About the Salvia Study Group

We are a group of Salvia enthusiasts from throughout Victoria who grow and promote Salvias. We meet regularly at different Salvia gardens or gardens of interest.

We are associated with the Garden Plant Conservation Association of Australia

Our collection is registered on the National Plant Collection Register

Our Purpose:

• Is to grow and collect Salvias for the purpose of study, research and enjoyment.

• Are to encourage members to grow and study Salvias at their own homes
• To assist with the planting and maintenance of the registered collections
• To exchange and gather cuttings, seed and other information with members of similar groups
• To collect and propagate plants for the registered collections.
• To correctly name existing and new Salvias appearing in nurseries

If you want to be more than a subscriber and become a participating member of the group, otherwise known as a 'Salvia fanatic' then contact Lyndi Garnett to find out how.

                                                         2012 Salvia Calendar is now available: see below Calendar of Events

                                                         New Salvia Manual  and other books are now available

                                                         Seed Information: see below Plant Information

Directions to Nobelius Display Garden

Nobelius Display Garden

For those who don't know where or what Nobelius is, this wonderful sight is situated in Emerald, near the Emerald Lake, underneath the Nobelius Packing  Shed along Crichton Ave on the Puffing Billy Railway Line. The garden is part of the Nobelius Heritage Park, on the old Nobelius Nursery site.

The present display garden was the result of the Group having too many Salvias and not enough room to display them properly to their best advantage. So the hunt was on to find a more suitable location. This was found in Sept 2006 with the help of the management of Nobelius who are the custodians of the Heritage Park and the Shire who allocated another plot for us to develop. A fantastic area was found underneath the Packing Shed, which was under utilized. It was perfect for our purpose, it had a gentle downward slope towards Emerald Lake and Puffing Billy going past at the top, an open area free from trees and their roots, bordered by Flowering Cherries on one side and PinOaks on the other, all in all an area of approx. 40m x 14m, perfect for the growing of Salvias.

Before the end of the year, we had the area rotary hoed 3 times, ready for the loads of compost and mulch that were dumped, waiting to be spread and raked. Most of the hard work began in Feb 2009 with a great band of helpers who laid out the beds, these being in the form of a central path and a number of paths going off to the sides. Our band of helpers then raked Richie Nottage compost and the chipped mulch on top. When the internal edging had been completed and the Coldstream toppings had been laid, the garden beds looked wonderful, just waiting to be planted

September 06 As it was                                                                         Feburary 07 Just beginning

Feburary 07 End of the day                                                             Feburary 07 The Packing Shed

This is the beginning of a massive planting program, beginning in late October 07.A good gathering of helpers arrived for this first stage of the planting , so we began by planting the large Salvias in the Red Bed, then Jillian and I planted the large pink Salvias in the opposite bed in early November 07. But we made a huge mistake, we didn't realize what a horrible day it was to be!. (it started with mist everywhere, but when it cleared the day was to be hot!, humid and horrible) Nobelius has it's own microclimate of humidity and heat. We had forgotten that small fact and were planting in the afternoon sun!. We finally finished after a huge effort.                                                                       

All the plantings were looking good when the next planting day was scheduled in late November07. This time we planted the small Salvias at the front of the beds and graduated up towards the middle. It was aimed that all these Salvias would be contrasting with one another in either, flower colour, leaf colour, shape or growth habit. Again this was a massive planting exercise, (always planting with a generous scoop of water crystal gel at the bottom of each hole and watering in well afterwards)

We had a wonderful band of helpers who did the hard slog this time - me - I ran around placing the plants, working out what goes where according to the layout plan. Some plants we didn't have at the time, so an odd assortment of sticks were used for their allocated places. This time we started on the hot side in the morning and finished on the cooler side in the afternoon, but again it was hot work and looked magnificent when finished. I have been up to the garden since with plants that have arrived to fill in some of those bare places, (eliminating some of those funny sticks)

Autumn 08	Looking down the Hill Autumn 08
Cherry Trees 08	Looking up Hill Autumn 08

 What a wonderful sight met us when we went up for our first Working Bee at Nobelius  in late April (2008), as so many Salvias were either coming in to bloom or were in full bloom. Although the heat and the long dry delayed and deterred us, it certainly didn’t stop the Salvias from flourishing in that great location.

There were remarkably few loses and a little storm damage, with plants blown over and some almost out of the ground. This was the scene that met Bevan when he went to spray’ The Oxalis’ the week. But thanks to the great turn out of  helpers, it was a case of ‘so many hands make light work’ and in no time many of the blown over plants were neatly tied, pruned and staked, and  those not helping with digging holes and planting the lower red bed, were doing some of the other many tasks that always need doing.

My thanks to the great band of helpers with a few new comers and to Bevan for coming up from Sommerville to spray the weeds.

Because we had such a good turn up, it wasn’t long before the planting, watering and other tasks were completed, and we could retire and relax under the Oaks for another of our renowned sumptuous feasts, everyone brought a plate of delicious food, tea, coffee and water, reclining on rugs in the shade with good company after a couple of hours of hard toil, what else does a person want. With all that completed, we were able to go home nice and early after a good day’s work.

What ‘s left to be done? We still have to constantly prune, to keep many of the smaller plants compact, not allowing them to get too leggy. There is still more spraying of Oxalis to be done. The lower pink bed is the next to be planted  and as many of the small plants from the old site have to be relocated, some will be planted, others may be able to be broken up and potted on. All these tasks hopefully will be achieved at the next Working Bee in June 08.If this could be achieved then most of the hard work would have been completed and everyone can enjoy the spectacular flowering of our Dislpay Garden.

Puffing Billy	Planting  March/April 08

The June Working Bee loomed bleak and forbidding, ( it actually rained!), but a wonderful team of helpers arrived to help plant, some to dig up Salvias from the old garden and relocate and replant them in the new one and some to weed. Although it poured down ,we had lunch earlier rather than later that day with lots of hot soup. We did eventually get the plants into the ground and were pleased when we could go home and dry off.

Small band of helpers arrived in Oct 08 to help weed the masses of tangled plants, many were being smothered with, mustard weed, couch grass and an assortment of other weeds which luckily proved easy to pull out.

The Packing  Shed Summer 09	Nobelius Summer 09
No water March 09	No water March 09

2009 arrived with very little happening due to the horrible hot weather, we weren't going to ask anyone to try and work in that heat. When we did venture up to inspect the condition of the garden, we were pleasantly surprised at how well the plants had stood up to all that hot dry weather and had come through with flying colours, especially as no extra water had been applied.. We didn't loose any plants at all, thanks to a wonderful location, the soil, the microclimate, protection from the tall trees and of course the preparation when planting. Although most of the leaves had dropped from the big leaved Salvias, leaving only sticks, they were not dead, these were pruned down to a good bud, or left if they were showing signs of coming into flower, all unsightly, fallen stems were pruned.

So many of the Salvia greggii's and microphylla's were still in full bloom, the hot weather hadn't fazed at all.

All the beds are being systematically pruned now it's autumn, March/ April 09,all flowers being removed, the smaller Salvias being pruned down to a good leafy bud, to encourage compact growth before the cold weather sets in. The larger Salvias are being pruned for shape and dead wood being removed. Any late flowering Salvias are pruned down for a good shape.

With the little rain that we have had, it has been amazing how the Salvias have sprung back to life again. The big ones are either beginning to flower or are in full bud, many of the smaller Salvias that had been pruned at the beginning are flourishing and beginning to flower again.

This autumn and winter will be a wonderful sight from Puffing Billy with a riot of colour in our Display Garden.

We are continually planting those bare spaces, pruning and mulching, when most of the hard work is completed, the Group plans to hold an open day in November in the Packing shed, where you can view the whole garden. We hope you will join us on that wonderful occasion.

The Official Opening of Salvia Display Garden at Nobelius Heritage Park 15th November 2009

Any visitor to the Opening of the Salvia Display Garden would be able to sense the

excitement in the air when arriving at the Nobelius Display Garden on Sunday 15th November

The garden beds were overflowing with flowering plants. Where else would we be able to see such a comprehensive display of a collection of Salvias in prime condition? We are indebted to all those who have worked over the past two years to establish and bring this garden to its peak under the guidance of Lyndi and Jillian.

The setting was perfect.  The weather was ideal.   It was a lovely experience for visitors as they arrived, walking up the gravel road into the Nobelius Heritage Park across the grass and into the shade of glorious trees. Then out into the sunshine to see the display beds of Salvias in flower and in the background the old golden- painted timber Nobelius Packing Shed.

Under the trees, green covered tables were set out packed with the best selection of Salvias anyone could imagine for sale.  Many visitors came to the tables with prepared lists of Salvias to purchase and to add to their collections; others were directed to the beds of Salvias in the Display Garden to select from the variety of flowering plants large and small all clearly named with excellent labels..

Refreshments were available throughout the day in the Packing Shed.  Tables were set with bowls of flowers including salvias inside and out on the railway platform where visitors could sit, eat, chat and wave to the passengers on the passing Puffing Billy trains.

Award winning garden writer, Penny Woodward, was invited to open this Salvia Display Garden and her address in praise of our project and of Salvias is printed elsewhere in this edition of Salvia News.

In her introduction Lyndi thanked the many people and groups who had worked so hard towards the success of the day.

                                                                                             Margaret Keir

 Penny Woodward's Opening Address

Salvias are a diverse and exciting family of plants with, as you can see, colours ranging from deep velvet purples and blues right through rich reds, pinks, yellows and even brown. No garden should be without at least a few. With a bit of planning, it is possible to have a salvia in flower in the garden all year round.

Salvias are one of the largest genera in the world with over 900 different species and almost as many cultivars and varieties.

They are natives to North, Central and South America, most of Europe, Southern Africa and several Asian countries, especially China, but there is only one species native to Australia (S. plebeia, austral sage).

 Given their good looks, ease of cultivation and drought tolerance it is surprising that salvias are not more widely grown

Aromatic salvias

Many salvias are aromatic with a high oil content in their leaves and have been used in medicine or for cooking all over the world. Those salvias with strongly scented leaves also seem to be unattractive to grazing animals like rabbits, possums and even kangaroos. As well, many leaf-eating and sap sucking insects are repelled by the scent, making the strongly scented salvias useful companion plants in the garden, as they confuse and repel pests. I grow some strongly scented salvias near the vegetable garden and under fruit trees, where they repel pests but also attract bees to help with pollination.

Food sources

In their natural habitats salvias are important sources of nectar for birds, bees, butterflies and insects. Birds also feed on their seeds. In America salvias are essential to the tiny hummingbirds that feed on them. In Australia the same salvias attract honey-eaters and spine bills who delight in their nectar. My pineapple sage lures the beautifully marked eastern spinebills to my garden right through winter.  Other local birds come to feed on salvia seeds and the insects attracted to the flowers. Blue and mauve flowered salvias also attract butterflies.

The large numbers of species and cultivars, and the ease of cross-pollination between species, means that it is often difficult to correctly identify an individual plant. Also the numbers are increasing all the time because of new cultivars and new discoveries in the wild. The diversity and breadth of this family has given rise to a large group of passionate and committed collectors all over the world.

Laid out here before you is the end result of this passion and dedication. This group of Salvia lovers has worked for countless hours to create this delightful and fascinating garden. We are so lucky to be able to come here, to see them growing and observe how they survive a variety of different conditions. There is a salvia for almost every garden position, now, due to the dedication of these passionate gardeners we can come and see them here before we put them into our gardens.

It is now my absolute pleasure to declare this garden open.

2010 dawned bright and clear for Nobelius.

Going up in February saw the garden dry but in a much better condition than it was last year at the same time. This year the weather has definitely been kinder with a little more moisture over those hot months.

It wasn’t long before Jillian and I began our Wednesday visits to begin cleaning up. Most plants survived quite well but there were a few that didn’t make the mark or were struggling, namely S. fruiticosa ( an old bush that was gradually giving up  and didn’t like the humidity that often occurs in that area) other causalities were S. sclarea alba and S. canariensis candissima, which put on such a splendid show during the open day that everyone wanted them, and a few other mealy plants that hadn’t grown well .

As with all new gardens there is a huge learning curve to learn about the plant that are going in, and as always there are a lot of ups and downs  which is  showing us that we can’t expect plants to go living for ever, that some have a relatively short life span and they need to be renewed every two years at least, others look best if planted annually although they may be a perennial.

Looking around the garden showed some plants  needed shifting, either they had grown too large and had over powered other Salvias or they just didn’t fit into that niche.

What we did find  was,  horrors of all horrors was that we had planted a big Red Salvia in the Pink bed!!!. So in due coarse, this will have to be taken out and be replaced with perhaps a blue Salvia - no confusion there.

The first Garden Day in April had a wonderful turn out . Each time we have a Garden Day  a few new faces appear  who are willing helpers and get stuck into the jobs that need to be done. This is encouraging as it shows that website is working and these new faces want to know what we’re doing in the Salvia Garden at Nobelius and be part of it.

Even Old Bill (94) and Des came up recently from Geelong to help prune the masses of Salvias yet to be dealt with. Bill came with his secateurs ready willing and very able, so I put him to work  at dead heading and getting rid of dead wood, which  he did very well.

Once all the major pruning is complete, planting will begin again -  shifting those plants that don’t belong, to a better position, filling in gaps and planting new species, coupled with this is the job of fertilizing each bed, probably using “blood n bone” and “Rooster Booster”, then finally put on all those lovely oak leaves that we have at our disposal as mulch, they will keep the soil moist when it warms up as well as smothering a lot of oxalis.

Being the middle of winter, Nobelius looks wonderful, a kaleidoscope of winter colour from the large Salvias, these will continue flowering throughout winter and well into spring, when the smaller Salvias will take over the main display.

The garden is well worth a visit at this time of year.

Work in progress through out the year

Of course when coming back to the garden, there is a mountain of work to be done, such as pruning and weeding. In fact that’s all we seem to have been doing all year is pruning and the weeds were surprisingly few as compared to previous years.

Well as we all know, we have had lots and lots of rain!!! and most Salvias have benefited from that soaking rain that has allowed them to burst forth into leaf and flowers, and of course with all that growth , it all has to be pruned down to make each plant sustainable.

Autumn saw us start the winter pruning of the small Salvias, ( pruning back to good buds), to get them to put on new compact growth before the cold winter winds come – for most we were successful.

The Autumn flowering began with S. mexicana ‘Limelight’, involucrata  (tall), ‘Pink Icicles’, ‘Romantic Rose’ and many other beautiful Autumn/ Winter flowering Salvias to follow.

The Winter unfortunately proved to be very cold and was too cold for some. We found that quite a few large leaf Salvias lost their leaves and became dormant, amongst others were ‘Black Knight’, the mexicana varieties, tubiflora, ’Purple Majesty’, ‘Violet Eyes’.These we didn’t touch at all, they were just a bunch of dead sticks standing there looking very unsightly – we were tempted many times to take them down, but we just bit our lips and left them.  Most of these either didn’t come back again or took along time to put out one or two shoots.

It may be that these varieties may have to be replace regularly every 2 yrs, or they may need to be more sheltered by other plants around them. The other disappointing plants were “ Costa Rican Blue’ and ‘Omaha Gold’, they just haven’t got going up there I that microclimate – we only have 1 good plant of ‘Costa Rican Blue’, the others are slow, sickly, so we have planted better plants beside them, hoping that they put on good new growth, especially with all that rain we’ve just had.

This rain has given some Salvias that were on their death bed (due to a lack of water)  a new breath of life, they are producing new leaf growth and copious amounts of flowers.

I’m please to note that most if not all the herbaceous Salvias have come up and responded to all this moisture with great growth and good flower stems. Unfortunately when we were putting in our beautiful new labels, many of the old labels were pulled out, without a little push in label  next to the plant, so that when we took out all the labels, we didn’t know what some of the Salvias were – it has taken a lot of investigating to correctly identify some of those herbaceous Salvias. By getting Lambley’s to send a few photo’s and descriptions over, we have been able to find out what we do have and what we don’t have.

The oxalis has been rampant this year as we haven’t  had  the people power to help spread mulch thickly enough to stop the Oxalis from coming up, so next year we will spend a lot of time proximity to the plants getting rid of those oxalis bulbs. I know that we could spray or use a few remedies, but when the oxalis is coming up in the middle or very close to the plant that you don’t want to take chances, but rather hand weed around the problem.

Next year -  what we will be doing : -

We need to take out a few incorrectly named Salvias – you can’t have red Salvias on the pink side and vise versa!

Lots of hand weeding – lots of good fun – for the knees!

Prune everything back to a manageable size

Plant more purple/blue Salvias, keeping everything crammed in to one another, this helps to protect each plant.

Take out some Salvias that have spread – lots of cutting material to be taken home.

Fill in areas with new varieties that constantly keep coming on to the scene.

I f anyone has a few hours to spare on a Wednesday to come and help develop the garden please give me a call on Ph 98034534

Thankyou to all the helpers this year, you all were a great help in helping to maintain this wonderful garden.

Ian Powell having a rest                                                Old Bill & Des came up from Geelong            Judy Forrester, hiding behind

                                                                                           for the Gardening Day                                           'Phyllis Fancy'