5 sages to grow in pots

The Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'

This variety of sage is characterised by its flowering, the colour of which varies with temperature. The flowers of Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ display two-tone shades: mostly white in spring, they become white with red-rose lips in summer, sometimes entirely red if the weather is very hot. In autumn, they turn raspberry red. This sage quickly forms a shrub about 60 to 80 cm tall with a diameter of 80 cm, and it is covered with flowers from May to October in sunny borders. The small bilabiate flowers emerge from the aromatic foliage. They are ephemeral, lasting barely a day, but they renew themselves from summer to autumn, especially if the soil remains cool. The semi-evergreen foliage takes on a reddish tint in response to cold.

This hardy sage, hardy down to -10 to -12°C, prefers mild climates. It sits perfectly on a terrace, as it adapts very well to pot culture, which allows gardeners in cold regions to overwinter it in a frost-free place. It will pair nicely with the cherry-red flowers of Penstemon ‘Schoenholzeri’.

Salvia 'Blue Note'

Salvia ‘Blue Note’ stands out from other sages for its exceptionally rare royal-blue flowering, appearing from May through to frost. The small bilabiate flowers are accented by midnight-blue and purplish bracts, adding even more intensity to the flowering. This recently bred shrub sage was awarded in 2010 at Saint-Jean de Beauregard for its unprecedented colour. Particularly floriferous, it forms a homogeneous tuft about 60 cm across in all directions. Moderately hardy to -10°C, it grows easily in any well-drained substrate and will require frost protection in winter in cold regions. It will be stunning, planted on the terrace in a large pot, beside a Sesbania punicea, with pea-like flowers in incandescent orange for an exotic, contrasting touch.

Salvia jamensis 'Violette de Loire'

The Salvia x jamensis ‘Violette de Loire’ is a unique evergreen shrub sage variety, offering lovely spikes of violet flowers. They display a deep, velvety violet, with blue-purple reflections at their centres. Flowering begins in earnest in May and continues until the first frosts. This sage is characterised by its upright, well-branched form. Its foliage is small, dark green, semi-evergreen and naturally aromatic. This very recent French cultivar forms a compact clump, slightly wider than tall (50 cm high and 60 cm in diameter) – ideal for pot culture. Associating in a lovely pot display with Aster laevis or Gaura, it will form a charming waterwise display.

Salvia greggii ‘Mirage Salmon’

Salvia greggii  Salvia greggii ‘Mirage Salmon’ is a relatively new variety in the shrub sage series ‘Mirage’, selected specifically for its compact and regular habit, as well as for its exceptionally abundant flowering. It grows into a small, well-ramified tuft about 45–50 cm across, making it well suited to pot culture. From May through to autumn, it bears on black flowering stems large spikes of salmon-pink flowers. The black calyces provide a striking contrast with the dark green, highly aromatic foliage and the inflorescences in vivid colour. Hardy to -10 to -12°C, this sage is ideally suited to pots, where it pairs perfectly with spring-flowering tulips, for example.

Salvia 'Dyson's Joy'

Forming a small, fairly compact shrub about 60 cm across, the Salvia ‘Dyson’s Joy’ is well suited to pot cultivation. It is a very pretty variety of shrubby sage, adorned with bi-colour pink and white flowers, of exquisite delicacy. It flowers ceaselessly from spring to the first frosts, if drought or cold do not interrupt this abundant flowering. Its semi-woody stems bear small semi-evergreen leaves in mild climates, and are wonderfully aromatic, with a mint and lemon scent when crushed. It is a valuable ally for sunny, warm terraces. Moderately hardy, this sage should be planted in a very large pot and protected from the cold in a continental climate if temperatures frequently drop below -10°C. You can plant at its base the perennial ice plant Wheels of Wonder White, covered in starry white flowers.