Re: Salvia for shade?

In a message dated 10/28/02 9:16:44 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
genebush@otherside.com writes:


>     I have been meaning to do my homework for some time now on Salvia. My
> wife grows several of them as annuals in her raised beds and they are nice,
> indeed. By the way... what is the difference between a sage and a salvia?



Gene,


Off the top of my head, w/o looking up any of the actual plant names, I would 
say all sages are Salvia, sage being the common name and attached in way or 
another to many different plants.  All sages that are edible or common garden 
plants will be Salvia.  Some plants called sage of one sort or another are 
not Salvia but usually dry land plants.  Many or probably most are in some 
measure aromatic.  So much new stuff is always arriving one cannot try to be 
on top of the perennial picture without searching around constantly.

There is the Salvia page owned by Richard Dufresne who knows more about 
Salvia than anyone I have ever heard on the subject.  He probably has an 
email address posted and loves questions on Salvias. He is also in the NARGS 
member directory which is online if you cannot find the page.  My computer 
has had a lot of work on it this past summer and fall resulting in the loss 
of many bookmarks or I would post here.  Dufresne is in, I think??,  North 
Carolina so he would be about your zone and climate.  He sells some plants.

None of the Salvias grown here will grow well in shade.  That is not to say 
there are none, just that I don't have any in shade.  Grown in half sand the 
zone 6 rated plants will survive here and do well.  HighCountrygardens.com 
has some advice and lot of Salvias including one that is a terrific plant for 
me, Salvia nemerosa 'Plumosa'.  This has huge flower heads and good foliage.  
There are shades in blue and purple of many species that are so interesting.  
Ordinary Salvia sclarea,  which is grown from seed,  is long lived and 
reblooms for me.  It is on the seed exchange lists with dozens of others.

Salvias were weedy, I thought, years ago or summer annuals.  It is another 
genus that has caught on with gardeners with many newer and beautiful plants 
available.  They are the perfect cottage garden plant, bushy, many small 
flowers, long bloom period and fill in between earlier blooming perennials 
for late summer color.  Many are on the tall side but all sizes are 
represented.

There is the very vigorous 'Purple Rain'.  This by being popular and 
appearing in the Walmart has lost some of it's glow but it is still a very 
good garden plant.  You might try 'Purple Rain' in a less sunny area.  It is 
a very strong plant, blooms on every stalk, lasts a long time and might be 
worth try in shade.  I have a clump of 'Purple Rain that is four feet wide 
and might actually need some restraining.

Gene, while happy in the shade, you could creep over the edge into your 
spouse's sunny garden once in while.  Most gardeners cannot keep themselves 
confined to one specialty, they simply have to try some new challenges or 
they are not happy.  At least that is how it goes with me and the results are 
an everchanging garden which somehow just happens.

Claire Peplowski
NYS z4   

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