Essential Salvia Varieties For Beds, Borders, Pots And Pollinators
22.11.2023 - 05:03
/ gardeningknowhow.com
It’s little wonder people find it hard to pick their favorite salvia varieties. The choices are seemingly limitless, even if you can narrow it down to a particular color. As well as being vibrant and cheerful, their tall spikes of easy-to-grow flowers are often fragrant. This makes them irresistible to pollinators, bringing in butterflies and hummingbirds.
Available as perennials and annuals, salvia is one of the most sought-after summer bedding plants at garden centers and nurseries. So if you’re keen on growing salvia plants but don’t know where to start, read on for a selection of some of the most enticing.
Salvia species number more than 900 different breeds and cultivars. Given this choice, it can be tricky narrowing down your planting options! You may be after high impact annuals for a particular part of your summer beds. Alternatively, you may fancy growing perennial salvias (or sages, as they are also known) for a reliable ornamental display year after year. Whichever you prefer, here are some of the most easygoing and dynamic types of salvias for mixed beds, borders and container growing.
Perennial salvias are a staple in many gardens. Their tall, drought-tolerant purple, blue, violet, yellow, bicolor and red flowerheads often bloom longer than most perennials. Several salvias grow in shade and many are hardy to USDA zones 6 or 7. Tender perennial salvias often return if planted in a sheltered area.
Annual salvias bloom all summer long in bold reds, purples, pinks, corals and whites. They make spectacular annual bedding plants and they are also standouts in pollinator gardens. They often reseed for the following year.
Salvia plants grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, though some varieties will tolerate