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| At first glance, this pineapple sage looks completely brown and bare. |
Well, this doesn't look very pretty -- at first sight.
Our gardening zone is 6-7. Pineapple sage is reportedly perennial in zones 9-11, maybe zone 8 if you're lucky. So I do not have any high particular hopes of perennial sage gracing me with its presence next year.
And yet, if you look a little closer, there are a couple of beautiful scarlet blossoms still holding on long after their compatriots have given up the ghost.
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| Up close, there are still a few fragile and beautiful blossoms defying the odds. I love perseverance in the garden. |
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This is one I don't have in my garden but think I need to add it!!
ReplyDeleteReally? This winter photo of just a few blooms convinced you to add Pineapple Sage? :) LOL! You'll get a much better feel for its potential in a blog post I made back in October (keep scrolling down to the pictures near the bottom - http://www.gardenofaaron.com/2012/11/the-late-october-tennessee-garden.html)
ReplyDeleteAt this time of year, we gardeners are always searching, and can spot a bloom a mile away, it seems. Congrats on your pineapple sage still putting out blooms! Poor thing just doesn't want to die! :)
ReplyDeleteHa :)
DeleteI totally agree, Holley.
In my previous life as a non-gardener, I would have walked right by this plant without a second lance. Gardening teaches us to look more closely at our surroundings, methinks...
I have grown Pineapple Sage outside successfully in Zone 6b. It was during a mild winter, obviously, but I was shocked when it came back. I always plant mine in pots and move them inside. If I were you, just to be on the safe side, I would take a few cuttings - Salvia roots very easily. You will have the large plant outside to take your chances on (cut it back and try some sort of crop cover that light and water can penetrate) and the cuttings as a back-up. Oh, and one more thing....look for seeds. It should have some seeds somewhere if it has been blooming, and Salvia seeds usually have a high germination rate and germinate readily: remember, do not cover the seed with soil - Salvia seeds need light to germinate. Just press them into the moist potting mix, keep the soil from drying out, and wait. I often use those aluminum pie plates with holes punched in the bottom and insert each one into a zip lock bag until germination. Then, you can go into business!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice, Dottie!
DeleteHere comes a big confession -- I have not yet ever tried to take cuttings and nurture them through the winter. Perhaps I will try contacting you offline to get advice on how to do that?
As for the outdoor Pineapple Sage, would you suggest cutting it back near to the ground and then mulching it over with pine needles and leaves? Or would you leave it uncut until late winter / early spring? (I know that some plants, such as Russian Sage, for instance, supposedly do best if they are not trimmed back until they get signs of growth in the springtime...)
And thanks for the advice about looking for seeds on the Pineapple Sage. I'll try to find some!
Wait a few years, the way things are going, you may be in zone 9 yet. Nice to see your sage hanging on.
ReplyDeleteYikes. You may be right.
DeleteI have to admit, I'm not a fan of winter, but it's been pretty odd having highs consistently in the 60s this December. Temps are supposed to drop closer to normal next week.
I guess being able to overwinter pineapple sage would be some small compensation for a warming planet. Although the *real* benefit would be getting to experiment with Pineapple Guava, a plant on my wish list :P
http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/2009/11/feijoa-pineapple-guava.html
Aaron, When the first real cold snap comes, the Pineapple Sage will probably die back anyway, but as long as it's blooming, I would leave it and enjoy it. I would probably cut it back (after you take some cuttings if you want to try them) before it gets too far into winter and give it lots of protection. Maybe you could even try to divide it and get a piece to grow in a pot inside. If you have any kind of willow tree (pussy willow will work, too), you can always try rooting your Salvia that way. Just cut a few willow stems, put them in water, and insert your Salvia cuttings, too. You would be amazed at how many things will root in willow water. I keep cups of willow water in the greenhouse all year long to see what does and doesn't work. All kinds of Lobelia root in willow water, hardy Chrysanthemums, Climbing Aster, just to name a few. Of course, the willow roots, too. In the end, if your Salvia elegans doesn't come back, you can always get another one, which is easier but not as much fun.
ReplyDeleteWell, the amazing thing is that we've had what I would call some fairly intense cold snaps (mid-20s) and most of the plant looks fairly dead, but it does have these few blooms still hanging on~!
DeleteSadly, I don't have any willow trees from which to make willow water, although thank you for the suggestion! I think one of the neighbors has a willow tree. I could ask her if I could take a few cuttings.
I think I will cut back and mulch heavily as you suggest when those blooms fade. If this winter stays mild, I have hopes that the pineapple sage will return! :)