34 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
Botanical
Names
Pineapple sage
Salvia elegansDESIGN: Linda Hostetler; PHOTO: Allan RokachLate-Season
Sages
Flavor the fall garden with
feisty and friendly flowering sages.
great plants
Wʣ
hen tender sages are packaged in 4-inch pots and lined up
along the greenhouse benches at the nursery in spring, it’s
diffi cult to believe that their handful of compact bloom
spikes daintily dancing above tidy foliage could make an impact on
the garden come fall. But these plants get better all season long as
bigger, longer spikes adorned with blowsy blooms emerge magnifi cent
and austere above full, lush foliage—and keep going despite drop-
ping temps. So let’s explore the sages that rule the late-season garden,
whether they bloom from summer to frost, or, like the red pineapple
sage pictured at right, wait until shorter daytime hours to reveal their
irresistible fl owers.
MORE THAN BEAUTY What makes these plants so lovable that
they’re readily grown as annuals in zones where they aren’t even
hardy? For one, they’re problem-solvers for tricky situations: They
tolerate clay soils and periods of drought, handle high heat, don’t
mind humidity, and deer don’t eat them. If you’re looking for low
maintenance, these plants fi t the bill. But even better, pollinators love
them—especially hummingbirds. Their tubular fl owers are built to fi t
a hummingbird’s beak, dusting their foreheads with pollen as they
drink. In return, hummingbirds get a taste of their favorite sucrose-
rich nectar, which not all plants supply. Turn to the next pages to
learn what makes these so fun to design with and so simple to grow.34 GARDENGATE| OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149Botanical
Names
Pineapple sage
Salvia elegans
DESIGN: Linda Hostetler; PHOTO: Allan RokachLate-Season
Sages
Flavor the fall garden with
feistyand friendly flowering sages.
great plants
Wʣ
hen tender sages are packaged in 4-inch pots and lined up
along the greenhouse benches at the nursery in spring, it’s
diffi cult to believe that their handful of compact bloom
spikes daintily dancing above tidy foliage could make an impact on
the garden come fall. But these plants get better all season long as
bigger, longer spikes adorned with blowsy blooms emerge magnifi cent
and austere above full, lush foliage—and keep going despite drop-
ping temps. So let’s explore the sages that rule the late-season garden,
whether they bloom from summer to frost, or, like the red pineapple
sage pictured at right, wait until shorter daytime hours to reveal their
irresistible fl owers.
MORE THAN BEAUTY What makes these plants so lovable that
they’re readily grown as annuals in zones where they aren’t even
hardy? For one, they’re problem-solvers for tricky situations: They
tolerate clay soils and periods of drought, handle high heat, don’t
mind humidity, and deer don’t eat them. If you’re looking for low
maintenance, these plants fi t the bill. But even better, pollinators love
them—especially hummingbirds. Their tubular fl owers are built to fi t
a hummingbird’s beak, dusting their foreheads with pollen as they
drink. In return, hummingbirds get a taste of their favorite sucrose-
rich nectar, which not all plants supply. Turn to the next pages to
learn what makes these so fun to design with and so simple to grow.