Tag: Pineapple Sage

Photo Challenges – FOTD Salvias/Six on Saturday

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges4 Comments

Salvias, sometimes referred to as sage, are the champions of my Autumnal garden beds.

In truth, all SAGES are SALVIAS. Over time, though, the term sage has been closely aligned with cooking or medicinal use and the term salvia has been given to the more ornamental members of this genus. Nevertheless, Salvia is the Latin name, or Genus, given to all these plants. ~Mountain Valley Growers

The colors of my salvias have stayed vibrant through several frosty mornings.

Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans, is my Flower of the Day, part of Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

The flowers of Mexican Sage are fuzzy and remind me of purple bumblebees and velvet.

The salvias are so blossom-loaded; I felt the hummingbirds stayed too long this year, sipping their nectar through early October. I hope they have made their journey now to warmer climates.

I held a piece of this salvia up against the bluest of Autumn skies; the camera captured the velvet texture of the blossoms and the detail of the leaves. What I didn’t see when I took the photo was the small flying insect resting beneath one of the buds. This photo is part of Friday Skywatch.

Six on Saturday Collage

Plants – Pineapple Sage

On By TimelessladyIn PlantsLeave a comment

I planted Pineapple Sage in my herb garden this past Spring.  I expected it to bloom earlier in the year and draw butterflies and hummingbirds, but it chose to bloom now…late October and early November in my Middle-Atlantic state of New Jersey. I am on the border line for this half-hardy perennial to survive the low temperatures of winter. Perhaps if I cover it with three to four inches of protective mulch, it might make it through the cold season.

My Pineapple Sage grew from a sprout of six inches into a gangly bushy plant of about three feet. The leaves have a delicious fragrance and the flowers are lovely. I need to cut a few sprigs to enjoy before cold weather sends it into dormancy. The leaves are a gorgeous lime green color. I’m a bit disappointed that the attractive scarlet flowers waited until late Autumn to appear, but they do look pretty against the brown of the fallen leaves. I will definitely try to save this lovely bush. If I lose it, I will plant the cuttings that have rooted in my basement. Perhaps they will have a head start and bloom just a little earlier in my late-summer garden.

Here is a great article on Pineapple Sage: Pineapple Sage

Pineapple Sage sprigs create a perfect Autumn Bouquet…Lovely! As an added bonus, the cuttings might root and I’ll have even more plants for next Spring.