Easy plant in dry, lean soil. Should play well with its neighbors.

Yes, we do like S. 'May Night'. It will do well with the conditions you describe. In my garden, the first bloom is in May. After bloom, I deadhead by cutting all the flower stalks back to the basal growth. It comes back into bloom in August.

Oh yes, I wished I had got May Night myself! I got Salvia Caradonna instead, and the stems are not as erect and upright as I wanted them to be. They kind of lean over and so they look a bit messy. I think that May Night probably would be more upright.... right?

I grow both S. 'May Night' and S. 'Caradonna' and like them both. Salvia 'Caradonna' is not as tidy a plant as 'May Night' as you've noticed. It also doesn't rebloom as well for me. Still, it's a good plant.

Spazzycat, I think you have also brought up another great point - Caradonna does not rebloom very well at all! So, mxk3, you should be happy with your May Night! In fact, I may just yank out my Caradonna and replace them with May Night....

Great! Glad I made a good choice. I've seen 'Caradonna' everywhere this year, but 'May Night' has been hard to find. I like the darker blooms, which is why I wanted 'May Night'.

Good for you, mxk3! :-)

Now, comparing May Night to East Friesland, I wonder which one has a more upright habit, and which one re-blooms better?

Having never gotten repeat bloom from May Night, and having East Friesland putting out a good reblooming show right now... the answer has to be East Friesland (surprise!) May Night is more upright. again it isn't even close.

Yes I do love May Night. I take scissors to mine and cut off spent flowers for almost continuous rebloom. I will be doing it again this week and should have rebloom until frost. It's easily one of my favorite perennials.

Linda

For me Caradonna is much more upright and has been in almost constant bloom all summer with deadheading. May Night spends most of it's time laying on the ground. With deadheading it reblooms pretty well but I don't get to see much of the blooms cause they're alway in the dirt.Both are in full sun.

i have TERRIBLE problems w slugs on my May Nights. do any of you?
best,
mindy

I snip off all the spent spikes in the beginning of the season, but it gets tedious. Maybe I should just cut "way" back next season. It doesn't bloom much after the snipping...just a few flowers here and there. I've heard it blooms til frost, but it just mildews for me. It's living in a good half day sun (morning and then some afternoon). What am I doing wrong?

Mindy - I've not had slugs that I can see on mine. What other plants do you have surrounding the May Nights?

janice, the may nights are the only plants in their respective plantings - that the slugs eat!!! same is true of my brunnera and kirengeshoma and rudbeckia herbstsonne: in their respective plantings, they are the only slug candy.
what a drag.
best,
mindy

Mindy - I know how disappointing that can be. Watching the leaves become decimated is so frustrating. Have you had this problem in the past? Maybe spraying with some soapy water so the slugs can't grab on?

OK, I like it, but.....mine does not grow. I've had it for several years in two spots. It's almost the same size as when I first planted it and looks healthy, I get a few pretty blooms once a year and that's it. Today I dug these up and added composted cow manure and put them back in place. I'm going to give it a month or so and see what happens.

I cut all mine back with the weedeater several times each season. Individually cutting each branch is too tedious.
They get some miracle grow then and in a couple weeks new blooms.

I never cut mine back at all last year and they bloomed all summer into the fall. They didn't flop and the bees loved them. They have already come back and two of four have their first blooms. No fuss in my experience. Nikki