My new best friend Sarah Raven has been badgering me {Meaning I read it on her website} to be planting Salvia Patens undercover right now. Now being the careful and cautious chappie I am, I thought to myself that this is a little early…however I am also a latent Rock and Roll star…so I have sown some.
Yes indeed, throwing better judgement to the wind I sowed a test tray in the greenhouse. Though to be fair after last weeks disaster when the shed blew into it it is more…well…let’s say perforated than it should be. It feels good to be sowing seeds and I got somewhat carried away planting a further tray of Snapdragons, Calendular and Ammi Majus.
Much like the chaps and chappesses who frequent the gentile jardins that make up The Higgledy Garden, Salvia Patens ‘Rocks out’ for the free world. What an amazing hue of perfect blue. There are varieties in Mexico, where it’s native, that grow to six foot tall!
Although it is classed as an annual in the UK it can be overwintered in a green house and all will be hunky dory the following year. I am also of the understanding that it’s tubers can be lifted and stored like Dalias. {Though I heard that from a bloke in the pub who then went on to tell me he was in the SAS before turning around and walking straight into the fruit machine}
Some people call Salvia Patens ‘Gentian Sage’…to my mind this sounds like a dodgy old folk band and should be avoided.
Plant out in well drained soil and in full sun…the little darling should give you blooms from late June till September.
Have you grown Salvia Patens? Would you share with us the highlights and lowlights of your experiences?
Kind regards
Ben
If you enjoyed this scintillating and informative post that why not read some more? Its free and good for your brain. Try…Top Fifty Annuals for cutting…come on ‘chop chop’…no time to waste…Spring is coming.
May 17, 2012 @ 12:51 pm
I’ve had Salvia Patens in my garden now for several years. It has proved to be hardy, even in last winter’s very low temperatures – possibly because I planted fairly large plants so they would already have had large tubers. I do mulch it well in Autumn to give it a bit of protection and it is in a bed that is partly protected by a large tree so does not normally get very wet. The colour is divine and it flowers for months and months, though it is slow to appear in Spring so I always wonder if it has succumbed to the winter.
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February 14, 2011 @ 10:55 pm
Do use the hellebore pics, very happy for you to use flowery pics as long as you link back.
That blue is awesome, I grew a handful last year, but they never made it into a bouquet last year for some reason.
February 14, 2011 @ 9:53 pm
What an amazing blue, I must have missed those when looking through the SR catalogue; there is so much amazing stuff in there that it’s not difficult to overlook things. Not sown much myself yet, just Lupins, Nicotiana, and Broadbeans. I’m expecting a delivery of Dahlia tubers next week from Peter Nyssen, can’t wait for those. I hope you spirit of adventure with the early sowing pays off!
February 14, 2011 @ 10:06 pm
Thanks Jason…rest assured if it doesn’t pay off you’ll all know about it! I shall be growing some Dahlias from seed…certainly SR’s ‘Bishop’s Children’ despite them having a creepy name. What Nicotiana did you sow?
February 17, 2011 @ 10:49 pm
I’m trying Nicotiana Affins this year; this is a good tall variety which I’m trying after being disappointed by a shorter variety I grew last year. I’ve never tried Dahilas from seed, do you know how long it will take for them to flower?
February 22, 2011 @ 11:44 am
Excuse me butting in on your conversation but when I grew dahlias from seed they flowered the same year (in the polytunnel). Jan
February 14, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
I love this plant – I grew Salvia patens “Blue Angel” from seed last year, it was in flower by the end of the year. Late Autumn I took the tubers indoors (unheated grrenhouse) – same as dahlias and I see that one of the three is sending out shoots. I also have sown more seed as I want loads of it this year – the colour is divine.
K
PS I have allready sown gazzillions of seeds – early I know but it does wonders for my mental health.
February 14, 2011 @ 10:10 pm
Ha! Yes…very good for mental health…perhaps I should sow my ‘five a day’?
…Blue Angel….nice name.
Love the photo’s on your site.
February 14, 2011 @ 7:21 pm
Salvia Patens (Gentian Sage), or, in other words…
A giant valentine’s passage…
xxx
February 14, 2011 @ 6:36 pm
Nope, never grown it but it is a gorgeous colour. There was something difficult about it, if I remember rightly, which meant I decided not to grow it but now, of course, I can’t remember what. Let me know how you get on. x PS Every bloke I meet in the pub claims to have been in the SAS – no wonder the Defence budget is so high…
February 14, 2011 @ 7:24 pm
…what annuals ARE you growing??? ;)
February 14, 2011 @ 8:07 pm
Don’t ask difficult questions! I’ll show you when you come to visit.x
February 14, 2011 @ 8:55 pm
You’re hiding things from me out of professional secrecy…I’m on to you Mizz Waters…
February 15, 2011 @ 10:44 am
If only I was that clever!