, this Piet-Oudolf meadow variety with its spectacular sky blue flowers and linear leaves caught my eye. This plant is extremely drought resistant (the roots can reach 6-8 feet below ground). Hardy in our area, and with a wide stature, I found it and have now planted several throughout my garden. As it can reach four feet in height, I decided to plant them at the back of my border. It is not aggressive. I will add more specimens. It does well in partial sun and should be used more widely.

LANDSCAPE USAGE OF SALVIA

Here are some of my favourite ways to incorporate salvias into the landscape.

• Xeriscape Gardens – The majority of salvia species can tolerate drought and are good for drier or gravel gardens.
• S. Farinacea, or mealy cup Salvia, is a reliable colour all summer. These plants are excellent for drying.
• Wildflower gardens or meadows: Native species such as S. Wild flower gardens or meadows – Native species, such as S. S. Nemorosa is a great choice for this because it can tolerate drought and requires little care. Mealy Cup is also stunning in a meadow.
• Butterfly or Pollinator Gardens
• Hummingbird garden. Red salvias like pineapple sage have fruity scents and bright red tubular flowers that are particularly effective at attracting hummingbirds.
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• Deer-resistant garden – Deer do not like the strong smell of the foliage, and they have never been seen to browse on it.
• Planting in mass – This is especially true for brightly colored salvias.
• Mix borders – I tend to use these most, especially the Salvia Neerosa borders.
• Skyscraper container gardens are my favourite.

SALVIA

Sun requirements: Salvias prefer full sun but will tolerate some shade in the late afternoon.

Soil Salvias prefer average soil that is not rich and has excellent drainage. This genus is very sensitive to poor drainage, especially in winter. Even with my clay soil, I’ve had no problem overwintering this beautiful genus.

Moisture. Once established, most Salvias can tolerate drought but will flower better with regular irrigation.

Deadheading/Pruning/Shearing: As with almost any flower, removing spent blooms with the Chelsea chop encourages a longer bloom time.

Winter protection: Leave foliage on hardy varieties in autumn. This will protect the crown of the plant and prevent the stems from freezing. Cut back the plants in late winter or early Spring.

Propagation: You can grow many Salvia species from seeds. From seed, the plants will also move about in your garden bed. Divide perennial species early in the Spring, before new growth appears.

Plant diseases: The salvias are susceptible to fungal diseases like powdery mildew and rust. They can also be affected by fungal leaf spots. This happens when you plant too closely together and don’t allow for good air circulation. Give the plants some room.

Pests Salvias can be affected by insects such as mealybugs, spider mites, whiteflies and aphids. I’ve never experienced this problem, and healthy plants are less vulnerable to pest damage.

Hummingbird on Skyscraper Salvia

Salvia provides food to all types of wildlife. It is especially good for the Ruby-Throated hummingbird. The stalks can be easily cleaned in Spring to allow for another blooming. They are easy to combine with other flowering plants, particularly Nepetas.