Southern Sojourns and Salvias
by Barbara Hopkins, Markham Board Member
I've just returned from a trip back east which included a few days in Nashville, Tennessee. As is my custom when travelling, I like to see what private gardens are like in the area and visit any interesting public ones. In the case of Nashville this fall, the experience can be pretty much summed up in one word - mums. Somebody somewhere is making a lot of money growing mums for Nashville because they are everywhere - yellow, orange, gold, rust mums. Lots of color maybe not so much imagination.
I did have the opportunity to visit Nashville's premiere public garden - Cheekwood. It is a large garden (55 acres) filled with many interesting plants and of course, you guessed it, mums. Once again, travelling made me appreciate how very fortunate I am to live and garden in Contra Costa County with the variety of plants and the gardening resources we have available.
At Cheekwood, I did happen to notice a couple of varieties of a plant that made me think of home - Salvias. So easy to grow and dependable for long periods of color, Salvias are a mainstay in many of our gardens. At Markham we have an entire bed devoted to Salvias. It is ably nurtured by one of our core volunteers, Dianne Johnsen. Dianne knows all there is to know about salvias and is frequently found on Tuesday mornings and at the Saturday plant sales counseling people on selecting and growing salvias (and other plants and garden topics too - she's a Master Gardener).
Another excellent source for information on Salvias is the Cabrillo College Horticulture Website http://www.cabrillo.edu/academics/horticulture/salvias/html/). Cabrillo College is located in Santa Cruz County and one of its specialties is Salvias. Their 34th annual sale is for three days over Mother Day's weekend - well worth a visit if you are in the area.
Listed below are some of the salvias available and looking good at Markham (info and pictures are from Cabrillo's website).
Salvia Waverly (Hybrid of unknown origin)
Full Sun or Part Shade
25-30 degrees and 4'x6'
Spring-fall bloomer.
Purple tinge to textured leaves when grown in sun.
Salvia uliginosa (Bog Sage from South America)
Full Sun or Part Shade
15� and 6'x6'
Summer bloomer; spreads by running roots (stolons).
Cut back before spring; best in some shade.
Salvia 'Hot Lips' (from Oaxaca, Mexico)
Strybing Arboretum introduction
Full Sun or Part Shade
30� and 3'x3'
Spring-fall bloomer. Flowers vary from white to
white/red to totally red on same plant.
Salvia 'Anthony Parker'
(Garden hybrid: S. leucantha 'Midnight' x S. elegans)
Anthony Parker Sage
Full Sun or Part Shade
30� and 3'x4'
Summer-fall bloomer.
Great flower color and leaf texture.
Salvia mexicana 'Limelight' (Mexico)
Full Sun or Part Shade
25� and 4'x4'
Summer-fall bloomer; protect from wind.
Striking combination of blue corolla and lime-green
calyx; calyx color varies in seedlings: lime or black.
Salvia 'Phyllis Fancy' (UCSC garden hybrid)
Full Sun or Part Shade
25-30� and 3'x3'
Spring-fall bloomer; flowers similar in shape
and size to S. 'Waverly.'