Saturday, October 2, 2010

Blue Salvia - Salvia uliginosa - Lin Frye

Daily Practice
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With the heavy rains we've had this week, the change in temperatures and the turning of the season, there are still a few stalwart flowers in the garden -- this salvia is one of them. The flowers reside in a corner of my front garden where the salvia sits among ornamental grasses. I have a larger patch of it growing in a more moist conditon in one of the gardens behind my house.

Salvia uliginosa is a perennial plant that blooms from early summer through fall. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds are attracted to its blossoms. It has been described as an 'enthusiastic' plant in that it reproducts readily by underground stolons and can spread very nicely with little help. For those who wish to keep it a bit more 'contained', the plants are easily pulled out by hand. Though it prefers moist soil (another common name for this is 'bog sage') and can reach 50" tall, in dryer growing conditions, bog sage will remain around 3' tall. I love the 'heavenly blue' of the flowers -- a welcome addition to any garden, especially for all the winged wildlife it attracts.

Our temperatures have dropped considerably this weekend and are utterly delightful.

Have a great weekend!

Lin Frye
North Carolina

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