It may seem odd, but I think some plants are smarter than others. Is botanical wisdom gained because they are native and used to the vagaries of weather, or something more Darwinian? Currently, the most sage plants in my garden are really a Sage. The Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea). Less than two weeks after the coldest weather in a decade, they were fully greened up and flowering madly. I had to cut some.
Tropical Red Salvia or Sage flowers in four colors in my garden. The brilliant red ones are the most prolific currently and the tallest plant of the bunch. I cut a handful and looked for some companionable colors to cool down the palette. Whites, corals and even a little sage seemed to fit the bill for a warming January vase.
A closer look:
Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) in red and white spikes; Sweet Almond Bush (Aloysia virgata) is the other white spike; Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria) in sage tipped coral flowers; chartreuse and reddish flowers are from China Hat shrub (Holmskioldia sanguinea); yellow striped foliage is Martin Bromeliad (Neoregelia martin); grey foliage is from Barometer Bush (Leucophyllum frutescens)
Another view:
The white flowers in the center are from the White Geiger tree (Cordia boissieri). I thought this tree wouldn’t like the cold weather, but it seems fine; it has a few yellow leaves and started flowering. The fern trailing over the side is an Asparagus Fern, an invasive weed that tends to pop up under shrubs. I cut these and use them in vases occasionally. They are surprisingly sharp, woe is the gardener who tries to strip the leaves off the stem for a vase.
The garden is bouncing back from the extreme cold. (I know y’all are laughing, not even freezing here, except me, I was freezing) I am finding blackened edges on a lot of shrub foliage and the trees I have that are at their northern limits are showing signs of unhappiness. I have to tap into my gardening wisdom and wait and see what happens. Not feeling particularly sage here yet.
Thanks to Cathy at http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting this weekly meme. So much fun. Follow the link to see more vases.
Until next week – Happy Gardening!
The Shrub Queen 
The red sage is gorgeous, and how good of it to start growing again so soon after your cold spell. It is so lovely for vases. I really love the ferns embracing the curves of the vase today. Beautifully arranged. 👍
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Thanks, Cathy. We are both Salvia fans.
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I have to say that my red salvia is not as wise. Our temperatures in the teens did them in. But, I fully believe they will back as they did make it through even colder temperatures in 2021.
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There are undoubtedly a bazillion seeds in the ground. Let me know if you need some!
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Thanks! I should have plenty that already dropped.
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A beautiful and vibrant charge to my winter’s day. It’s amusing that you think of 30s as freezing and I think ‘how balmy!’ 🤣
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Thanks, Eliza. Probably a balmy below freezing day there?
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Actually mid-30s, so perfect for walking in the woods, which I did this morning. We’ve had so little snow that I am free to wander easily. Not so long ago, winter temps here wouldn’t rise above freezing for weeks on end and we wouldn’t see above freezing until Feb. Not anymore!
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Wow! I am hearing from everyone in Atlanta all their plants were killed by the cold..odd global warming effects? Do you need more snow for water?
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It’s been raining aplenty, with very little snow. Okay by me, less to shovel!
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Good, lack of water worries me.
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Yes, last summer was really dry, so I’ve been anxious to receive winter precipitation ahead of whatever next summer brings.
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Sadly the red sage is not fully hardy here but I would love to have its joyfully bright colour thriving here. It certainly makes for a warm and welcoming vase and the greens you have chosen works so well with it and the other reds. I still can’t work out if the vase itself is clear glass – it almost looked as if there were fish swimming in it at first glance (or do I need my eyes tested…?)
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This salvia is a reseeding annual further north. The vase is clear glass, there are a lot of stems in there, but no fish.
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Haha, didn’t really expect fish!! 😁
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I have not yet met a plant species who is stupid. They are all quite intelligent relative to their priorities. Redwoods seem to be most intelligent because they live for thousands of years, but even annuals know what they are doing.
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Plants are smarter than we are. I would propose Johnsons grass as a genius. How are you? I see evacuations in your neck of the woods…
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Well, I like to consider myself to be quite intellectual, although not quite a genius like Mr. Johnson is.
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What a wonderful bright and colourful vase, looking like a celebration – it looks as if it is saying ‘Whoop Whoop!’
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As well as an exciting selection of flowers, the symmetry of the arrangement is quite remarkable too. As always, many thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, Noelle
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