Is anyone else growing 'Mesa Scarlet' hybrid salvia this year?



I had never seen it before, but they didn't have to bother telling me on the tag that it was a h'bird flower; pretty obvious just from seeing the shape of the blooms! And every time the hummers do start to eat from it, they never stop until they've hit every single bloom all over the entire bush!



My only complaint is that the plants were already almost full-grown when I bought them, so I hope it won't be all downhill from here on out...

I've always hated pinching petunias with a passion (how's that for alliteration?!) but I just couldn't pass this one up. I'd never seen one that was so free-flowering before. It's got the weirdest name though -- "Happy Shaked"... (???) It also mentioned h'birds on the tag, but I haven't seen any on it yet.



This is the first year I've ever tried growing Manettia inflata (Candy Corn or Firecracker vine). The tag said it only gets 2-3 feet tall, so I'm hoping it really is a dwarf variety. I made a small trellis out of wooden dowel rods for it, but I also put it next to my larger trellis, just in case it tries to get taller than that... I've already seen h'birds going after every single tiny flower on it already, even though it's barely even blooming yet!



Yay! My 'Lady in Red' is finally starting to bloom! I always grow these myself from seed saved the previous year, but I guess I'm gonna have to start sowing them in November to get them to bloom by May!



This new kind of geranium (well, new to me anyway) was another exotic, oddball eye-catcher that I just couldn't pass up. It's called 'Graffiti Fire'. I thought the h'birds would really go for it, but I haven't seen any on it yet.



I didn't know if h'birds would go for black-eyed susan vine or not, but I've been wanting to try a topiary with it for a few years now. I turned an old tomato cage upside down and put a big curtain rod finial on top for the finishing touch. I can't believe they've already grown almost all the way to the top in just a couple weeks! I'm calling it "The Thunbergia Obelisk Project"... Sounds like a mystery novel, eh?!



And of course, here's the Black & Blue salvia you folks talked me into buying! Just potted it up last night... Haven't seen any hummers on it yet today, but I placed it right in the center of the deck as a central focal point, so it's right in front of the chair I usually sit in to watch for them.



It seems like I have fewer plants than last year, but I guess that's just because they're not grown out very far yet. Just thought you folks might appreciate my efforts more than most people who don't really care about h'birds.

Bill McClure
Zone 6A

Bill you have a very nice selection of flowers to offer the hummingbirds. So pretty and healthy.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Great garden, Bill. I really like the idea of the tomato cage obelisk. I can put mine to good use now.

Priya
Zone 7, Maryland

Bill,

Candy Corn vine was popular with the hummers here last season, I over wintered it indoors and it's growing vertical like crazy. It seems like every nursery is carying Black eye susan vine this year, how I managed to resist is beyond me. Let us know if the hummers use it please.

'Mesa Scarlet' hybrid :
I have both Scarlet and Purple varieties and the hummers love it. He always hits purple first. Use very weak fertilizer on this one. I sprayed mine with Miracle grow the other day and the Purple one is yellowing. I almost killed this plant earlier in the season with Osmocote added to the soil. I measured so it shouldn't have been too much. These plants have gotten very leggy and the stems tend to be heavy from all the blooms and can break easily. I hve one in a larger 20 inch pot and its way to tall for its body. The hummers love them, but I think something was lost in the science of this Hybrid. It was a great early plant, but I also think it will be the first to bite the dust this summer. I think you will find using a smaller pot like you have will be better with this one. I have a Scarlet in a 14 inch pot and its growing horizontally, but not tall leggy where the wind will destroy it.

So much for this Hybrid. Here's a pic I posted on another thread. You can see from left to right, Purple, Scarlet , Purple




Pam NJ 6B

Thanks, everyone! Your flowers look great, Pam! I love the sun design of the pickets in the center section of your deck!

What are the red and orange flowers in the green pot up on the rail on the right? Calibrachoa? I had some of that last year and wanted it again this year but could never find any colors I wanted so I decided to skip it for this year.

Bill McClure
Zone 6A

bill....nice garden. Bet the hummers will love it!
dell

Bill,

Yes the flowers on the deck rails are Calibrachoa, a hybrid called Tequilia Sunrise. The hummers used them early on before I bought the salvia's, now only sometimes. I love them in these containers though, and I also added some Portulaca. I grow Portulaca every year for me (not hummers) and my sunny deck. I'm real happy with the way they are looking this year. These containers are alot deeper than the rectagular ones I used to have so everything is growing alot better and needs less watering. They also fit snuggly on the trex rails, no bungy's needed.

Pam NJ 6B

Bill your plants looked spectacular! I have never had hummer used my petunias when I had them in the past and like you I hate pinching the sticky stems back. I finally quit growing them. I also used to grow geraniums but never saw hummers use those either though I think they will check out some kinds. Let us know when your hummers discover your B&B and tell us what you think.

Pam
Can you believe that my Calibrachoa blooms all dried up and all the new leaves are turning yellow and the buds drying up before the open. I cut one all the way back and the other I cut most of it back to see if I can get them going again. I don't know if it is because it is cooler than normal or if they got too wet from all the rain or what but I have never had Calibrachoa fail to perform for me before.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39