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Sage Advice

© Emily Levitt

Last spring, I bought a couple of pots of sage, which were labeled as "spring to summer" bloomers. Our summer was so dry that I thought they had simply failed to perform, like so much of my garden. I was delighted when they burst into bloom last week, and I discovered I'd purchased Mexican sage, which blooms -- NOW!

It really should be located toward the back of a border, but at my house the clumps are fairly close to the front of the garden, in the sunniest spot. They needed to be staked, as they were almost five feet tall when they began to bud up. I'm pleased to see them there! They make a real splash with pink, yellow and blue pansies at their feet. And of course, there's always my personal favorite...more PURPLE! Neat-o, isn't it?



Southern Living's on-line magazine features Mexican bush sage this month: they call fall the "second season" but I must disagree with them on their description---careful planning in the south makes fall the third season for me, counting the Lenten roses and Earlicheer daffodils which often appear in January.

I hope these beautiful plants are as hardy as the research I've found on them indicates. The inevitable hard freeze will blacken them to the ground, but the roots should remain alive, though dormant until spring. Don't cut them back until the weather forces you to do so, and they should bloom all fall. If you live in a really mild zone, maybe it will make it all winter. Let me know if it does!

As dumb luck (literally) would have it, my Mexican sage was planted early in the spring, and that's when most sources suggest installing it. However, if you have a mild winter, or just hope you'll have one, I'd plant this anyway. Hummingbirds will continue to visit them, and so will the end of season butterflies.

Other annual choices for this transitional season are snapdragons and Sweet William (old-fashioned pinks.) Snaps are always good cold-hardy choices for much of the southeast, with the tall "Tahiti" series now available in so many colors. Yellow blossoms almost glow against the siver foliage of the sage. What a nice, warm accent for the chill of autumn. Snapdragons are also availabe in creamy whites, pink shades, and a deep maroon that is almost black. What a palette!

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