Whoops

Well here our heat has settled in (105). Blooming
S.splendens Vista Bicolor & Vista purple.
S coccinea "Coral Nymph", "Lady in Red"
,Forest Fire and a white form
,Salvia miniata,S x MysticSpires
,Blepharophylla "Sweet Names",S.penstemonoides and S x Riverside,S.darcy,a few microphylla and greggii
, Farinacea "Victoria Blue",Evolution
,Henry & Augusta Duelberg,Austin Silver and Bicolor.
Just a few hummers too.
Art

I should have Salvia oxyphora coming in about 10 to 14 days. It looks like a winner as a tidy, glossy green bush, and has withstood heat, humidity, and mealybugs better than most other sages except for S. miniata.

S. lasiantha is doing as well as S. mexicana and S. leucantha, and is developing axial growth high up the stems as well, leading me to think it might bloom concurrently.

The heat is thwarting S. stolonifera, S. lineata, and S. curviflora from blooming. Nights get no colder than 70 degrees F.

My Calif. sages have pretty much finished. S. clevelandii is mostly spent heads, with a few flowers. S. apiana the same. But S. apiana in nature, on Palomar Mtn., is still in flower. Haven't been out to my favorite population of S. clevelandii in awhile, so I don't know their status.

salvia chamaedryoides has just started to bloom and it's a beautiful blue. Nice silver foliage, too. This is the first year for this one.

All of my greggii are in bloom. 'Yellow Cloud' is in the first year and it has peach-yellow blooms. 'Dark Dancer' and 'Diane' are putting on the biggest show. Very reliable. 'Texas Wedding' is a beautiful white. I have more colors, but these are the most interesting to me.

Still watching the 'Omaha Gold' for blooms.

wonbyherwits, 'Yellow Cloud' Salvia greggii is new to me. Where did you get it (LazyS's?), and is it a light yellow color?

A deep canary yellow greggii is one of the goals of my collection

Yes, I got it from LazyS's. It's a very healthy plant.

It is light yellow, but with a peach tint.

Rich, I just checked on it. There will be a bloom in the next day or so. I've been trying to train it into shape, so I've not let it bloom much this first season.

Salvia Black and Blue, S. purple majesty, S. gregii, s. farenacia augusta and Henry duelberg , S chamaedriodes, S penstemonoides, S hotlips. It is 103 here so many of them are not much of a show. I trimmed back most of my Gregiis so I will have a good fall showing. Things are getting crisp out there. I don't do much watering. I grow things kind a hard.

Rich,

The bloom was open this morning. In this first photo, I had to touch the bloom with my lens on macro to get the yellow to show up enough. Not perfect photos.

Cameron

That is a nice yellow or yellowish one.
What is blooming now is a tall order: all greggii, microphylla and hybrids except for younger seedlings; miniata; coccinea of various ilks; subrotunda; exserma; involucrata; the guaranitica Brazil, Blue Ensign, and Black & White (not yet on Van Remsen): sagitatta x macrophylla is buried in Tropical Milkweed and trying to bloom; VH Paul, late potted Waverly just opening; chiapensis keeps setting new spikes but not getting flowers; Mulberry Jam on secondary spikes now and filling out; volunteer macrophylla would like to bloom but is over topped by tomatoes.

The one plant that is really bothering me this year is melissodora. Every year I have had it it bloomed all summer, but not this year. Could it be it doesn't like all the super hot and dry weather we've had?

Ward, is your melissodora growing at all? If it is robust, it may be putting out green growth.

A lot of my sages are just sitting there, and the potted ones that are not being allowed to run their roots into the ground are suffering. Those that have anchored themselves are doing much better.

In the past, I've built beds of shredded maple leaves and placed my potted stock plants on them with wonderful results.

I have wintered it on the porch since I received it from you about 4 years ago. Each year I remove it from its pot and plant it in the ground. It is very lush, about 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide and looks quite beautiful - except.

I do a different version for plants that stay in pot. They stand on fabric mulch and are allowed to run their roots down into the soil. It helps to keep them lively, at least I believe so.

Is this a good time to root cutting if this plant? I haven't had luck when I rooted them later in the year.

Melissodora roots best when it is in robust growth. You will want to root it while the root zone is warm as well, so it is the right time.

The average life of a melissodora seems to be about five years (if constantly kept in a pot)

It seems to take the shift from the ground to a pot each year in stride - if you don't mind the fact that it drops nearly every leaf. As winter progresses it grows out new tiny leaves along the woody stems and trunks. Once it is outside again it quickly comes into its first flush of bloom. I will take your advice and get some new plants going asap.

Here are a few pics of what's on the go at present.

A bit of S. regla, secondary flowers on S. forsskaolii together with a bit of Incarvillea arguta (on the left):

The latter is a favourite of mine - here's another pic:

A few flowers of the S. 'Red Velvet' thast I grow on a low wall poke out from the growing covering of the American Ground Nut - Apios americana:

The buds of the Apios are forming now - I love the colour of the flowers:

A few more views in my garden:

S. darcyi is looking good:

Don't you just love midsummer. Your gardens are remarkably beautiful.

Wow. I think our hummingbirds might start migrating to the UK if there are a lot of gardens which look like yours. :) btw, I saw an Incarvillea arguta today at UCBerkeley Botanical which had much darker pink flowers. I should have bought it (I do have the light pink, like yours)... but I really can't buy them ALL!

I've got so many salvias blooming (and hummingbirds fighting)... hmm, I will have to go out tomorrow with a pen and paper.

What nice to see so many Salvia's mentioned that are in bloom currently around the globe.

In my (dutch) garden the following are flowering:

"Amber" (new)
blepharophylla
elegans
chamaleagnea
chameadryoides
chionophylla (new)
forskaohlei
greggi "royal bumble"
glechomifolia
juriscii
namaensis (new)
pratensis (ending)
scabra (new)
sclarea
tilliifolia
transsylvanica (ending)
trijuga
viscosa(ending)
verbenacea

and I am anxiously waiting for flowers from:
atrocyanea
buchanii
curviflora
miniata

regards
Cor

Beautiful! Thank you for showing us. It makes me realize that mine need a lot more water and better care...lol..

fabulous garden shots!

S. greggii Dark Dancer has been a great performer this summer.

Is Dark Dancer all S. greggii?

S. leucantha started blooming this week, along with S. elegans.

The hummingbird migration seems late, I have 50+ hummers at all times, 5 -7 different species. Still to warm for the large species Magnificent, and Blue-throated.

My Salvia oxyphora has been in bloom for one month, and was just repotted. It is no longer dropping leaves, and I am axial growth at the old nodes. I hope to do some major propagation of it this autumn.

Also, Phyllis'Fancy and the other leucanthas and their hybrids are starting. Salvia miniata and the mexicanas are about to start, especially Tula and Limelight. There has been a smattering of various greggii and microphyllas in bloom.

Tingo Blue is starting, and Big Swing is about to resume.

My guaraniticas were blitzed by heat and humidity (and mealybugs), but are starting to come back.

Off to some local nurseries to replace my collection at some local nurseries in a few weeks.

What beautiful pictures!
This is my first year growing non-culinary salvias.

In bloom in my garden:
Salvia coccinea "Lady in Red"
S. guaranitica "Black and Blue"
S. farinacea "Argent"
And a salvia that was donated to the community garden without a label. I think it's purple annual clary.

B&B has been a stunner since I bought the plant (I only have one) in early July. LIR sat and pouted until August, but now it's exploding with blooms.

Alas, the leaves on the trees are turning already. Last night's low was 48.7 degrees according to the closest Weather Underground station. Summer is on the way out. I'm definitely planting more salvias next year.

It is a shame Jim that there is so little in bloom for you. Until I grew salvias I never knew what a great party the garden could throw just before frost. With a show like that who needs drugs and alcohol? I don't know about others but by the end of winter I have forgotten that a garden like Jim's is even possible. Maybe it is better that way.

Jim,

WOW!!!!! We live only one hour away! I intended to send some photos of my garden but no point, as your plants are superior in every way!!!! Congratulations!!!

Thanks for all the wonderful photos!!!!

Agree that the strange summer...if you can call it that....has resulted in many Salvia species being at their best in October, which has been a delight as it has been unseasonably warm and sunny until today.....wind from the north...!

Currently my garden (featured on BBC Gardener's World last week....embarrassing) is so full of colour....outstanding Salvias are concolor, several forms of guaranitica, oxyphora, miniata, 'Joan', involucrata 'Boutin', curviflora, stachydifolia, vitifolia, stolonifera, 'Amistad', 'Wendy's Wish', 'Penny's Smile', many greggii/microphylla cultivars, 'African Sky', Phyllis' Fancy, dichlamys (maybe incorrectly named), fulgens (2 forms), elegans (3 forms), splendens new form from Sao Borja (Brazil)...spectacular, brevipes, striata 'red form', oppositiflora, Silkes Dream, darcyi, x jamensis 'Peter Vidgeon', 'African Sky', 'Rolando' and x jamensis 'Krystle', not to mention Jim's cultivar...S. 'Imelda'...all stunning! Many others also!

But it is a jungle!!!! BUT you cannot see all the weeds!!!

'Wendy's Wish' and 'Amistad' may both possibly take off like mad next year in the UK. Both deserve to, big time. Still under PBR.

Robin.

Jim, what I beautiful garden.

I'll second Robin's comments. The grasses make a great companion to the Salvia's. My garden has S.muelleri "Viva"
,splendens,minata,SxRiverside,S.mexicana "limelight",
leucantha,S x Silkes Dream, Sx Mystic Spires,S.caudata
"El Cielo Blue",Blue Chiquita,scabra,blepharophylla, coccinea ,regla is just starting,elegans, greggii's,lycioides and microphylla in bloom as well. S.purpurea just budding.
Art

desertstage,

What Salvia is this? I love it!!! How many plants are those?

v1rtu0s1ty, based on the size and mostly the color, I'd say it is S. microphylla San Carlos Festival. It could also be S. greggii x Raspberry Royale, S. microphylla Dieciocho de Marzo or similar forms. Do you have a close-up of the foliage and spike habit?

Jim, all I can say is WOW! If I ever get to England again, I'll have to pay you a visit with my camera. I'll pass a link to this thread to some of my friends in NARGS (North American Rock Garden Society) and some botanical gardens

Rich,

The salvia is not mine. It's from the person who started this thread. Thanks for the identification. :)

Thanks to all for the kind comments.

You may notice that I closed my contribution with a request for Jack Frost to stay away. The current forecast for the UK next week implies that my request is going to be ignored. I'm off on holiday for a couple of weeks to warmer climes and thus may return to find many of my Salvias darker than discolor. That's life. Roll on next year.

Jim

v1rtuOs1ty:
Desertsage mentions S.greggii at the beginning of the tread.
Art

Jim: wow, I mean, seriously, WOW. Can I visit you? :) I must travel to Germany every year (have also recently lived there), and ONE of these days I will make it to England, country of my forefathers.

I am baffled as to how your salvias can look so darn good. What type of soil do you have?? I was under the impression that weather in Britain is how it was at my home near Hamburg: dreary, wet and grey.

Our weather in California has been in the 90s (deg. F). Crazy. Autumn? What's that? This is fire and earthquake season!

I guess it's too much to ask for you to provide names for all the plants you pictured... ;) My year-round hummingbirds would migrate to England if they saw those photos!

cheers,
Michelle

I can only guess that the Salvia in the photo is S. greggii. I bought these for $2 at the end of season. The nurseryman when questioned about variety asked his wife which end the pink ones were on in the row.

This very narrow 12 inch bed against a fence about 10 ft in length has 4 plants, and some volunteers. The bed looks good depending on when the dogs chased the latest lizard or ground squirrel though it.

I can get some morning pictures up later.

Awesome! Please share the new pics! I should have learned salvias a long time ago. I have 2 salvias(B&B and splendens) and I can't believe that they still have flowers.

Thanks for the id too! :)

Hi Michelle

Sorry for the delay in responding - just got back from holiday in Turkey.

As I feared, there had been a few frosts during my absence but damage to my Salvias has been limited to a minimal number of plants and the garden is still looking pretty good. This is in contrast to a garden about 2 miles away (a pub garden where I also plant lots of Salvias) where just about everything has been blackened.

It just goes to show what differences there can be in mesoclimates. Even within my own garden which has the advantage of being on a slight slope, there are microclimates where the flow of cold air is restricted and a specific Salvia can be badly frosted whereas equivalent plants, only a few yards away, can completely escape damage.

My soil has a large proportion of clay but, over the 25 or so years I have been here, I have mulched with various products such as mushroom compost and composted manure to help build up a top layer of better tilth. I root lots of cuttings and the old soil from all the pots also gets thrown onto the garden. Surprising how this all adds up to improve the soil. Most years, in early summer, I try to give the garden a 2" mulch of some sort to help keep it in good heart. I know many Salvias don't need this but I plant very closely and the mulch helps with moisture retention and weed supression.

If I go back 10 years or more, I always got a hard frost about mid-September which knocked off my Salvias (except most microphylla types). Since then, although the thermometer always dips around this time, temperatures are not so low and then we seem to then often survive for at least another month. Last year was even better and the Salvias were not really hit until early December when we became blanketed by snow.

Ignoring any general global warming trend, I read that we may now be moving into a short term cooler period (there seems to be a cycle of about 25 years or so between highs and lows) and so I may have to get used to September frosts once again. Of course, by then, I may be just pushing up daisies and not bothering with Salvias.

Naturally you are most welcome to visit although from the above you can guess that timing can be crucial if you want to see the display at its best. You must also take in Robin's garden as he always has gems that we others drool over.

I'm thinking about your request of naming the plants in my pics. It's a bit of a task but probably worth the effort. Give me some time on this.

Finally, I was pleased to see Robin include Salvia 'Imelda' on his site. This was a seedling I found near S. greggii 'Peach' in late 2008 and which flowered for me in 2009. I named it after my wife's middle name. It is proving to be much sturdier than Peach - which I love but seem to lose after a couple years or so. Here is a pic of the very first flower of Imelda:

Jim

I'll start with an apology to desertsage - who kicked off this thread - and say that the accompanying pics are certainly not what are flowering in my garden now.

A black mess partly covered with snow is what I currently see when I look out into the garden!

The pics below are just repeats of nearly all those I posted back on 13th October and are to answer the request of Michelle (voodoobrew) to give the names of the plants in the pics. Not all are named but I hope this will suffice.

Jim

Salvia spathacea and S. "Dara's Choice" (S. mellifera X S. sonomensis). S. mellifera appears to be preparing to flower in a couple of weeks. S. clevelandii never totally stopped. Main bloom period for genuine S. clevelandii (most nursery plants are hybrids) is May-June, but there've continuously been a few flowers even up to now.

Salvia greggii, and S. leucantha still has blooms both in a protected area. And Pineapple sage in pots in a wagon, that gets pushed out of the the barn every morning.

Jim,

Thanks so much for naming the plants -- excellent job tagging the photos! There are quite a few pictured that we can't get here; e.g. I have been looking for S. haenkii Prawn Chorus here, to no avail. I do have the westerae hybrid.

I envy your garden. I wish my salvias would grow that huge! The rhinosina is incredible. S. meyeri doesn't like my yard... is it really the same plant?

You must have a lot of fun trying to over-winter everything. :-)

cheers, and happy gardening in 2011!
Michelle

S. meyeri or S. rhinosina, or whatever, is very variable according to Robin Middleton and Rolando Uria. So is S. guaranitica, and both are tuberous species.

I'm discovering that quite a few of the newly introduced sages are tuberous, including S. lineata, S. clinopodioides, and S. stolonifera. I haven't seen tubers on S. oxyphora yet. S. longistyla from Oaxaca shows signs of forming fat soboles like stolonifera. The first two are hardy in USDA zone 7, so I'll be setting all of these except longistyla out in postage stamp gardens this summer.

Robin did mention that Prawn Chorus and leucocephala are high on the list of sages to be brought to the USA. I'll be looking to get back S. x westerae for outdoor trialling.