Ornamental sage: The perfect companion

If this plant had an Instagram account, it would quickly get a lot of followers.

Especially after this dry, hot summer.

Ornamental sage is increasingly becoming a coveted prop in our gardens.

In addition to its filigree aesthetics, the many positive properties have long since been discovered.

Many, although not all varieties are true drought artists, sun worshipers too, need little or no water, are very robust.

And particularly important in times of climate change and species extinction: Many ornamental sage varieties are also an important (survival) food source for a large number of insects.

The medicinal sage (

), a remedy from the monastery garden that has been tried and tested for centuries, is valued in the kitchen as a spicy ingredient.

Its prettier relative, the ornamental sage, is the new star in summer beds and in trendy, near-natural meadow and prairie plantings.

Its richness in species is astounding, there are around 900 species of the Salvia genus worldwide, and new ones are still being discovered.

The number of breeds (hybrids), on the other hand, "has become unmanageable," says Frank Fischer.

However, if anyone has an overview of Salvien, it's him.

Since he fell in love with this plant more than twenty years ago, he has become an expert, passionate about collecting, breeding and exchanging ideas with international experts.

When his own collection overflowed, he opened a show garden with an attached nursery in 2016 in Umkirch near Freiburg (www.franks-salvias.de).

More than 500 species and varieties can be admired there.

Even with the hardy ones you are spoiled for choice.

Classics are native wild perennials such as the purple or pink meadow sage (

) - the white variety "Swan Lake" is enchanting and, as its name suggests, is ideal for plantings with meadow character: "It looks great there." Actually a spring bloomer, he's after a phase of almost forgetting, "because he gets along well with any weather".

"They combine everything we want and need in the near future"

Anyone who fears intensive self-sowing should rather keep their hands off it, "or cut it off after flowering!" Then he even reassemble.

The very popular steppe sage (

) is ideal for meadow areas and beds.

In addition to the wild form with its loose blue-violet inflorescences, there are numerous cultivars such as the tall 'Amethyst' with pink lipped flowers in purple-violet calyxes, the lower 'Blue Hill' in bright blue, 'Ostfriesland' with violet-blue flower spikes or 'Schneehügel' in radiant pure white.

All four have been Ernst Pagels bestsellers for decades.

And Fischer has other favorites.

There is the clary sage (

), "not very long-lived, but velvety."

He particularly recommends the 'Vatican White' variety.

"A powerful, beautiful plant that, once established, doesn't even need a sip of water in the summer!" On top of that, it's a great plant for insects.

Anyone who has poor soil will be happy about the old, unjustly forgotten verticillata 'Purple Rain', "very robust, willingly grows again after the first flowering, even after a total pruning".

His favorite is the North African sage (

), a pure wild species, "reliably hardy here, long-lived, flower spikes up to one meter high, a great climate winner".

After flowering, it turns brownish, "also beautiful," says Fischer, "more of this has to be planted in the future, our aesthetic view has to change, just fresh green isn't enough anymore."