I recall as a youngster reading my brother’s copy of Zane Grey’s classic Riders of the Purple Sage. First published in 1912, it became one of the most successful Westerns ever written.
I imagined the riders pushing their way through bushes of purple Salvia officinalis Purpurascens, the culinary kind being the only sage I then knew. Many years later, I found out that the plant the dentist-turned-writer had in mind was actually grey mint or frosted sage (Poliomintha incana). I felt swindled.
Salvia is a genus of more than 1000 species from the Lamiaceae family, which also includes rosemary and mint, so perhaps I owe Grey an apology.
Because true blue is a fairly rare colour in garden flowers, perennial sages are invaluable, especially those that bloom late in the season. The clear autumn light shows them at their best and numerous bees arrive, grateful for a food source when other flowers are finishing.
Look at the base of the flowers and you’ll see little holes where the clever bees have bored in to get the pollen, says Adair Genge, of Marshwood Gardens, near Invercargill.
Other autumn-flowering blues include the bog sage (S. uliginosa), whose azure blooms on stems 1.5m tall are striking from summer through to May or June. It is hardier than S. patens and copes with semi-shade and damp ground. S. azurea is similar but is shorter, about 1m.
Probably the most popular salvia on the market — apart from culinary sages — is Black and Blue, a S. guarantica variety released about 20 years ago. It flowers well into May unless knocked by early frosts and tolerates moist soil and part shade.
"Salvia arizonica is a nice blue and it’s a very low growing sage," says Adair.
"Lilac Time is a violet-blue people buy as a blue and African sky is lovely sky blue, a very pretty one," she adds.
"These are the best blues that are freely available."
For a very hardy sage, Chinese S. przewalskii is one to consider for its reddish-purple flowers. It grows to 60cm and dies down over winter.
"It will colonise very nicely under trees and shrubs," Adair says.
Then there are the reds, with pineapple or honey sage (S. elegans) the best known but there are others, including Riverton Red, bred at Marshwood by Adair and her husband, Geoff.
For gardeners for whom rabbits are an issue, many salvias sneer at them, especially the Salvia x jamensis group. It includes Aparima, Marshwood Pink and Marshwood Peach, all bred or developed by the Genges.
After 42 years, this is the final year the couple are running the nursery and as plant varieties sell out, they will not be propagated again.
The good news is that they will be retaining their extensive national salvia collection and are encouraging Kate Ashton, of Seaflowers Nursery, near Nelson, to offer more salvias.
"We’ve told her, ‘You need to step up now’," Adair says.
With 35 species and varieties in Marshwood’s final catalogue, it is easy to appreciate the range of these perennials. As well as the familiar blues, purples and reds, there are pinks, white, yellow and buff salvias.
"They cover the whole spectrum, not only for colour but seasonally as well," says Adair.
