When people ask for a long blooming, tough, long lived perennial for full sun the perennial salvia, also known as meadow sage, will always be right near the top of my list. Salvia blooms in a range of colors from blue to purple, pink and white.  Their abundance of flower spikes appear in late spring and last for about a month.

Once the flower spikes begin to fade deadheading, the removal of spent flowers, will promote continued bloom. Salvia grows well with just about anything but is often paired with other hardy, low maintenance plants such as daylilies, sedums, nepeta, rudbeckia and coreopsis.

Other attributes of perennial salvia include their excellent disease resistance, low water needs once established, deer and rabbit resistant, tolerance to a wide range of soil types with the exception of wet or soggy sites, and their size.  Most varieties mature to around 18” tall and wide when in full bloom, a very versatile size for any garden or perennial border.