36 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
ʣS
ome sages have fl ower spikes that stand erect
above mounded foliage, but others are looser,
larger and more billowy. Their habits determine
where they fi t into your garden design, so let’s look
at options for both.
MASSES OF BEDDING PLANTS Take a look at
the mealycup sage in photo 1 and see how the fl owers
rise so uniformly above the dense foliage. Bunching
multiples of these sages together creates an attractive
and well-behaved mass of color. Because mealycup
sages and the long-blooming anise-scented sages are
generally larger than most other bedding plants, often
around 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, they’re a perfect can-
didate for fi lling large spaces. You can get more bang
for your buck and cover a lot of ground by using only
four or fi ve plants.
Depending on your space, they are best planted in
the middle or back of the border, becoming a good
backdrop for low-growing annuals. Their spikes of
fl owers add excitement and draw attention upward.If they’re in the middle of the border the eyes keep
moving to what’s beyond. Both mealycup and
anise-scented sages bloom from summer and into
fall, but will look much smaller at the beginning of
the season. Give them space when you plant them in
spring or summer so that they don’t get cramped and
crowded. Proper maintenance is essential, too, but
we’ll cover that on the following pages.
CUT OUT FOR CONTAINERS Not only do they
work well planted in numbers, but one or two plants
make an impact in containers. In small pots the bright
blooming spikes of a larger variety could be the
thriller, or focal point. Or use their upright blooms as
an exciting fi ller in a bigger container—angle them
slightly outward when planting so the fl ower spikes
don’t get tangled up or lost in the midst of the thriller
and other fi ller plants. Scarlet sage and Skyscraper
salvia work really well as fi ller plants.
But you’ll see in the windowbox in photo 2 that
scarlet sage can actually take the cake in a planting1 | Variety for the annual border Combine tender sages with other reblooming annuals that hold for applause
deep into the fall. Daisy-shaped petunias and round lantanas contrast nicely in shape, form a solid ground cover
of color and can thrive in the same hot and sunny growing conditions.Designing with Late-Season Sages
Botanical
NamesAnise-scented sage
Salvia guaranitica
Lantana
Lantana camara
Mealycup sage
Salvia farinacea
Petunia
Petunia hybrids
Scarlet sage
Salvia splendens‘Mystic Spires’
mealycup sageGG14934_39_Salvia.indd 36GG14934_39_Salvia.indd 36 6/27/2019 12:08:38 PM6/27/2019 12:08:38 PM36 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
S
omesageshaveflowerspikesthatstanderect
above mounded foliage, but others are looser,
larger and more billowy. Their habits determine
where they fi t into your garden design, so let’s look
at options for both.
MASSES OF BEDDING PLANTS Take a look at
the mealycup sage in photo 1 and see how the fl owers
rise so uniformly above the dense foliage. Bunching
multiples of these sages together creates an attractive
and well-behaved mass of color. Because mealycup
sages and the long-blooming anise-scented sages are
generally larger than most other bedding plants, often
around 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, they’re a perfect can-
didate for fi lling large spaces. You can get more bang
for your buck and cover a lot of ground by using only
four or fi ve plants.
Depending on your space, they are best planted in
the middle or back of the border, becoming a good
backdrop for low-growing annuals. Their spikes of
fl owers add excitement and draw attention upward.If they’reinthemiddleofthebordertheeyeskeep
moving to what’s beyond. Both mealycup and
anise-scented sages bloom from summer and into
fall, but will look much smaller at the beginning of
the season. Give them space when you plant them in
spring or summer so that they don’t get cramped and
crowded. Proper maintenance is essential, too, but
we’ll cover that on the following pages.
CUT OUT FOR CONTAINERS Not only do they
work well planted in numbers, but one or two plants
make an impact in containers. In small pots the bright
blooming spikes of a larger variety could be the
thriller, or focal point. Or use their upright blooms as
an exciting fi ller in a bigger container—angle them
slightly outward when planting so the fl ower spikes
don’t get tangled up or lost in the midst of the thriller
and other fi ller plants. Scarlet sage and Skyscraper
salvia work really well as fi ller plants.
But you’ll see in the windowbox in photo 2 that
scarlet sage can actually take the cake in a planting1 | Variety for the annual border Combine tender sages with other reblooming annuals that hold for applause
deep into the fall. Daisy-shaped petunias and round lantanas contrast nicely in shape, form a solid ground cover
of color and can thrive in the same hot and sunny growing conditions.Designing with Late-Season Sages
Botanical
Names
Anise-scented sage
Salvia guaranitica
Lantana
Lantana camara
Mealycup sage
Salvia farinacea
Petunia
Petunia hybrids
Scarlet sage
Salvia splendens
‘Mystic Spires’
mealycup sage