Hello friends, sorry its been awhile. We have the pleasure of spending one day a week sharing time with our youngest granddaughter. This has taken up writing time and energy, to be honest. Working on getting back to sharing our little part of the world with you. Below is one of our favorite bee attracting plants, Ember’s Wish Salvia.

This one is a herbaceous perennial we have had for 3 years now. It needs cutting back twice a year to stay full and not leggy here in Houston, where we have a second spring others call autumn.  Ember’s Wish Sage has vibrant coral colored, tubular flowers that contrast beautifully with its maroon stems, rusty rose calyxes and medium green leaves. Its flowers bloom nearly year round in Houston (zone 9a). That is if we have a mild winter like this year. In a hard freeze it can freeze to the ground which it did 2 years ago. I love the tubular flowers and so do the bees. Can you see the bee butt? : ) It is also a favorite of hummingbirds. “Plant Growers Australia (PGA) discovered and developed this naturally occurring sport of Wendy’s Wish Sage (Salvia x ‘Wendy’s Wish’), which is an accidental hybrid from the Victoria, Australia, garden of Salvia enthusiast Wendy Smith. Similar to its parent plant, Ember’s Wish is popular with hummingbirds but not deer.” – Flowers By The Sea It takes full sun to part shade and full grown is 3-4′ H x 3′ W. It is perfect for #polinatorcafe and cottage gardens.

Last spring we added Wendy’s Wish salvia. Beautiful magenta tubular flowers with fluted tips will attract hummingbirds when they migrate thru Houston in August. The foliage on ours is more compact than the Embers.  Its growth characteristics are similar to its sport Ember. Both will do well in patio containers.Both Ember and Wendy can be grown as an annual in cooler climates. Next post will be about Salvia Henry Duelberg and Salvia Miniata both hardy favorites too!

Happy Gardening! Laurin and Shawn       “All Rights Reserved” ©