Ornamental sages are easy plants, to install for the most part in the sun and in dry ground. They do not require watering and maintenance is reduced to a strict minimum (cut the plant by half in April).
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From spring to fall, you will have little flowers by the thousands. They are white, red, blue, purple, pink and sometimes two-tone. There is something for every taste.
This diversity fascinates Alexandre Tramier, from Arômes du Grès. Based in Orange in the Vaucluse, this nursery grows 300 varieties of ornamental sage with aromatic foliage and edible flowers.
“The flowers are edible and decorate the dishes. It’s a little extra, as one of my restaurateur friends says. And some really stand out! Salvia discolor smells of blackcurrant. There is also passion fruit sage (S. dorisiana) which makes pink and very sweet flowers. In fruit salads, it’s superb! Sage ‘Tangerine’ gives off a good smell of orange. Pineapple sage (S.elegans) is great in herbal tea, like honey sage (S. mellifera).
“The scent of the foliage of small-leaved ornamental sage (Salvia microphylla) is often reminiscent of that of the tomato plant.”
Alexandre Tramierat franceinfo
We must also mention an officinal sage, Salvia lavandulifoliawhich in the south accompanies red meats and curds…
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By planting different species, you can have sage in bloom from January to December, especially if you live south of the Loire.
Small-leaved sage (S.microphylla) bloom profusely from spring until frost. In the fall, the involucre sages (S.involucrata) take over followed by Mexican sages not as frosty as one might think.
“At the S. guaranatica, there are a lot of hybrids. ‘Costa Rica Blue’ is a classic, easy-to-grow variety that reaches 2m to 2.5m tall in the fall! It blooms in drooping clusters, the flowers are deep blue, with a black calyx. It is a wonder.”
For them to overwinter, just plant them against a wall and mulch the base well.
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Most sages are planted in full sun, but there are also some that prefer partial shade or full shade, such as Salvia procurensa creeping sage: “It’s a great ground cover. In a season, a single foot can cover more than 1m2. But it really doesn’t want it to get the sun. It wouldn’t stand it.”
I advise you to explore the catalog of the nursery Les Aromas du Grès to find your future garden nuggets.
Alexandre Tramier also cultivates a good number of officinal sages, including white sage. You can dry its leaves before burning them to purify the air.