All the Dirt on Gardening

Salvia Azurea seeds started Nov 2017 Salvias are one of the best plants for my big back yard because they are reliable perennials that bloom in blues and reds that make me stare. There are at least a dozen Salvias that will make you stare at their little flowers this summer. And the butterflies love them so butterfly watching is part of the joy. Salvia Azurea I've posted photos of my best ones - the ones that are reliable in our Muskogee yard with minimal care. I'm sure other gardeners grow more and you are invited to share which Salvias work well in your gardens. Pineapple sage is one I received as a plant so I take cuttings at the end of every summer to ensure its continuation in the flower beds. Pineapple Sage My other really successful Salvia is another tall blue one with large leaves. I started them from seed several years ago and they return both from the roots and from seed. Blue Salvia Hot Lips Salvia does really well here also. So well in...

Now in its 4th year! The tricolor sage pulled through another winter in zone 7. Tried and true. Low maintenance. Great butterfly attracting plant when in flower. Avoid wet soil. Use as a decorative and great scented garden plant and harvest for the kitchen. Tricolor is a beautiful addition to the herb bed, along the rock walkway. Betsy Clebsch, author of  "New Book of Salvias", said it is one of the early medicinals discovered in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. Give it good drainage and full sun. The leaves vary widely from white cream, grey cream to rose. She also said, "I find this plant indispensable." More info - Monrovia plants Plants available from Mountain Valley Growers Start from seed if you like. When your plants are large enough you can propagate Salvia officinalis by taking cuttings and by layering.

Tennessee Cushaw Sweet Potato Squash is called a winter squash since they are harvested in the fall and keep well over the winter. A few seeds came to me from Tulsa World garden writer Russell Studebaker through his friend Felder Rushing. Russell wanted the heirloom preserved so I grew the plants and distributed them to a few gardeners. This flower is a male - no fruit attached at the base of the flower - and it had 6 bees in it at the same time. That pollen must be divine food. The book, Renewing America's Food Traditions, from Chelsea Green Publishers, has a bit of information about it. Click here to read. I'm becoming a Salvia collector of sorts. A former garden writer for the Muskogee Phoenix, Ronn Smith, gave me my first plants and seeds of Lady In Red. Then I started looking for perennial Salvias . Betsy Clebsch's book on Salvias is a great resource. Another friend, Sharon Owen introduced me to her favorite salvia resources and we started ordering plants toge...

Betsy Clebsch has done it again - her "New Book of Salvias" is terrific. Clebsch said that since Salvias are known for their healing properties due to the chemicals in their make-up, they appeal to peoples around the globe. Well, that may be true but their beauty and their appeal to butterflies keeps their numbers increasing in my flower beds. Clebsch describes herself as an amateur botanist and lover of plants. She lives in the mountains between San Jose and Santa Cruz California - my old stomping grounds. Salvias there are sometimes evergreen. Timber Press is the publisher. The book is softcover, 344 pages and around $20. There are so many salvias that thrive in our gardens. And, oh the colors! Of course I want the ones that are fragile here but I actually grow a dozen of them that are hardy here. Mountain Valley Growers is one of the sources on the web. I've had pretty good luck with their organic plants. If you have some salvias, consider adding more of these relia...