Salvia viridis Blue Monday - seeds

The 'Blue Monday' Sage, in Latin Salvia viridis, is an annual plant native to the Mediterranean region. While its flowers are rather insignificant, its bracts are highly decorative and long-lasting. They are indigo blue with purple veins and present from June to September on hairy foliage. This easy-to-grow sage is rewarding, undemanding, and quite resistant to drought. Sow in place, in spring, in full sun or partial shade.

Salvia viridis is an annual sage, also known as green sage, belonging to the Lamiaceae family. It is naturally found growing in dry areas of the Mediterranean region. It has given rise to numerous cultivars. The 'Blue Monday' selection grows vigorously and quickly forms clumps 60 cm (24in) tall when in flower, sometimes branching at the base, with an upright and bushy habit. It has oval or oblong, 5 cm (2in) long, hairy, finely crenate, fairly dark green leaves. The flowering lasts about a month, between June and September, depending on the sowing date. The violet or mauve flowers are quite small, arranged in spike-like clusters and quickly fall off. They are surrounded by large sterile, vivid indigo-blue bracts marked with darker veins. These nectar-rich inflorescences do not fall off the plant and remain ornamental once dried. They are perfect flowers for fresh or dried bouquets.

The 'Blue Monday' Sage has sumptuous spikes of vibrant colour, stunning in beds or pots. It is perfect for quickly flowering the garden or terrace and easily self-seeds. It can be grown with other easy annuals like love-in-a-mist, cosmos, and Californian poppies. They quickly create a countryside composition. With perennials, it can be paired with common lady's mantle for an electric duo, or echinaceas and poppies. The floral spikes of this sage are highly appreciated in dried flower arrangements, with poppy seed heads and statice flowers.