I have started Angelonia from seed that was saved from the plant - quite succesfully. Last year was the first year that I saved seed from both white and purple plants. I get a lot of white, purple and some pink. I had no pink plants that I havested seed from so apparently they do not always come true to color but the white ones I harvested did produce white seedlings. You need to let the seed mature on the plant and you'll find the best ones toward the bottom of the flower stalk. I waited until end of Sept/Oct to harvest and just placed them in an envelope for the winter. I started them around the beginning of March - 10 weeks before frost. I have also harvested blue victoria seeds and they are super easy to harvest hundreds of seed that are in flower stalks. I usually just cut off the stalks and store in envelopes for the winter and then use a little strainer and put the dried flower stalks in and sift out the seeds. I start those about 12 weeks before frost Definely try the Angelonia seeds - I'm going to try to harvest even more this year because they are great plants.

token and trowelgal, thank you so much, saved token's instructions. I'll try to do with the stubble that remains as trowelgal suggested, don't have paving stones but some bricks or glass blocks over cardboard might do along with plenty of leaves I have. I hate to buy new, too, but maintaining plants over the winter is getting to be a chore, still don't want to give it up. I grew Salvia Sangria from T&M from seeds a few years back, started too early in my sr, got crooked. So I tied them to little stakes. When I set them out, they straightened up, are interesting plants, and that was the only one of my flowers I saw a pair of hummingbirds go for. My neighbor tells me he had scads of them on his hisbiscus on his deck. The following year I tried a mix Salvia Salsa and added a purple. Those didn't do so well in back. Neither did the Blue Ribbon (looked pretty blue in the photo but more purple) ones I planted where I had had the Sangria the year before. They were disappointing. All annuals. I don't think I have any perennial ones although there are some for my zone. Burpee has what looks to be a beautiful Cathedral Mix, but they're pricey and you only get three plants, so I passed on those. Would love to try some of those from seeds though if they ever become available or may splurge next year if I don't have to buy more of the black and white. Thanks for posting the photos, enjoyed them. They never appealed to me but have grown on me.

Oh-oh, Mary Ann--now that I see the photo, I realize that I have steered you in the wrong direction. When you mentioned the Black and Blue salvia, I mistakenly assumed you were referring to Salvia patens, what is often referred to as 'Blue Angel' and similar varieties (see link below). These and the Black and Blue (S. guarantica) do have fleshy roots that can be saved in the house over winter. If yours really looks like the one in your photo, I can understand why you didn't find any fleshy roots. It is more likely to be Salvia nemorosa or something similar to that (a "meadow sage") and those are hardy here, at least in the ground. (See http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/SAEF.html) I have only overwintered those in the ground. My understanding is that a pot exposes plants to harsher conditions more like increasing the zone rating a couple of numbers, so your effort of digging them may not have been wasted. With fibrous roots, like your plants have, I don't think the strategy of keeping them in a bag will work well as it does for the fleshy roots I was talking about. You don't by any chance have a place in the ground that you could dig up quickly and water those plants in well (and repeatedly until the ground freezes hard for the winter) instead, do you? If you do, I would try that strategy instead. I am very sorry I misunderstood what type of salvia you were talking about! It does sound like you had quite a fight with those roots, but they may have a better chance of overwintering out of the containers. There's a FAQ on this page about overwintering perennials in pots that seems to offer good advice. http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/faq.html#winter Good luck! I hope it works for you. Here is a link that might be useful: Salvia patens 'Blue Angel'

Liz, I save at least a few geranium plants each year. I don't have an attached garage or any stucture outside that doesn't get below freezeing temps so I just overwinter them indoors with the housplants. Plants have gotten pretty expensive, so it's good to share tips on how to make them last more than a couple of seasons. Salvias are one of my favorite plants. I think I bought at least one salvia this year that won't take a zone 5 winter. Now I need to find the plant tag so I can remember which one it was! Thanks for the tip! Barb