Today we’re talking about the 2020 Perennial of the Year, which is the Denim ‘n Lace Russian Sage, and one of “Garden Answer” Laura’s personal favorites in her garden.
She’s had them planted for about three years around a large urn in her formal garden, and you would not believe the amount of color and beauty they have added to that space, all while being incredibly low maintenance.
Their lacy-like, bright, sky-blue flowers are held on amethyst calyxes, with strong stems and an upright habit.
One of the many things to love about this plant is that they thrive in really crummy soil.
Laura has them in high PH soil, and while she works to keep some plants happy because of it, this Russian Sage just thrives and is beautiful.
They also like full, hot sun and don’t require a lot of water.
Another thing to love is that they attract lots of pollinators; you’ll see butterflies, hummingbirds and honey bees buzzing around them all the time.
Plus, they’re much smaller and compact than the traditional Russian Sage; these will grow about 32 inches tall and 38 inches wide.
According to Laura, it’s like these are a large version of Russian Sage, just smooshed into a smaller version, so each plant is much more dense and the blooms are much thicker and fuller. It’s just much more striking.
The Denim ‘n Lace Russian Sage is also a Zone 4 through 9, so incredibly winter hardy, and we just love the fact that they require so little out in the garden, yet they give so much back.
