Lucky you Christie!
I have never seen Oceana Blue at a local nursery. I grew it from seed one year but it flowered too late in the season for my hummers to take advantage of it. I believe it has been put into the retail market by Proven Winners this year.

Penny

I've seen a lot of Black and Blue Salvia recently at Lowes stores - I'm not sure if they are a nationwide company or not.

I just bought some Salvia 'Black and Blue' from Woodlanders mail order. I had not seen any here, and I heard the hummers and moths (hummingbird) liked it, too. Christie, if you don't find any by summer's end, I can send you a cutting or start of mine if you'd like. It's pretty small right now.

Do you also grow Yvonne's Salvia?

Susan

I've got some little Yvonne's salvia seedlings that I winter sowed. The late frost got several but I have 8 or 10 left. I need to get them planted.
I got a couple rooted cuttings of Black and Blue last week from a trader and if it's like the species, I think it will grow pretty fast. It was nice of you to offer Susan. You're always so generous. I've been trying to find a few things already in bloom for the hummingbirds and butterflies. Our late freeze really did a lot of damage this year and there just isn't much for them. There was even something on the news here about the hummingbirds having trouble finding food.
I found some agastache at a nursery today that had little buds on it. I grew some of that from seed too but mine are a loooong way from blooming.
Kiffin - We do have Lowe's here but they haven't gotten any in yet. I'll keep watching.
Penny - I was going to try to save some seed from mine if it has any but maybe it wouldn't be worthwhile if it takes too long to grow. Maybe I can winter it over in my garage.

Christie,
I am hearing reports from various hummgardeners around the country that are finding black & blue at their local lowes so keep checking. Our Lowes hasn't gotten them in yet either. They just have some perennials and annual bedding plants...daisies, geraniums, petunias, etc. but I will continue to check b/c I know they had them two years ago but we didn't have one close to us that year. They have since built more stores so I am keeping a close eye out.

Not sure if my B&B's survived this winter yet or not...still no sign of life but I can't pull the stump out. I lost a lot of my hummer perennials this winter too. I thought I had even lost my honeysuckle and my agastache rupestris but they are finally coming back.

I did post on the other forum that I had a male stop by Sunday evening to rest for the night and refuel in the morning but he has since headed out and now I am waiting again for my flock to arrive. I did buy another coral honeysuckle (Dropmore Scarlet) at Walmart on Monday for $6.83....It is blooming and I just couldn't pass up the price tag.

Penny

I have the Dropmore which cost $10.99 and the Black & Blue which was $12.99 from a local nursery. Can you believe the prices! Last year I was fortunate to get both from either K-Mart or Lowes for about $6.99, but neither had them yet, and my hummers had arrived. Fortunately, once potted (or in the garden should you be so blessed) it grows very quickly. Last year my hummers went wild over the B&B, and the plant took up about half my balcony. It got blown over by the wind a couple of times and whole branches broke off, but a week later you could hardly tell. I finally had to cut it down when the hummers left, because there was no way to get it off the balcony, short of dropping it over the side (I am on the third floor). I am going to the Proven Winners site to see what Oceana looks like. If it's anything like B&B, it will be a knockout for sure.

I looked on the Proven Winner site , they don't show the "Oceana Blue' they do a show "May Night".I picked that one up last weekend at Fleet Farm, it is suppose to be a hummer plant , 24-30 " tall.

4 yrs ago I paid $3.49 for my first Black & Blue in a 3 inch pot. It grow very quickly and I had that plant until last year in a huge container. The year before last I needed another one as mine in the container hadn't started to bloom when my hummers started arriving so i went back to the nursery where i purchased it. They didn't have any but said they would order it for me. It didn't come in until June and I paid. &16.99 for that one. Last year I bought two more from Rich Dufresne in N.C. and not counting shipping I paid 3.50 a piece I think. I also grow my own. So far I haven't ordered or bought any this year.

Penny