Using Red Salvia

Red salvia is a standout in a mixed flower border, its bright red spikes creating vertical punctuation amid other rounded or low growing blooms. It looks good in borders along walks and walls.

Dwarf types of red salvia are suitable for window boxes, but their intense reds need moderating by white or light flowers such as petunias. Scarlet salvias also look good with other annuals such as petunias and geraniums in large planters or tubs on patios and balconies. Remember to water frequently.

Salvia Attracts Wildlife
Red salvia attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds who are particularly attracted to bright red and tubular flowers. They look for red as a signal of a good nectar flower, especially during migrations. Red salvia’s long blooming season means it is available when other sources of nectar begin to disappear. It is a favorite of Allen’s Hummingbird on the West Coast; the Blue throated hummingbird which nests in Arizona and winters in Mexico, the Magnificent (Rivoli) Hummingbird in Arizona and New Mexico and the Ruby throat in the eastern half of the country.

Drying Salvia
Red salvias can be air dried. Choose stems of salvia whose blossoms are at peak color with no imperfections. Remove foliage, then either hang them individually or bunch several stems together and tie them tightly with string or a rubber band. Either suspend them or insert the stems in a wire screen or rack of some sort to support them as the moisture evaporates over several weeks. Place them in a warm, dark, dry, clean and well-ventilated place. An attic is good; a closet will do. For more information see Drying Flowers and Flower Drying Supplies

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