I took this picture last Saturday at the truly amazing home and garden of David and Pati Temple who live in an enchanting and remote canyon 16 miles from Cortez. The plant is
Salvia guaranitica, native to warm temperate and subtropical South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil specifically). It is generally regarded as marginal, even in Zone 7 (maximum lows above 0 Farenheit). This plant has survived 4 winters here and come back strong (as you can see it is a husky individual). Yes, yes, I know...it's on a south wall, and it is Southwesternmost Colorado. But they do get winter, and last winter was fierce!
I should not have been so surprised that this made it for the Temples: we have grown
Salvia uliginosa for years in Denver, which has a similar range in nature. Needless to say, I asked them to save seed for us to work on this seemingly hardier strain....
While I'm showing off the Temple's Salvias, it would be wrong, wrong, wrong if I didn't post this picture of
Salvia darcyi, practically the size of a Smart Car, growing a few feet away. Wonders never cease! Few places I know are as wonderful as this Trail Canyon paradise....aaaaaaah.
I took this picture last Saturday at the truly amazing home and garden of David and Pati Temple who live in an enchanting and remote canyon 16 miles from Cortez. The plant is Salvia guaranitica, native to warm temperate and subtropical South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil specifically). It is generally regarded as marginal, even in Zone 7 (maximum lows above 0 Farenheit). This plant has survived 4 winters here and come back strong (as you can see it is a husky individual). Yes, yes, I know...it's on a south wall, and it is Southwesternmost Colorado. But they do get winter, and last winter was fierce!
I should not have been so surprised that this made it for the Temples: we have grown Salvia uliginosa for years in Denver, which has a similar range in nature. Needless to say, I asked them to save seed for us to work on this seemingly hardier strain....
While I'm showing off the Temple's Salvias, it would be wrong, wrong, wrong if I didn't post this picture of Salvia darcyi, practically the size of a Smart Car, growing a few feet away. Wonders never cease! Few places I know are as wonderful as this Trail Canyon paradise....aaaaaaah.
Those both are amazing...I have only seen Salvia darcyi in a west Texas landscape, a half-USDA zone warmer. So that is a nice one to try, especially seeing it in a colder place than here by far.
ReplyDeleteSalvia darcyi was promoted by Plant Select (http://plantselect.org/plant-search/?query=&=Search&adv_botanic_name=Salvia+darcyi&=Search&sort=botanic) several years ago: there are probably hundreds if not thousands growing throughout Colorado in many towns: I dare say it should be a slam dunk in Albuquerque, David!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous garden! I see why you love all these salvias. I have several varieties, and they are lovely.
ReplyDelete