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!

Verbenas

Verbenas are one of the most popular plants for container gardens. They come in a variety of colors inherited from many different types of verbena. Verbena peruviana supplies the red hues, while verbena phlogifolia and verbena incisa contribute to the pink and purple nuances. They grow abundantly in groups of dense umbrella spikes in colors ranging from white through pink, red and purple to blue and violet. They make a spectacular show in containers, in borders or hanging baskets and are relatively easy to care for. The red "Salome" shown in this picture, grows about 12 inches high and has small white eyes.

VerbrnaFacts

• Blooming Season: Outdoors from June to October.
• Family: Verbenaceae (verbena family).
  
• Origin: Original forms, South America.
  
• Location: Sunny.
  
• Potting Soil: All-purpose soil, enriched with slow-release fertilizer.
• Planting: Set young plants 8 inches apart.
• Watering, Feeding: Water abundantly, but avoid standing water. Apply a low dose of fertilizer every two weeks.
  
• Further Care: Deadhead spent flowers regularly.
  
• Pests, Diseases: Aphids, whiteflies, spidermites, thrips, powdery mildew.
• Decorating Tip: The cool tones of verbena look stunning with silvery foliage or flowering plants such as dusty miller.
  

The above information and much more can be found in the very useful book, Container Plants: For Patios, Balconies, and Window Boxes.

New Guinea Impatiens (Busy Lizzie)

I've not had to spend too much time in the garden recently, mainly because the weather has been just perfect to keep flowers blooming. Cool and sunny, so there's no scorching sun in the afternoon, and I think we can safely say that the rain is over for this year.

I planted some New Guinea Impatiens a couple of weeks ago, and they are amazing. They are very easy to grow and look spectacular in outdoor landscapes, container gardens like mine, and hanging baskets. These flowers display intensely colored shades of orange, pink and violet. The flower pictured above is called Raspberry Cream.

Impatiens Facts

• Blooming Season: Outdoors from June to October.
  
• Origin: Original forms, tropical East Africa, Sri Lanka, India, and New Guinea.
• Location: Sunny to shady.
• Potting Soil: All-purpose soil, enriched with slow-release fertilizer.
• Planting: Set young plants 8 - 10 inches apart.
• Watering, Feeding: Keep damp during growth period and apply low doses of fertilizer weekly until August.
  
• Further Care: Trim plants now and then to promote branching.
  
• Pests, Diseases: Aphids, whiteflies, mites, slugs.
• Decorating Tip: These plants can be mixed with other container plants, such as ivy, to create a beautiful effect.
  

The above information and much more can be found in the very useful book, Container Plants: For Patios, Balconies, and Window Boxes.

Zonal Geraniums (Pelargonium)

Now that spring is truly here and summer is fast approaching, these amazing flowers can be seen in abundance in gardens, borders and hanging baskets. The zonal geranium which originated in South Africa, grows to a height of 14 inches, are descended from the zoned geranium, Pelargonium zonale, Pelargonium inquinans and other species. The colors of the single, demi-double or double umbels range from all shades of red and pink. Less common are salmon-colored and pure white.


Geranium Facts

• Blooming Season: April to October.
• Origin: Original forms, South Africa.
• Location: Sunny to partially shady.
  
• Potting Soil: All-purpose mix or loamy, humus-rich garden soil.
  
• Planting: Set young plants 8 - 10 inches apart.
• Watering, Feeding: Water abundantly during growth period, but avoid standing water. Feed weekly until late August.
• Further Care: Deadhead spent flowers regularly.
• Pests, Diseases: Aphids, spider mites, whitefiles, geranuim rust, boytrytis, geranium wilt.
• Propogation: By cuttings, from August to mid-March at latest, December to January at a ground temperature over 68 degrees c.
  
• Decorating Tip: Tone-on-tone combinations of white and red hanging geraniums with white or red zonal cultivars are especially beautiful.

These plants make an amazing show and are especially easy to look after.