516 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



it is just the thing. Those who handle or retail hardy stock should 

 have just a few plants on hand, for when at their best they always 

 attract attention and somebody will want a half a dozen or so. 

 They are easily grown from seed. 



Salvia azurea (Hardy Salvia) 



This Salvia grows about four feet in height, and has slender 

 steins full of beautiful little Ught-blue flowers in September. A 

 half dozen or so plants in a group, if given a httle support, make a 

 fine showing; and you can also use them for cut flowers. The light 

 blue color of the flowers is quite unusual among the other peren- 

 nials, and hardy stock in bloom at that time, most of which have 

 yeUow blossoms or those of orange or brownish shades 



This Salvia is easfly grown from seed, which you should sow 

 in January in a 50-deg. house. If care is taken of the young plants, 

 you should have no trouble in getting bushy httle specimens by 

 early May. But the plants differ greatly in habit from the Scarlet 

 Sage. A later' introduction, considered an improvement on S. 

 azurea is S. Piicheri with deeper colored and larger flowers and more 

 of them on the plants. 



Scarlet Sage (Bedding Varieties) 



Salvia America heads the list of desirable florist's varieties. 

 It is of dwarf habit, good form and starts to flower early in the sea- 

 son, which, with many of the older sorts, is not the case. There has 

 been a dropping off in the demand for Salvias mostly on account of 

 their bright red color, but every florist can dispose of large numbers 

 during the Spring months. He should have good-sized plants with 

 good-sized flower spikes in 4-in. pots by the middle of May and 

 another lot in smaUer pots for later use. 



February first is not too early to start with the first batch of 

 seed. Sow it in flats and give bottom heat. The seedUngs can be 

 planted in flats allowing an inch and a half or so of space between 

 them. When they have made their third leaf, pot them into 23^s 

 and let them come along in a 50-deg. house. They may not make 

 as fast growth in this temperature, but they wUl grow into better 

 stock. Keep them shifted into good soil and they will have dark- 

 green foliage and good-sized flowers later on. 



Another way, the best with the variety America, is to Uft a 

 few of the best-shaped plants in September, pot them up, cut them 

 back a httle and place them in a 55-deg. house. By January these 

 plants, if cut back a little more, will begin to break and soon be 

 fuU of cuttings which root easily in sand with bottom heat. In this 

 way you are sure to obtain a good strain, which is not always the 

 case when you grow on from seed, no matter how fine the plants 

 you gathered the seed from. 



