Blue Salvia

I have been out of town recently to the New York Fancy Food show and LA Gift Show looking for new products for my Gourmet Fusion store. That was great fun, but when I got back home, my container garden looked the worse for wear! Apart from being really dry, which is easily fixed, everything was being eaten by caterpillars, slugs and a few grasshoppers.

So I salvaged what I could, and headed to the store to buy more plants . Unfortunately, I think the hot, dry weather we have had this last week had taken its toll there as well, and everything looked wilting, dried up or was being attacked by some kind of insect. These blue salvia (sage) did look bright and healthy, so I bought a couple of boxes and headed home to plant them. I am not sure which type of Salvia I have purchased, but it looks like salvia chamaedryoides or Germander Sage. The label on my purchase just said Salvia Blue with the description: cool blue flower spikes on compact plants. use in borders, beds, pots. Plant in sun or part sun - grows 12" tall. Here's the more technical approach from the Sunset Western Garden Book for Germander Sage.

Salvia Chamaedryoides Facts

Origin: Perennial from eastern Mexico.
Size: Rounded plant 1-2 feet tall; spreading 2-3 feet by underground runners.
Leaves: Silvery, 3/4-inch long leaves.
Flowers: Brilliant, true blue 1-inch flowers on stems to 8-inch long.
Blooming Season: Heaviest bloom comes in late spring and fall, with intermittent flowering during the rest of the growing season.
Additional Care: Deadhead to encourage rebloom.
Watering: Drought tolerant, but blooms longer and better with more water.

I'm not sure how successful these will be for me, as I've had the red variety before and it seemed to need far too much water for my southern California yard, however, it says these are somewhat drought tolerant, so I might be lucky with the blue. For now they look good anyway!