![]() ![]() I guess some plants become common because they are GOOD plants to grow in a garden and get over-planted, which then becomes their downfall, and one reason why they grow out of favor. How many gardeners know the answer to the question… what does your garden smell like?Īnd we often do ignore the “common plants”, in favor of exotic, new plants. And smelling a fragrance again, in another setting, brings back memories of the garden we first smelled it in. We may recall how something smelled long after the image fades in our minds. I would add another question… how often do we plan for fragrance in our gardens, and where that fragrance will be? Scent in the garden is important, and often the scent is the main memory that people take from a place. Consider checking your local online gardening forums to see if a particular plant might work in your region.Īll material © 2006-2013 by Pam Penick for Digging. I wish I could provide more information about how these plants might perform in other parts of the country, but gardening knowledge is local. The plants I recommend are ones I’ve grown myself and have direct experience with. Note: My Plant This posts are written primarily for gardeners in central Texas. In between those hard cuts, whenever the blooms seem a little tired, I give them a light trim-just the top couple of inches-to refresh them. The stubby, little mounds will put out new, green growth immediately, followed by new blooms. I cut mine back with hedge shears by 1/3 to 1/2 in mid-February (late winter in Austin), early to mid-May, and late August. Prune Salvia greggii back hard in late winter, early summer, and late summer-even if it’s still blooming. And this salvia is largely disease and pest resistant. The fragrance that pleases the gardener may also repel deer. Just give it a good drink every 10 to 14 days in summer if you haven’t had rain, the same as most tough garden plants, and it’ll keep its good looks.ĩ. While Autumn sage can survive periods of drought, it isn’t going to look its best while doing so. ![]() But if you want it to look its best, don’t starve it of water. Give it full or mostly sun and well-drained soil, and it’ll thrive. There are a number of different flower colors to choose from, although the two most popular in Austin are bright pink and red. To keep this from happening, you must prune it hard a few times a year (more below).ħ. Over time, the pliable, green branches become woody, and the plant becomes a sere version of its former self. The most common mistake I see in the upkeep of Autumn sage is neglecting to trim it. It doesn’t require dividing, rarely seeds out, and only requires a hard trim a few times a year to keep it looking fresh. It smells wonderful when you brush against it, so plant it near paths or at entries where people will touch it.Ħ. It stays compact, so if you plant it along your foundation it won’t try to eat your house.Ĥ. The best show is in spring and fall, but mine blooms in summer and winter too.ģ. It blooms off and on year-round, not just in autumn. It may thin out a bit in winter, but that’s the perfect time to give it a hard pruning in preparation for spring.Ģ. It’s nearly evergreen in Austin’s mild climate. So here’s my question: why do so many people (myself included) take Autumn sage for granted? Or brush it off as too common? Or plant it but let it straggle along in an unkempt state and then grow to hate it? I’m here to sing the praises of Salvia greggii :ġ. Afterward, driving around town on errands, I could still smell it. ![]() “It’s just the Salvia greggii ,” I say, taking for granted the clean, minty scent of this shrubby native that I’ve planted on either side of my entry.īut yesterday I was out pulling weeds under the salvia, my arms buried in its lower branches, my nose in the fresh leaves and pink flowers on top, and-WOW!-the delicious fragrance bowled me over. Salvia microphylla is a similar red flowering species from the Sierra Madres of Mexico.In the past month, three different visitors to my garden have commented on its fragrance as they walk through the front gate. Blooms spring to fall but best in autumn. Many cultivars available including “Furman’s Red” and “Sierra Linda”. Gardener’s notes: Chihuahuan desert native long used in landscaping worldwide. Odd colored flower varieties often not as heat and drought resistant as traditional reddish hues. Flowers normally cherry red to pink but also white, yellow, orange, rose and purple.Ĭare and Maintenance: Pruning required to reinvigorate foliage and blooming. Physical Description: Brilliant 1″ flowers slightly above glossy, bright green aromatic leaves on woody, densely foliaged branches. Southwest Plant of the Month: Autumn sage, Cherry sage –Salvia greggiiĬolors: Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow ![]()
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