Russian Sage is a wispy plant, so it looks great planted alongside another flower that can pick up the violet-blue of its numerous flower panicles and “grow through it,” like coneflower (Echinacea spp.), globe thistle (Echinops ritro), or tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis). The tall tawny grasses maiden grass (Miscanthus spp.) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), as well as the sharp vertical lines of “Karl Foerster” feather reed grass, look stunning in combination with it (Calamagrostis x acutiflora).
Consider placing Russian sage along a walkway as a “hedge,” especially in a gravel garden where its color contrasts stunningly with the camel-colored pea gravel found there. Russian sage loves to spread its long arms out in the garden, so make sure to leave enough of room for growth.
Additional Uses: Russian sage’s scented foliage and blooms have a relaxing effect on the nervous system. In traditional medicine, it is applied topically to lower fevers and is also brewed into a tea.
Russian sage has several blossoms that attract bees, and because it attracts so many pollinators in the summer, it is a wonderful addition to a pollinator-friendly landscape. Russian sage is a fantastic choice for gardeners with oceanfront properties because it tolerates salt and does well in a variety of soil types.
In what plant does Russian sage belong?
- Russian sage is a striking undiscovered cut flower that draws butterflies and bees.
- Perfectly complements other low-water plants like lavender, sedum, and ornamental grasses. It also gets along well with succulents with bold leaves like big agaves and aloes.
- In addition to xeriscapes, hillsides, and rock landscapes, Russian sage blends in with deer-frequented, Mediterranean-themed gardens.
What vegetation goes nicely with sage?
What other plants go well with sage? Of course there are those that were already discussed, but let’s go over a few more.
If you allow sage to flower, it can draw pollinators and other helpful insects. To get these advantages as well, it could be beneficial to grow extra sage plants and allow some of your plants to flower.
Brassicas
Brassicas thrive next to sage. Sage aids in warding off bugs whose odours harm brassicas.
Brassicas include, as examples:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- sprouts, Brussels
- Kohlrabi
Cabbage
If you have ever grown cabbage or other brassicas, you are all too familiar with the cabbage moth. If left untreated, they can damage a lot of plants by making tiny holes in the leaves. There are little green cabbage worms on the underside of the leaves, if you look closely.
Tomatoes
Sage is a helpful plant to grow with tomatoes since it can deter flea beetles and draw beneficial insects to your tomato plants.
However, basil is the ideal tomato companion plant, so include some of it as well if you’re also growing it!
Strawberries
Strawberries and sage not only pair nicely, but they also grow well together.
Sage can help deter slugs from your plants because strawberries are one of the plants that they adore.
What must not be grown close to sage?
Sage does have some adversaries in gardening. Sage should not be placed near: for the healthiest garden.
- 1. Cucumbers: Sage and other flavorful herbs might limit the growth of cucumbers (oregano is the exception). Instead, combine cucumbers with plants that repel cucumber beetles and squash bugs, such as catnip, chives, dill, marigolds, radishes, tansy, or nasturtiums.
- 2. Alliums: Sage can’t grow in moist soil as onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, and chives do. Try growing chamomile or summer savory next to onions if you’re seeking for a herb to plant there.
- 3.Rue: In the herb garden, avoid planting common rue close to sage because it stunts the latter’s growth. Additionally, rue needs to be kept away from basil and cabbage. Rue does, however, discourage cucumber insects and promote fig tree growth.
- 4. Wormwood: Wormwood is a plant that helps keep whiteflies away, but it might be bad for sage. A sage-friendly substitute for combating whiteflies is nasturtiums.
- 5.Fennel: Fennel can limit development or cause plants to blossom too early. Sage is one of the plants that fennel is allelopathic to.
With Perovskia, what thrives?
Perovskia atriplicifolia, a lovely subshrub, produces masses of lavender-colored blooms carried on branching, fragrant stalks throughout the late summer and early fall, when it performs at its best.
Growing next to flowers like eryngiums, rudbeckias, and echinaceas, Perovskia atriplicifolia is a wonderful addition to a gravel garden or herbaceous border. The flowers draw pollinating insects like a magnet.
Perovskia atriplicifolia should be grown in full sun with well-drained soil for optimal results. Each year, in the middle to late spring, prune severely to promote vigorous new growth that will bear flowers later in the season.
Will Russian sage grow further?
Russian sage can be planted using a few tips that will aid in the plant’s establishment in your garden.
Place your planting first. For the Russian sage to flourish, full sun is necessary. Plants tend to flop open as stems stretch for sunlight when given a little shade. A stretch along a driveway or an area with high sun that gets as hot as the area between a sidewalk and a street are good choices. Russian sage enjoys heat and sunlight.
When planting Russian sage, keep in mind that this lovely plant dislikes two things: high humidity, and soil that remains wet all year. Select a planting location with alkaline, dry soil or ordinary, well-drained soil. Both soil types are compatible with Russian sage. Plants often become slack and floppy in overly fertile soil. Insert hoop stakes or support stems with stakes and string in this situation.
Plants mature at a height of 3 to 5 feet and a spread of 2 to 4 feet. Russian sage grows in clumps, so provide the plants some room to expand by placing them about three feet apart or three feet away from other plants in the garden.
At your preferred plant store, keep an eye out for containers of Russian sage. Russian sage can be planted any time between early spring and six weeks before the first frost, but late spring is the best time. The earth is now warm, and plants should begin to grow swiftly. If you decide to plant Russian sage later in the summer, make sure to water the soil frequently as the young plants grow.
There are numerous types of Russian sage for sale. The straight species can reach heights of 3 to 5 feet and widths of 2 to 4 feet. Russian sage known as “Little Spire” is a scaled-down kind that grows only 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Russian sage known as “Blue Spire” has stems that may grow up to three feet tall and wide and is known to grow more uprightly than other varieties.
In the correct circumstances, Russian sage can self-sow and can also spread via rhizomes. Gardeners claim that this perennial bloom can occasionally be invasive. The National Invasive Species database does not, however, report or list it as such. Keep an eye out for spreading stems in the garden. As you find them, pull and cut them.
What can I grow with Russian sage and denim?
Russian sage can be a beast in the landscape, happy to overgrow its neighbors and rule the roost, as anyone who has ever cultivated it will attest. We are therefore very happy to present to you this newer type, which is as polite as a Sunday school child. It stands tall all season without leaning on anyone and is just as floriferous as its cousins, if not more so. It only needs a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day and a small amount of water during dry spells. This perennial is the real “plant it and forget it” variety!
HOW TO GROW ‘DENIM ‘N LACE’ PEROVSKIA
Find a place in your landscape that is somewhat dry and gets a lot of sun. You ought to sow some Russian sage there. Save your energy for more needed plants as a result of its strong constitution, which means it likes not to be pampered. This one can stand up to the wind, salt spray, thirst, sun, and heat on its own.
Know that this perennial will not enjoy the extra step if you like to add compost and other nutrient-rich substances to the soil before planting. It will actually thrive in less fertile soils with lower levels of organic matter. The only prerequisite is that the soil be well-drained; alkaline soil is preferred. The roots of this plant don’t like to be moist for a long time, especially in the winter.
Pick an area that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunshine per day. Even in warm climates, Russian sage does not require any shade. It may stretch and lean due to excessive shade, moisture, or rich soil.
Russian sage should be planted in the spring to give it time to build its extensive, woody root system before the onset of winter. If planting later in the season, mulch the plant’s base with two to three layers to protect the roots during the first growing season.
When you pull the plant out of the pot, if the roots are tightly round one other, loosen them up a little to disrupt the “root memory.” By doing this, they will be encouraged to expand rather than keep growing in a circle.
Make sure the rootball of the plant is level with the top of the surrounding dirt before placing it in the hole. After that, re-fill the hole with the removed soil. To get rid of any significant air pockets around the roots, firmly press it down with your hand.
To help the dirt settle, water the plant one last time. It will require a little more water during the first season as it establishes itself than it will in following years. As soon as the plant’s roots are established, it will be able to seek out the moisture it needs from the soil, becoming independent.
Russian sage requires very little maintenance once it has been planted in the proper location. This perennial really requires little maintenance.
The most crucial thing to keep in mind when caring for this plant is not to spoil it. It can die from excessive feeding or watering. Your plant is either receiving too many nutrients, insufficient sunlight, or excessive water if it is yellowing, stretching, or flopping.
Watch the buds on its woody stems begin to swell in the spring. It’s time to prune when it’s clear which portions of the plant are exhibiting new growth and which aren’t. Cut the stems back to the first green bud if no new leaves appear close to the tops of the stems. If a stem isn’t exhibiting any new growth, it can be totally cut out.
Every spring, put a layer of compost around the base of the plant if you garden in thick clay soil and wish to keep the soil texture improving. When adding the additional soil, be careful not to bury the crown. No more plant food is required because it will supply all the nutrients the season will need.
Leave your Russian sage plant standing in the fall (don’t cut it back), and when the new growth comes in the spring, prune as mentioned above.
Russian sage is rarely bothered by pests, including deer, due to its fragrant foliage and woody stems.
When choosing what to plant alongside your new Russian sage, start by looking for plants that benefit from comparable growing circumstances.
Specifically, vegetation that favors full sunlight, low moisture content, and lean soil.
You could opt to plant ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ alongside perennials that bloom sooner, like ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ catmint, ‘Color Spires’ salvia, or ‘Midnight Masquerade’ penstemon because it flowers from July to early fall. They will add color early in the growing season and look lovely against the Russian sage’s silvery-green foliage.
Plant “Denim ‘n Lace” alongside other perennials that bloom at the same time, such as Color CodedTM coneflowers, PyromaniaTM red hot pokers, and Rock ‘n Grow sedums, to provide a burst of color all at once.
Plant something taller and of a different color behind ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ to truly let the sky blue blossoms stand out. Russian sage looks particularly lovely with colors like yellow and purple. It might pair well with the Summer Wine ninebark, Kodiak Black diervilla, or Sunshine Blue II bluebeard, which has gold-leaved plants.
top 3 reasons to grow
Beginning in July, this perennial blooms prettily nonstop for months with hardly any maintenance.
Pollinating bees and perhaps a few hummingbirds stop by these flowers for a lunchtime snack almost every day.
‘Denim ‘n Lace’ won’t flop upon its neighbors or take up too much space in the yard, unlike earlier Russian sages.
Love the way “Denim ‘n Lace” Perovskia sparkles? Shop online or at your neighborhood garden center to find it.