The New Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden

by Betsy Clebsch

Showcases 150 of the most beautiful, gardenworthy species. Salvia is derived from the Latin word salvare, "to heal," and for centuries salvias have been valued for their medicinal and culinary qualities. Salvias, commonly known as sages, grow throughout the world. They occur in many perennial, biennial, annual herbs, and evergreen or deciduous shrubs. These amazingly varied plants are also noteworthy for their remarkable resistance to pests and diseases, their drought tolerance— and their beautiful flowers. In The New Book of Sages for Every Garden , Betsy Clebsh highlights 150 beautiful, gardenworthy species and significant hybrids. She documents them alphabetically and includes botanical descriptions, information on habit, blooming cycle, recommended companion plants, and delightful historical tidbits of discovery and usage. In her ardent pursuit of salvias, Clebsch has explored the wild to collect plants and seeds to test in her garden. The resulting wealth of cultural information in The New Book of Salvias ensures that our gardens will not only be exquisitely aromatic but also wonderfully picturesque.

Genres: Gardening, Horticulture, Nonfiction

344 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an overall excellent reference book on salvias. It would probably be of most use to California gardeners and those of similar climates. Although it covers a wide range of species, there are some salvias I’ve seen on the market today that aren’t in this book. It may be that these are newer cultivars or more obscure species (Salvia subrotunda comes to mind).

Though this book has lovely photos, and some illustrations, it would be nice if each salvia had a close-up photo of the flower as well as a distant photo that shows the entire plant with a person or some other object that suggests its size and garden presence. This is something I would wish for most books of this type out there today.

That being said, I enjoyed the growing tips and companion plant suggestions. I had this book by my side when looking through many plant catalogues. I wish there were a similar salvia book for humid subtropical climates.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my most frequently referred to gardening books (and I have LOTS), about one of my favourite plant genera. It is the best for information on salvias (habitat, cultivation, planting companions). The close-up photos are fine but those showing salvias growing in the author's garden are often too small to show the plants' distinguishing features.

I have the 2003 edition of the book. I don't know whether the 2013 paperback was updated or just a reprint. Plant breeders frequently bring out new salvia cultivars and, naturally, these aren't included.

I use The New Book of Salvias in conjunction with The Plant Lover's Guide to Salvias by John Whittlesey (Timber Press 2014), which has less information but larger photos. Both authors live in northern California, in a climate not too different to the one where I garden at 870 metres (2,800 feet) altitude in eastern Australia, so much of the information is relatable to my conditions although, sadly, I struggle to get Salvia leucantha through winter.

I also have The Gardener's Guide to Growing Salvias by John Sutton (Timber press 1999) but it was written for English conditions so is not so useful to me.

[Tanja Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

very useful for breeders of special sages !!!

[Booksingarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Grammaticus Kidco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beside each species description being very interesting reading, the last paragraph that suggests what plants would go well with that species is beguiling. I should try to draw out these ideas.

[Martin Witchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genus Salvia is very interesting. If you ignore the common old cultivar 'Bonfire' (overused in extremis), there are colours from white to lemon, pink to blue and green to indigo and violet. Rarely does one genus of plants contain the spectrum of colour within Salvia. As a result of reading this book I'm redesigning parts of my garden to accommodate a Salvia or two (or six?).