Salvia Sclarea

 Hi everyone.

This self seeded salvia is growing in my front garden.There are just 2 plants and as you can see it is quite eye catching .   It has grown to about 4ft 6"since the spring. I think it is Salvia Sclarea, Turkstanica, but I am not sure.

I have been growing them for about 3 years, the original was given to me by a friend and I have been asked for seed by people in the village as it such an unusual plan. The bees and insects love it!

It self seeds readily so once you have it in your garden you can almost guarantee you will have it year after year.

I had a bit of trouble uploading the photos but got there in the end

Yes, S.s. Turkestanica.

I can definitely cope with something that big and floriferous.  Is it very hardy or a bit whimpy?

Hi everyone - I agree with Berghill about identity. I have it growing in our garden - it's very hardy I would say - it's a biennial and, in my experience, self seeds readily without becoming invasive.  

Seems to be as tough as anything. Certainly if it survives here then it can take the cold.

We have had it without any trouble through the last 2 cold winters, -18c at times, it just pops up again,. the ones in the photo are self set in gravel, with a membrane underneath, not even straight into the soil. We garden in Lincolnshire, usually very dry summers, but cold winds in winter from the east, very similar landscape to obelixx.I should imagine. Give it a go you wont be disappointed. You can easily remove seeds that set in places you don't want them and give them away to friends. I can usually find them a home.

lovetogarden- This certainly,caught my eye.

Sounds and looks like my kind of plant. 

Thanks for sharing

PS- Is that cosmos or larkspur growing to the left in the first picture?

Hi Hollie-Hock.

It's Cosmos, still waiting for the first flowers!!. with a penstemon just peeping through.

I am very envious, I sowed a salvia from seed last year and I was hoping for a bit of colour, the flowers are so small on mine that I need a magnifying glass to see them. Any suggestions welcome

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Hi Kate1123.

I'm afraid I don't recognise the sage in the picture. There are literally hundreds of different ones. No doubt one of the GW forum members will be able to help you. The variety of seeds I set are readily available on e-bay and from seed merchants, so give the a try. It's very disappointing when things don't turn out as you expect. The plant you have posted looks healthy so perhaps it is how it should look. I would be interested to know the variety.

It looks stunning. Will have to try to locate seeds, will fill yet more of mygarden

Hi Kate1123 - as lovetogarden says there are lots of salvias - annuals and perennials - some with bigger flowers than others - so yours could be as it should be !! Have you still got the seed packet and does it state the variety ?

The flowers do look an interesting colour. 

The seeds were in one of those RHS  collected seed packs, I had lots of them flower in the first year as normal salvias this was the exception, I had hoped that waiting the extra year it would be spectacular but obviously not.

kate1123 - that looks more like a Common Figwort to me http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=497

I remember it well from Nature Study walks when I was at primary school a very long tme ago!

@Dovefromabove I think you are right, I cannot believe I have nursed this all winter hoping for an elegant, colourful salvia

I think figwort has a certain restrained elegance, and you don't see it often in the wild any more (or at least I don't).  I have a real affection for it as it was the first 'new to me' plant that I ever learnt to identify - perhaps it deserves to keep its place in your garden?