The Crafty Cultivator

As I have stated in a few of my more recent posts, my garden situation is a little unstable at the moment. So my plan is to dig up my favorite perennials that I have collected over the last 13 years, and move them to my dads house until I have some stability again. Some of them are also quite established so dividing them will be helpful for their overall and long-term health.

Another thing this will allow me to do, even if we end up sticking around here, is to place them in more appropriate spots. For example, I have one Salvia that I had gotten unlabeled, and it ended up being a dwarf variety, but I had planted it in the back of a garden bed with the assumption it would get 18″ tall.

I will also be able to get a better idea of which varieties, or at least which colors that I have. This is what I am going to document here.

Since Veronica and (perennial) Salvia are some of my most favorite perennial flowers, I wont turn down the opportunity to add some to my collection if I find some for a great deal. (Spoiler alert, I added 2 new Salvia since I started the draft of this post, and added them in the list below)

• ‘Lavender Lightsaber’ Veronica
  • I have way more of these than anything else. I got two HUGE plants on clearance for $2 each last year. It also roots extremely easily, as I had some broken pieces from transporting such large plants home, and I just stuck them in the ground hoping for the best, and this spring, they are all alive.
• ‘Blue Bomb’ Veronica
  • This is a new one that I LOVED when I worked in the greenhouse, so I had to get one of my own. Instead of just spikes, it kind of creates a cluster of spikes, a “blue bomb” if you will 😉
• ‘Sunny Border Blue’ Veronica
  • This is one that I should have in a different spot. It is a little tall and is in the front of a bed, but this one has beautiful deep purple blooms and is covered in pollinators every year. It is in a hot spot with not the best soil, and it does tend to dry out a bit and this plant doesn’t skip a beat.
• ‘Veronique Rose’ Veronica
  • This is a tidy little plant and gets about a foot tall. It could use a better spot so it can thrive
• ‘Purpleicious’ Veronica
  • This one has been at my Dad’s for a couple years and has thrived on neglect the last 2 years. It gets pretty tall, around 18-20 inches, and its a pink-ish purple.
• ‘Caradonna’ Salvia
  • This one is a common plant used by contractors in this area, because it can handle the neglect. It has dark stems and dark purple blooms that pollinators love. The dark stems are a nice change to just green foliage.
• Un-labled dwarf variety of Salvia
  • This is one of the first varieties I moved into a pot so it can end up in a better spot. It is one of the first perennials I added when I started really adding in more perennials to make my garden a haven for pollinators. It has classic purple blooms that pollinators (and myself) love. I probably could have divided it when I potted it, but it will be fine for this year.
• Little Salvia plants I found in my garden. They are likely seedlings, but one or two might be rescue plants that I don’t remember planting.
  • I found these as I was cleaning up all my strawberry runner plants and putting them into pots to clean up the beds early this spring, so I have also put them into a pot to grow on. Some were growing in between the patio stones, so the case for those being seedlings is strong. I made a short on my YouTube Channel about pulling one out of the patio.
• ‘Blue Hills’ Salvia
  • This one has flowers that are “a true blue” (which means purple to anyone not in the gardening world). Like the ‘Purplicious’ Veronica above, this one has thrived on neglect the last few years at my Dad’s house.
• ‘Spring King’ Salvia
  • New to me, rescued for $3 from Home Depot. This one should get between 12-16 inches tall from some googling. It’s flowers are a bright classic purple.
• ‘Perfect Profusion’ Salvia
  • Also rescued for $3 from Home Depot this spring. This Proven Winners Salvia is described by them as “One of the very best Salvia for consistent rebloom. Soft Icy Blue Flowers cover the perfectly rounded plant.” They also say it will get about 16-20″ tall.

As I have been digging all my plants up to move them to my dad’s, It has been a nice reminder of the plants I have and love. I think I will continue to do little profile posts of them here and maybe you can find a few interesting ones to add to your own garden. I would love some suggestions on what to add to the little collection I have going. I think I’m needing a white Veronica to add to the mix for sure. As always, add your thoughts, suggestions and questions to the comments below.