Finally, a dependable and beautiful Russian sage from seed. Blue Steel is compact, fragrant, and floriferousjust the accent you need for garden and container. And if you sow these seeds early, it will even flower the first year. What a terrific alternative to pricey plants.
Blue Steel is a compact variety, so you can pop it into your favorite patio container and move it around the landscape to show it off all year. Reaching just 18 to 36 inches high and 14 to 28 inches wide, it forms a very densely branched, rounded, bushy plant with upraised stems showing off all that lavender-blue color from midsummer through early fall. The foliage is a dusty shade of sage green on silvery stems and is fragrant all season.
Russian sage (Perovskia) used to be called the lavender of the South for its color, scent, and tolerance of heat and drought. Now, however, gardeners in the North have discovered how easy it is to grow, and it's so popular that we're wondering if lavender will soon be known as the Russian sage of the North.
And this seed variety is quite easy to grow. The seed germinates in 2 to 4 days (seriously!) when you start it at room temperature, lightly covered (or simply dropped into the Bio Sponge of your Bio Dome). It does need high humidity, so close the vents of your dome or, if you are starting it in a seed tray, place a plastic bag loosely over the entire tray until you see the sprouts. Then increase the ventilation, give it lots of light (grow lights are ideal), and as the seedlings grow, give them a pinch at the tips to increase the bushiness. They will be ready to transplant about 8 weeks after germination but wait until the spring soil has warmed a bit and all danger of frost is past.
Blue Steel needs little attention from you, but it does appreciate a hard prune in late winter or early spring. Cut the stems right down to an inch or two above ground level; they will re-grow all the better for it. Then enjoy another season of carefree beauty from this lovely Russian sage.
