Some plants are such a great accent plant, you wish you had more. But that would break the spell. A row wouldn't make the garden look better. It looks best as a single plant. This is one of those:
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| Salvia 'Mystic Spires' |
I have several salvias, and I love them all, but 'Mystic Spires' is the most impressive! It grows taller than most of the other salvias, reaching around 3 ft. in my garden. I love the way it blooms with a bang, spiraling out, reminding me of fireworks. It attracts bees and hummingbirds. So, shouldn't I want more?
Actually, more wouldn't be better. Here's where the saying "less is more" really is true! This plant, even though it's fairly tall, is placed at the front of the bed. It draws your eye to it. It is a great accent plant. Tall, visually exciting, but not taking up much visual mass, which is why it works so well even in the front of the bed.
I might not want more, but I definitely think this is a must have!
Mystic Spires and those great dark blooms replaced my old favorite of Indigo Spires. Sometimes the specimen is all you need.
ReplyDeleteBTW - just catching up on the blog reading. When I commented about the swimming tank -- my exact thought was the Petticoat Junction tower. So glad you had the same visual.
The second photo especially does remind me of fireworks. Have a happy July 4th holiday!
ReplyDeleteIt's a specimen Salvia then, deserving to be on it's own in that particular spot rathen than planted in multiples :) I agree, it does look special!
ReplyDeleteSome plants are better planted as a specimen and can hold there own in a garden. I have a white salvia that thinks it owns the garden by how big it got. I only wish my Veronica would have a little more presence.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful accent plant in your lovely gardens. I think it's a little too hot and humid where I am for growing these beauties.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy and have a great holiday ~ FlowerLady
Great plant. Salvia is so easy to grow. If you wanted more, couldn't you strategically place it in the back, too, behind lower growing perrenials that bloom in the spring, like Amsonia, etc? Black and Blue salvia is another tall growing one that can stand alone. Happy 4th!
ReplyDeleteHooterville. Black and blue comes back for me, as does blue mealy. dont't know about indigo, dont think so. When I plant mealy, i put in odd numbered rows, so i prune a 1/3 every so many weeks. therefore when the tall gett leggy the others are coming on shorter.
ReplyDeleteLovely purple blooms against the green foliage, their height makes a good focal point among lower plants.
ReplyDeleteTufa Girl - I don't have an Indigo Spires, though I think I would really like it! I've just never seen one for sale around here - the Mystic Spires was even an unusual find!
ReplyDeletedeb - Don't you just love the way the scapes twirl around like that? The fun part is seeing the bees on them - the bees weight them down and then the spring back up when the bees fly off.
Mark and Gaz - Yes, I think if there were several there, it would not be as special.
GWGT - A big white salvia sounds fabulous! I would pick up one of those in a heartbeat!
FlowerLady - Oh, I hate it when I see a beautiful bloom somewhere and then realize it won't grow in my area!
Jim - Actually, I have some in the back in a different area, and I have been rather disappointed. I like the front of the bed better, but I suppose it's just personal preference. I love the look of Black and Blue, though I've never tried it - yet! :)
greggo - Pruning by 1/3 is a great idea! Thanks for the tip!
p3chandan - I like flowers that are a bit higher. They seem to have more of a presence about them, but are not as visually big as some shrubs. I like the purple, too. I think purple goes with anything!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right. Sometimes less is more. It certainly is an impressive Salvia and works so well as an accent plant. Lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting my blog and becoming my latest follwer as well. I'm glad you enjoyed the post about the Straw Flowers. I seem to have remineded a lot of people just what a fabulous plant they are.
I agree with you, having the one salvia just adds some mystery to the garden, but I would be hard-pressed to grow just one. I need to develop some restraint because your idea is fantastic. Why I think I need a dozen of this or that is beyond me at times (just like potato chips, sometimes I just can't stop!)
ReplyDeleteI love the Salvias, especially their long bloom period. Dead head along the way and they keep giving up more blooms. Yours looks great.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
You have just struck a chord with me. I have been pondering for a while on how we are encouraged to plant swathes of the same specimens. This is all very well but I love plants and although I like the garden to look good, I need loads of different ones. I like your Salvia specimen, looks like I will have to refer to all my perennials as accent plants.
ReplyDeleteThis is the dilemma between being a collector and a designer. As a collector you want at least one of everything. As a designer you want what you have to look exceptional--a fine balance. One I'm still working to discover. :) Great post.
ReplyDeleteBernie - I didn't purchase it as an accent plant, but it is so airy at the top, it doesn't do well as a filler in the back (IMHO). Your straw flowers are adorable!
ReplyDeleteKaren - Sometimes less is more, sometimes less is less. Most times more plants means a bigger wow factor. But some plants look great by themselves.
Cher - I need to deadhead my entire garden! It's taking things longer to recover in our heat.
Alistair - I started with swathes, but love all the different textures to intermingle, so I too like a collection of different plantings.
Grace - You're right - it is a fine line, especially since I tend to impulse purchase (but not always!).
Hi Holleygarden
ReplyDeleteIts funny how my mind always goes to the "big" plants to be specimens.
Evergreens, grasses, small trees.
'Mystic Spires' is lovely and I agree more would diminish the effect!
glimpsesofglory-karen.blogspot.com/
Karen - When I planted it in the front, I really thought it would look silly and that I would transplant it later, but to my surprise I love it in that spot! Sometimes happy accidents are the best!
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely plant and one is sometimes all you need. I do love mystic spires and every winter I plant one or three as an annual I must have. Here they get to be 4-5' with a 3' spread and do best through spring. In summer they don't flower as well and become a little leggy even with soft pruning. I usually end up yanking them out by then. I know of no other salvia as striking!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your recent visit to my blog. Happy 4th of July.
Meems
Meems - Glad you also enjoy Mystic Spires. They are a fun and exciting plant for the garden. Sorry yours doesn't do well through the summer. I am fortunate enough to live where they are perennial.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful salvia! Must be so nice to have butterflies and hummingbirds visit your garden. I've seen butterflies in mine but never a hummingbird. That would be so great!
ReplyDeletewhat a big salvia. I don't think I've seen them quite this large before but looks like a pretty impressive plant.
ReplyDeleteOh what a lovely big salvia!! I love it me too!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Hugs from Italy!
Ciao Monica
I really like the look of this plant alone with the other perennials. It is always a dilemma to figure out which plants do best alone and which do best in numbers.
ReplyDeleteI love my Salvias! But I wouldn't want more either, because they're happiest when they can be repeatedly dead-headed throughout the growing season. It's a fun chore with two plants, but would become burdensome with more (because I don't want to spend the whole summer doting only on the Salvias). :)
ReplyDeleteBumble Lush - No hummingbirds in your area, or just in your garden? If there are hummingbirds to be attracted, just start feeding them. Keep changing the solution as if they were there, and eventually they will be.
ReplyDeleteMarguerite - It is pretty big for a salvia! One reason I love it so.
Monica - Glad you like it!
Sage Butterfly - I agree that it's sometimes the opposite of what you initially think! I've learned to move plants around!
PlantPostings - haha Yes, time spent on salvias means less time to spend on more loved plants. Good point!
Great post. Not many people consider placing tall plants at the front of a bed, but yours looks great! I used to love and grow many salvias, but I have switched over to penstemons this year :)
ReplyDeleteMasha - I think it looks fine in the front, even though it's tall, because it doesn't have much visual weight. Although, I think placing something tall in the front is a chance more people should take. I love salvias because they do well here! Penstemons must do well for you.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post on Mysic Spries salvia, one of my favorites. I grow 5 of them in a raised bed about 20 feet long and 4 feet wide....I anchor one end with "Storm Cloud" agapanthus and the other with Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii and the Mystic Spires in the middle.....in front of it all are 7 euphobia "Diamond Frost" for the edge and in the back, back I'm planning add 3 yellow Orinpet lilies for a back drop to the already big salvias.......just my take on what to do with Mystic Spires, long lasting blooms, great dark foliage and a nice habit, I mean what's not to like....:)
ReplyDeletePaul- Your bed sounds fabulous! I like that you placed something in front, as well as back, and anchored both sides. I agree that Mystic Spires is a nice plant to work with, no matter how it's planted.
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