I have confessed my love for Salvias on more than one occasion. My favorite, Mystic Blue, has been flowering so profusely it needed deadheading. I did not resist, trimmed all the stunningly large flowers and proceeded to vase making.
With all the rain (11″ in a week measured nearby) the White Flame Salvia and Blue Plumbage are also flowering luxuriantly. They were relieved of a bit of the bounty and all was plonked into one of my favorite thrift store finds – the ubiquitous grey pottery vase.
Being from much further north, this still seems like a midsummer vase to me, and here in South Florida it is entirely possible I can recreate this in July. Since it is mid April, I am enjoying it and savoring the beauty as Florida tends to fry things before their time!
A closer view. This is simply two kinds of salvia and Plumbago. ‘Mystic Blue’ and ‘White Flame’ Salvia and plain Plumbago auriculata and the cultivar P. auriculata ‘Imperial Blue’. The Imperial Blue is closer to hydrangeas in color, I think. Though I like them both. Oddly, the flowers stick to my greyhounds long noses, so I associate them with my dearly departed Charles, who loved sticking his nose in them and always came out covered with blue flowers.
That’s all the blue news from my garden this Monday. To see other gardens and vases visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden.
The Shrub Queen 
I love this arrangement, so pleasing to the eye. And only two genus is genius! 😉
(Sweet memory of Charles 💕)
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Your vase is easy and beautiful. I grew all those back in Texas, and I’m not much of a flower arranger, but I think I could do this one.
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Thank you, definitely a Plonk!
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The form of the salvia really makes the color of plumbago more elegant. (Oh gee, I am talking like a floral designer!)
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Gosh, that’s such a blue vase, but with different shades it doesn’t become overly blue. Mystic Spires is such a star for you, not so for me sadly. Your grey vase is perfect for the blooms, although I suspect it would be perfect for any blooms which is why it has become such a favourite. 11″ of rain in a week seems a lot, and I guess it is not that common for you and Florida?
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Thanks, Cathy. 11″ is a lot for this time of year and record breaking, usually if you see something like that there was a hurricane or tropical storm. Have you tried the other blue salvias? they would not grow for me.
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Caradonna has never grown for me, or Amistad, but I am trying a different one in the new Ivy Border called S ‘Viola Klose’, so we shall see how that does
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that sounds promising.
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It is coming into flower now, so much earlier than any other salvias I have
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I used to love the Plumbago my father used to grow, and your vase is a lovely blue with various shades and tones.
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Thanks, Noelle. It is very easy to grow.
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Your combination brings a big smile here–the simplicity and the sheer gorgeousness of it! I always love seeing your salvias.
I need to try plumbago here someday; but this past year I was even losing drought-tolerant salvias, which was definitely discouraging, as I think of them as so reliable in a desert garden. I am down to one purple S. greggii and one plant of S. microphylla “Hot Lips”. But Salvia farinacea? Going strong and just coming into flower… hmmm…
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Thank you, the White Flame definitely has some farinacea in it, I still water them. Can you grow S. coccinea? that is the most drought to;errant one here and grows in straight sugar sand.
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I had forgotten all about S. coccinea! Definitely worth a try!
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I’ll probably have seed at some point they are everywhere here.
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Gorgeous! I love the salvia of course, but I equally love the plumbago. Those colours are so lovely with the grey vase accentuating them. 🩷 Sweet memories of Charles too. Our dogs were buried in our garden and each now has a flower bed containing flowers I associate with them… among others, daisies for Anouk and wild strawberries for Gina!
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Thanks, Cathy. Can you grow Plumbago as an annual? It is interesting what we associate with our dogs. I love the idea of plants over their burial site. I have a series of ashes in my kitchen!
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I have seen plumbago plants on sale as annuals – quite expensive though. But I have bought myself a ‘hardy’ agapanthus for a burst of blue this summer!
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Really! it grows like weeds here! I have had no luck with Agapamthus, though I love them.
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I’ve always liked blue flowers! The much needed rain has truly had a good effect on your garden.
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I like blue flowers too! The rain really helped.
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