New Forum Please? "Agastaches & Salvias"

Allison,

Thanks for the nice words!

I've been ordering my plants (Agastaches and Salvias) now for Spring planting. Getting most of my mail order from High Country Gardens and Lazy S'S Farm and Nursery. They are both Garden Watchdog 30 companies. I've been ordering from HCG since Spring 2005 and Lazy S'S since Spring 2006. I've been very happy with both. Both sell potted plants. I've never heard of bare root Agastaches and/or Salvias. I don't know how people trade both of those plants. I've only bought potted plants locally and mail order.

http://highcountrygardens.com/

http://www.lazyssfarm.com/index.html

Since you're in FL, I don't know when you plant. Is it all year? Here in KY, I'm getting ready for the Spring planting by ordering plants now for planting in April - May. Salvias and Agastaches need to get in the ground then so they can get their roots in and grow for the season. Alot of Salvias aren't hardy here in my zone 6 garden and they're annuals for me. Some of the Salvias that are zone 7 rated (and possibly the zone 8 ones), I plant in the ground and hope they overwinter. Agastaches usually are hardy for me in zone 6. I make sure they are all very well draining.

Salvias and Agastaches are addicting to me!

Marilyn

Twinklingstar,

I've always bought my all my Agastaches in potted forms. I would guess that they are easy to reseed. I don't honestly know if Agastache seeds flower the first year. During the growing season, I keep mine deadheaded so that they keep blooming for the Hummingbirds and to enjoy the blooms. Agastaches are a great plant to grow because the are long blooming, look beautiful, smell great and the extra special bonus is that they attract Hummingbirds! I don't cut back on my Agastaches until mid Spring until I see new growth. It's to insure that they 'stay hardy'. I also make sure the Agastaches have very well draining soil, a lean soil with 'all purpose' sand added (not rich), full sun and to add gravel on top (I use pea gravel), not wood/bark mulch. Agastaches like to have a dry soil, esp. in the Winter.

I mainly grow plants and flowers for the Hummingbirds, birds and Butterflies. It's a joy to see them! I feed the birds every day year round (ground feeding and through feeders). I have 4 Hummingbirds feeders with perches (they like to perch).

I love all Agastaches, but if I had to pick one that I love the most to be my favorite, it would have to be, Agastache barberi x mexicana 'Tutti-Frutti'. It's a very beautiful one.!

Here's a closeup of it blooming 9/25/06.

Marilyn

Here's another pic, same day of 'Tutti Frutti'

Josephine,

Your Salvias are beautiful!!! ;-))

Marilyn

Your flowers are lovely. Tutti Fruitti is one of the varieties I was thinking of ordering.

Tutti Frutti is offered at Lazy S'S Farm Nursery http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/A_files/Ac-Ag.htm

Another pic of it.

Thanks for the nice words Twinklingstar!

I did a search in Plant Scout and fount all kinds of Agastaches & Salvias" for sale ! Doing it this way I can then check into in Plant Files and then check the sellers out in too !

This message was edited Feb 8, 2007 4:38 PM

Here is search I did in Plant Scounts for Salvia
http://davesgarden.com/ps/search.php?search_text=Salvia&submit=Search
Some sell plants, some sell seeds. I think cuttings can be rooted on some types,seeds collected fpr trading !
You can look up info from my search not only where to shop for them but to Plant files to learn about
I was also noticing in reading about Salvia are same family " Lamiaceae " as Coleus,Sage, Mint..
Some vendors sell seeds,some plants.
For example Plant Files says Salvia 'Purple Majesty'
Propagation Methods:
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)
From softwood cuttings
Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored

Agastache same family too ! Family: Lamiaceae
Also many in Plant Files But you growers of these beautiful plants need to post pictures in Plant Files Please !
Also many sellers in Plant Scounts selling these beauties !
http://davesgarden.com/ps/search.php?search_text=Agastache&submit=Search

Allison,

That was an great search! I got it bookmarked and plan do look at it when I have alot more time soon. I never did a search like that, so "it's new to me". ;-))

I've been posting pics in the plant files, but need to do more.

Thanks!

Marilyn

Twinklingstar,

Here's another pic of Agastache 'Tutti Frutti' I planted 7/7/05.

Edited to add....

That's Agastache 'Blue Fortune' behind 'Tutti Frutti'.

Allison,

I'll check to see if I added this pic in PFand if not, I'll add it. I just added it. ;-))

Marilyn

This message was edited Feb 8, 2007 6:40 PM

This message was edited Feb 8, 2007 6:47 PM

My favorite agastache is "Summer Breeze"

Wcgypsy,

Sounds wonderful and beautiful! I haven't grown that one, but want to. Gotta get it! ;-))

Chuck,

Here's my Agastache 'Desert Sunrise' that I planted last year. This was taken on 10/22/06 and is next to Salvias 'Wild Thing' and 'Indigo Spires'.

Chuck,

A closeup of Agastache 'Desert Sunrise' that I planted last year. This was taken on 10/22/06 and is next to Salvias 'Wild Thing' and 'Indigo Spires'.

Chuck,

'Desert Sunrise' on 9/25/06 late afternoon.

Salvia 'Lady in Red' to the very far left, 2 plants of Salvia 'Wild Thing' forground left, Salvia 'Indigo Spires' behind 'DS'.

Your plants are beautiful. I can see why you prefer the pea gravel--looks better as well as drains better.

Dear Marilynbeth,

I purchased the Agastache 'Desert Sunrise' from High Country Gardens also. I regularly order from them (Spring and Fall). I will see how they do next year and see if they do it again so I can take photos.

I need an expert on Salvia Leucophylla. Our plant is six feet long and has beautiful silver green foilage. However we have owned it since I won it in a raffle at a plant workshop in Fall 2004. However, it has never bloomed. It is in shade during winter but during summer most of it is in the sun. Would this be why it hasn't bloomed? Maybe I am watering it too much?

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks,

Chuck

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/64162/
Transplant , Sun and feed it
Salvia leucophylla Pt. Sal
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/198.htm
http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/S/Salvia_leucophylla.htm

Chuck,

I don't have any experience with that Salvia, but hopefully, someone does and will give you some info regarding it.

Chuck,
My leucophyllas, Point Sal, Bees' Bliss and Amethyst Bluff are new plantings, but they've been put out with my matilija poppies to receive full sun and very little water. I think yours would like more sun. Maybe someone has grown them longer to give an opinion.
Sherry

I think a lot of salvia's like it a bit on the drier side, I don't have this specific one, but my others all do fine on very little water (once they're established at least). It may also be not enough sun--I don't think some shade in the winter is going to matter much, but when you say that "most of it is in sun" in the summer, that makes me think maybe it's partial shade rather than full sun which it would prefer. Also, how are you fertilizing it? If your fertilizer has a lot of nitrogen in it, it will stimulate growth but not blooms.

Fireant,

Thanks for the nice words! ;-))

Marilyn

Photo is ......

Salvia 'Cherry Chief' (2 plants), 3 plants of Agastache 'Red Fortune on the right of CC, several different Lavenders in front and Vervena Bonariedsis on the left on 8/20/06 in bed between the diveway and the sidesalk.

Closeup of the same Salvia 'Cherry Chief'. Salvia greggii.

Love it alot! Great Salvia!

Marilyn

Beautiful !

I am wild for Salvias, and enjoy Agastache too. I hope a new forum for these fine plants stands up and soon!

Joseph

Ditto to the above, love those hardy salvias!

Marilyn, very inspiring photo. My zone 5 is a little too cold for lots of the salvias, but I keep trying.

Donna

Donna,

I grow alot of Salvias as annual and hope they Winter over. They're just so beautiful.

Marilyn

Marilynbeth, It's aggravating, isn't it? Here I can do all the salvias I wish..but pretty hard for peonies, lilacs, all those things that like your colder winters. Why can't we have it all?
Sherry

I did not have a specific forum in which to post my salvia photos so I started one in the herbs forum. Here is the link: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/524166/

Nice to find other Salviaphiles!

Joseph

Sherry.

Yes, it is aggravating!!! LOL

I want to be able to grow all the Salvias (and all those tender and 'tropical' plants) and not have them die at frost and/or freeze!!! :-((

Marilyn

What requirements do salvia and agastache have? --as far as growing season care goes--deadheading and trimming? Do they require a lot of attention to look as good as they do?

Marilyn, Great pics of your salvia's. I've heard Tutti Frutti is a good Hummer magnet!

I would love to see a forum for salvia & agastache. I'm way too cold for almost all salvias but I keep trying anyway. Also grow agastache every year.

Zone 2! Wow, can't even imagine what your winter temps must be like! There are some annual salvias as well as the perennial ones, I bet you could grow some of those (or grow the perennial ones as annuals).

ecrane3, you have no idea how many salvias I try to grow. I always have S. guaranitica as an annual, I just seem to be too busy by Oct & don't get around to potting it up. I have seed for about 16 varieties that I am going to try this year. My motto is try everything once.

As far as our winters go, it gets pretty cold. Had -50 last week. Have been having a cold snap for two weeks now, but very little snow this year, which is so unusual for us.

I think Marilynbeth's garden will be a good indicator for me of what is definitely hardy here. I had thought originally that everything in salvias would be okay at my place, but had never had a winter like this one. Many of my plantings are new and it's surprising that some of them are still okay.
I don't think Tequila made it through, but Mole Poblano does have new growth at the soil level. I need to go out and take a good look today. I see the ash trees have new leaf buds,other things as well, thinking it's spring. Surely we won't get any more freezes here....Hopeful to the max. I'm cutting back some of the leucanthas next to the house anyway, they'd be safe. It's so difficul to wait a few more weeks to clean things up. There's so much to do.

I have a number of salvias that should usually be hardy here but this winter may have been too much for them (mine got planted really late too--around Thanksgiving), hoping they'll come back though! My Tequila looks pretty dead right now too. There are some more tropical salvias though, I have S. dombeyi which I picked up at UC Berkeley plant sale and it's only hardy to zone 10, so it goes in the greenhouse with my tropicals. Mine hasn't bloomed yet but it has the most gorgeous huge red flowers, first time I saw it I just HAD to have it!
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/98527/index.html

ecrane3, have you tried to root cuttings of dombeyi? I would love to try that one out. You can't find it in mail order businesses.

Joseph