THE POWER OF THE PLANT

The last of the anemones are in bloom with a few new flowers ready to show but as they dwindle, my Salvia Divinorum are ready to burst into appearance. This being their third season in my landscape, I have mastered the art of keeping the purple upright clusters blooming all season long. It's simply a matter of daily pruning. As each purple cluster begins to lose it's luster clip it off (even before it is fully dead) and watch new clusters emerge non-stop as long as the pruning continues. These flowers want to propagate seemingly strongly, as it appears to a novice so as long as the deadheading continues new blooms will grow.

I was not sure my Salvia would survive the winter. They fully disappeared and left me wondering when spring arrived if I'd need to but new perennials to fill in the space. I'm happy to say that they not only returned, but returned with strength, abundance and beauty. The flower stalks are more than I could have ever imagined. The plants are strong and noble. In Nassau County Salvia is legal while in Suffolk and the surrounding areas this plant has been under scrutiny due to its hallucinogenic effects. Some dry the leaves and smoke them or make a potent tea that apparently is stronger than LSD. While I'll never know the effects I'll take the experts word on the matter. For me the plant is beautiful and when pruned regularly throughout the summer, it blooms the entire season through. Salvia under river birch shot at night