7 Great Salvia Plants for your Melbourne Garden
7 Great Salvia Plants for your Melbourne Garden
The Salvia plant is available in a huge range of colours and sizes for your garden. It is not really that surprising when you consider there are more than 950 species to choose from. The salvia is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), which means it is related to some of the world's favorite culinary herbs rosemary, basil and mint as well as the Mediterranean garden favourite, the lavender. From a distance some varieties of Salvia, resemble their cousins in the lavender world. Whilst they are attractive garden plants, many members of this genus are also important for culinary purposes such as flavouring, teas and food crops.
Many Salvia species are native to tropical America. Wagner’s Salvia also known as Chupamiel (Salvia Wagneri), is probably the most spectacular of these. This shrub is really more like a tree are as it can grow over 4 metres tall in ideal conditions. Not only is this a huge shrub, but the 300mm long flowers appear as scarlet spikes with magenta calyxes.
1. Salvia Farinacea or Blue Salvia
In the hills of southwest of North America Blue Sage (Salvia Farinacea) displays its bright blue flowers after rainfall.
2. Mexican Chia (Salvia Hispanica)
Salvia Hispanica, more commonly known as Mexican Chia, is one of the most important food crops from the mint family. The seeds of this annual herbaceous plant are known for being high in omega 3 fatty acid and fibre. Salvia Hispanica is native to the desert regions of Mexico which makes it a very drought tolerant plant.
3. Salvia Leucantha or Mexican bush sage.
Salvia Leucantha or Mexican bush sage an Autumn flowering perennial which can add colour to your Melbourne garden in early May. Salvias are generally drought tolerant and can handle subtropical as well as temperate climates. This makes them a good plant for temperate climates like Melbourne with its with warm to hot summers, mild and sometimes balmy springs and autumns. This plant is a favourite amongst Melbourne Gardeners and is also great for dog friendly garden surfaces.
Variegated Varieties
A variegated variety will add depth to your small garden. ‘Tricolor’ is a spreading evergreen sub-shrub with oblong grey-green leaves variegated with cream and flushed with purple on the youngest growth; light blue flowers open in early summer.
Landscaping Ideas with Salvia
Pet Friendly Gardens
As with most culinary plants, salvia will not generally be a problem with your pets. The good news is that you are unlikely to need any snail pellets to protect your salvias. A good variety for snail resistance is salvia superba.
Garden ideas for Saliva
These versatile plants are great for commercial landscapes, residential landscapes and coastal and beachside gardens. The plant can be used as either garden beds or borders as well as vegetable gardens. Most importantly, the salvia is also a must have for any ornamental garden Australia wide.
Garden Care for your Salvia
Salvias, like many Australian native plants, have evolved to grow in fairly poor soils. Apart from the alvia Uliginosa or Bog Sage, soil needs to be reasonably well drained. Apply a soil conditioiner like a very dilute solution of Neutrog Seamungus occasionally.
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More information on the sage genus.
Colourful addition to the garden
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Cottage Garden Plants
Cottage Garden Plants to include in your home garden design include many of the flowering plants traditionally grown in cottage gardens. In the list below, we have included some of our favourite cottage garden plants for you to use in your design. Traditional cottage garden plants often had practical uses as well as their beauty. Historically many cottage garden plants had medical purposes or could be added to food as a preservative or flavouring. An example of this is the marigold which is often grown as a companion plant in cottage gardens. Marigold flowers can be used to create a soothing skin ointment. The Cottage plant list here is for the plant’s beauty and we are making no recommendations on food or medicinal purposes.
Our favourite cottage garden plants
Buddleia
The Buddleia, also known as Buddleja or butterfly bush, is a great plant for attracting butterflies to your home garden. This will in turn attract birds. Depending on the plant variety, buddleia can be deciduous, everygreen or semi-evergreen. Buddleja davidii (île de France), also known as the summer lilac, is famous for its ability to attract butterflies. The butterflies will love the large pointed sprays of violet, purple, blue or white flowers in late summer. This buddleia will grow to around 3 metres high with a 3-metre spread if left unpruned. Consider this plant for your cottage patio or as a background plant against a fence. As a feature plant, it can give your small garden greater depth. This plant will be deciduous in cold climates, but semi evergreen in warmer ones, so home garden microclimate might be a factor.
Nemesia
Nemesia is an early flowering annual with a great show from early summer through to autumn. Nemesia will grow to around 300 mm and is good for cottage garden beds and borders. There is a huge variety of colours available.
Blue Nemesia flowers.
Rosemary
An evergreen shrub with aromatic long narrow leaves. The leaves of the rosemary are excellent for flavouring and is a popular food flavouring herb. The shoots can be distilled to make an essential oil. This slow growing plant can grow as high as 2 metres tall, but there is a dwarf variety available. Small blue rosemary flowers appear intermittently in clusters from Spring until Autumn. Rosemary prefers a sunny position in well-drained soil.
An attractive garden plant as well as a tasty herb. Rosemary is a great choice for your cottage garden.
The Rose
Roses have been cultivated for thousands of years and have long been prized for their scent and beauty. No cottage garden should be without one. As well as beauty and adding scent to home gardens, roses have been grown in cottage gardens for their fruit, known as rosehips, from which syrups and teas can be made.
The rose is a popular and versatile cottage garden plant.
Bed roses can be grown as an herbaceous border in well-drained soil. Try combining these with lavender for an aromatic sensory home garden. The etheric oils in the lavender will also help to repel pests.
Climbing Roses
Climbing roses can be grown over an arch to create a stylish and fragrant welcome for visitors. They are also effective in your cottage garden for growing on trellises or walls and can help to make a small garden appear larger. Climbing roses are varieties bred for their vigorous growing habits.
Shrub Roses
Shrub roses look great as the back of a garden border. They can also be used as a feature or garden focal point. Always grow in a sunny location with good drainage. Prune regularly to ensure there is good air circulation to help prevent black spot.
Wallflower
The wallflower is a late spring or early summer flowering biennial bedding plant. Also known as cheiranthus, wallflowers are members of the brassica family. Like most brassicas, the wallflower will reward you with a colourful and fragrant show of flowers. Most wallflowers will grow to around 45 cm and are available in a range of colours. From the brilliant scarlet "Fire King" to the yellow "Cloth of Gold" and every colour in between. Like most Brassicas, wallflowers will like some added garden lime in the soil.
For smaller areas, there is a dwarf variety available that grows up to around 22cm.
Salvia Leucantha Cottage Garden Plants
Salvia is a bushy plant with brightly coloured terminal bracts of white, purple, pink, or blue. This is a great plant for your cottage garden border. Mexican bush sage, or Salvia Leucantha, is an autumn flowering perennial which can add colour to your Melbourne cottage garden. As a bonus, salvias are generally drought tolerant and are well suited to Melbourne’s temperate climate. Salvias are also pet friendly.
More information on Cottage Garden Plants
For more information on Roses - The Royal Horticultural Society
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Salvia Leucantha or Mexican Bush Sage
Salvia Leucantha or Mexican Bush Sage
Salvia Leucantha or Mexican bush sage an Autumn flowering perennial which can add colour to your Melbourne garden in early May. Salvias are generally drought tolerant and can handle subtropical as well as temperate climates. This makes them a good plant for temperate climates like Melbourne with its with warm to hot summers, mild and sometimes balmy springs and autumns.
Leucantha or Mexican bush sage is an Autumn flowering perennial. This evergreen small shrub which can grow to around 1.3m high. It is suitable for dog friendly gardens in Melbourne.
The Salvia Leucantha Family
Salvia Leucantha belongs to the family Lamiaceae which is part of the sage genus. The significant sage genus, contains more than 920 species of woody and herbaceous plants of the mint family (Lamiaceae). These belong to the order Lamiales. Whilst they are attractive garden plants, many members of this genus are also important for culinary purposes such as flavouring, teas and food crops.
Garden ideas for Saliva Leucantha
These versatile plants are great for commercial landscapes, residential landscapes and coastal and beachside gardens. The plant can be used as either garden beds or borders as well as vegetable gardens. Most importantly, the salvia is also a must have for any ornamental garden Australia wide.
Garden Care for your Salvia Leucantha
Salvias, like many Australian native plants, have evolved to grow in fairly poor soils. Apply a soil conditioner like a very dilute solution of Neutrog Seamungus occasionally.
Other Varieties and Species of Salvias
7 Great Salvia plants for your Melbourne Garden
More information on Landscaping and Garden Design
New Home Construction Landscaping
Path Design for Cottage Gardens
Landscaping With Xanthorrhoea The Australian Grass Tree
© Copyright Red’s Landscaping and Design – Melbourne Commercial Landscaping Specialist
More information on the sage genus.
© 2022 Reds Landscaping and Civil – Quality landscaping Melbourne
Soft and Hard Landscaping, Residential Home and Civil projects across Australia by Reds Landscaping and Design
Blogs to Follow @RedsLandscaping
https://medium.com/@redslandscaping/
https://redslandscapingau.wordpress.com/
https://redslandscapingau.blogspot.com/
https://redslandscaping.edublogs.org/