Plant of the Week: Hummingbird Sage

Salvia spathacea is the plant for those shady gardeners with sun denial.  While Hummingbird Sage indeed goes home to the Sage family for the holidays, it uncommonly thrives in part sun/shade conditions while its brothers and sisters shake their heads and bask in the hottest of conditions.

While many of our native Salvia's foliage have a musky scent, Salvia spathacea exudes a sweet, pineapple frangrance to delight the senses.  As the name suggests, when it's magenta flowers appear on twisting, curving flower stalks the Hummingbirds' chirp is never far off and buzzy fly-bys become frequent occurrences. 

What I enjoy about this plant is that I can show it to people who think California natives are gray and scraggly.  It would look equally at home under oak trees as it would in a white picket fenced cottage garden!

Soil:  well-drained but medium clay

Sun:  part sun to part shade.  I find morning sun and afternoon shade works best.

Plant:  Any time of year, really.  They grow fast from 4" pots. 

Buy it:  Annie's is out of stock for mail order, but they may have some at the nursery.  Yerba Buena has a few.  Oddly enough, California Flora Nursery carries the 'Las Pilitas' variety while Las Pilitas Nursery carries a few different varieties, along with its signature one.

Good for:  a shot of color when you're in a shady disposition (mix it with Douglas Iris!), cottage gardens, habitat gardens,  culinary or sensory gardens, under water intolerant trees, or trailing out of a brightly colored container.

Plant of the Week: Scarlet Monardella

What a joy it is for my snobby native gardening sensibilities to discover a plant I've never seen before! I came across this stunner when cruising the nursery and absolutely had to have it! Unfortunately, as I'm researching its care, I'm realizing why I probably hadn't heard of it earlier: Monardella macrantha 'Marian Sampson' is difficult. Las Pilitas says 2 out of 3 will survive transplanting if you're lucky (they're the experts, and they still lost one?). And its part shade requirements don't quite mesh with the full blast of heat in my front yard.
Be that as it may, did you see those flowers?! Hummingbird magnet, right? Sometimes you just have to be an idealist and be willing to take some chances.

Soil: Well, well drained. They must have good drainage and give 'em a mulch of gravel
Sun: They thrive under afternoon shade. Since they're low growing, perhaps shelter them under a large tree or shrub
Plant: I'd say plant in mild weather. I'll wait until the heat wave is over, but I don't think I'd plant in the middle of the rainy season either. They might take more water than most natives, too so pay some extra attention to it when its getting established.
Buy it: I bought mine at a wholesale nursery, so just ask your local nursery if they can find you one. Looks like Yerba Buena Nursery also carries them from time to time.
Good for: a burst of color and a hummingbird oasis. These can help add some color to the summer brown season and will fill in some blank spots between larger plants.

So, wish me luck on getting some survivors out of this and if you're more interested, I found this link to be particularly helpful. Any advice in the comments would be showered with gratefulness!