This is a photo taken of my front garden in the evening. I love how the sun back-lights all of the plants.
The ‘Raspberry Rose’ Hibiscus are spectacular at this time of year, and I continue to adore the orange-red Sedona Coleus that you see near the bottom of this picture. Notice, however, the wide swath of green foliage in the center. The plant on the left is a Vitex that has been deadheaded, and is now only leaves. The flowers have come and gone so this shrub has a good excuse for being all green leaves at this point. To the right of the Vitex, however, is Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’. You should be seeing more green on this plant than is in evidence right now. This Salvia is normally in bloom with bright, lime green flowers in September. I also expected it to be shorter based on plants I’ve seen in the past. Hmmmmm.
I was probably too nice and gave it too much fertilizer. I treated it as an annual, which I suspect it is in this part of the country, and I should have treated it as a perennial and kept this Salvia on a lean diet. Live and learn. In the meantime I’m adjusting to a large wall of green that obscures the birdbath and the Lifelime Coleus. I’m planning to take cuttings of this Salvia so that I have it next year…but I’ll plant it in a different location and feed it less.
Gardeners: Flexibility R Us!