Salvia Sensation Compact Deep Blue

* Common name: Meadow sage Sensation Compact Deep Blue    

* Botanical name: Salvia nemerosa ‘Florsaldblue’

* What it is: A sun-loving, drought-tough perennial flower with long-lasting blue-purple flower spikes that start in late April and last into June. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, but deer don’t like it.

* Size: One of the most compact perennial salvias, growing only about 14 inches tall. Plant 2 feet apart.

* Where to use: Perennial borders, sunny foundations, rock gardens, and any hot, sunny spot. Mixes well with many other perennials, or can be grouped in a mass by itself for impact.

* Care: Fertilize in early spring with a granular, organic or long-acting flower fertilizer. Snip off flower stalks to the ground after bloom and plants usually will bloom again in late summer. Cut foliage to the ground after frost kills it in fall or in early spring before new growth begins.

* Great partners: Most any pink rose or ornamental grass pairs well with purple salvias. Pink dianthus is a shorter sun-loving perennial that blooms at the same time, and coneflowers are good perennial sun-lovers that start blooming soon after salvia fades.