Ruth,
Pineapple sage doesn't bloom until early fall so for us up north, unless we have late migrators, it isn't the best choice for hummers although most of us grow it anyway. Mine also hasn't gotten over 2 ft. tall this year but it is about 3 ft. wide and taking up a lot of space. I like it because it is a late bloomer but all my other salvias bloom right up to frost so I really don't need the pineapple sage. I also have a few agastaches and a couple of penstemons that are still going strong.

Penny

My pineapple sage has gotten huge! It's well over 4 feet tall and the two plantz I have are probably 6 feet across. They really need to be stunning for me to do them again, cuz they are taking up room that I'd rather have other stuff like LIR and B&B's in. I also want to put a trellis and moonflowers in their spot next year. I didn't know they'd be so pretty and since they only bloom at night, I want them near the front porch instead of in my back yd even tho they don't do anything for hummies I thought I'd put some morning glory's with them and it should serve both the babies and me.
My hyacynth beans are driving me nuts. Not sure I'll do them again either. They have gotten huge, but not a sign of a bud on them either.
I'm thinkin just salvia's next year! ALL KINDS of salvias!

glo

Penny - Thanks, I was worried that we don't have enough high temps to have this finicky sage bloom. I have another thing called Lobelia Tupa that is also getting big also, but shows no signs of blooming until probably mid fall. If it doesn't survive the winter, I won't grow it again either.

Glo - Agreed, more and more salvias next year. The trellis idea is a great one also. So many of the vines grow high and then I don't have to worry about the neighbors cat getting the hummerz.

Ruth

Ruth,
I've only had one cat in my yard this year...don't know where it came from, but Mr. BB scared him off and he's not been back. Don't get me wrong, I love cats, but not in my yard and not around MY birds. I won't intentionally hurt them, but, I won't feed them either.

glo

Last year my Pineapple got really huge too. It was pot grown and it got watered a lot more than the one in the ground this year. My hyacinth beans started blooming good about a week and a half ago. The are beautiful but I honestly don't see that much activity from the hummers. They seem to prefer the Scarlet Runner Beans and the salvias and agastaches and now the jewelweed since it has come into full bloom.

Penny

My Mexican Bush Sage and Pineapple sage are in pots and are huge - the Mexican has huge buds all over it, and the Pineapple has tiny buds if you look very closely at the ends of the branches - (yes, I look like a nut with my eyeball right up to the bud) - can't wait to see if they like the Mexican - the pineapple is absolutely glorious when it blooms - hundreds of tiny fire engine red trumpet flowers - can't wait!

Ellery

My potted plants don't have buds yet. While the Mexican Bush Sage seems very durable in pots, the pineapple wilts if I turn my back for five minutes.

Ruth - I saw your rose list, your yard must be something else. I'm surprised that pineapple sage doesn't overwinter for you there in zone 8. It does here about half the time. And I'd think because of your later frosts that it would bloom long enough for you in the fall to be of some use. Ellery is right about the flowers, they are certainly worth the wait.

Penny -Scarlet Runner beans and Jewelweed are on my list definitely.

Glo - I only have house cats and am not about to let stray cats prey on any of my yard birds either. I carry a water spray gun and squirt them. It doesn't do a thing to keep squirrels away though.

Ellery - I am envious of your pineapple sage and will wait to hear about it's hummingbird attracting abilities. Mexican Bush Sage looks nice too and appears to be grower friendly. I hope they bloom soon for you.

Ward - I moved here 10 years ago and am proud to say the roses that I still keep are 98% chemical free. Some of my neighbors are Chem Lawn, and this is getting to be an issue with me. I have worked hard to amend my clay soil with compost each year and now I think we are seeing the good results in the plants. Even though our winters are mild, the soggy soil often does in many plants.

Ruth

Ruth,
If your soil holds too much moisture, you can mix in some gravel to help it drain better. That is what I have done in my salvia bed.

Ward,
Last year I put my potted pineapple in a large pan of water. When the water was all sucked up I knew it was time to water again. It worked great as mine was a water guzzler as well.

I have also done that this year with one of my potted Black and Blues that is really really big and takes a lot of water.
Penny

Penny - Gravel does works the best, I learned that the hard way, 10 years ago. We used sand at our old place and it just diappeared into the ground. I have a new site that I am preparing for the new hummerz garden and can hardly wait to get started now that the temps are cooler. I see that you are in the Niagara Falls area and we were there a year ago on our 25th anniversary. It was a beautiful area but I wish I could have seen a Ruby Throat H-Bird while we were there.

Ruth,
My best plants were agastache Tutti Frutti and salvia Black and Blue. High level of attraction and a long blooming period. Tutti Frutti grew about 7 feet tall. I had B&B in a pot on a 30" high wall. I feel the height made the hummers feel safer.

Monarda was very attractive for about a month. The blooms declined pretty quickly with limited repeat. Lady in Red salvia is somewhat attractive and repeats quickly if deadheaded.

Gartenmeister (sp?) fuschia was attractive but didn't get real tall so the hummingbirds had trouble getting at it in the beds. Next year I will put this plant in pots on the wall. I find this plant very pretty and would grow it even if the hummers wern't interested.

Pineapple sage is 30" tall and has not produced a flower.

I keep my gartenmeister in large pots which I move to the back porch in winter. Because of the way their flowers hang down the hummers need to get under them to feed.

Harry, I can't agree with you on Lady in Red. I think it is a very attractive flowering machine. In one garden where I planted a dozen or so it has been blooming on multiple stalks since June and has received more hummer hits than any other salvia including B&B and even agastache Tutti Frutti.
I'm so sold on this plant that I'm trying to convince Rancocas Nature Center that what they need is a hundred foot long bed of this salvia, with just few patches of Indigo Spires and ulininosa, all of it mixed through with zinnias. What a show that would be!

I've never entirely understood why plants grow so differently in different gardens. While sometimes it's easy to see the reasons, at other times it is just too subtle for my understanding.

Agastaches ( Firebird, Tutti Frutti, Orange and Cream, Orange Sherbert, Summer Breeze, Globetrotter, Rupestris, and the regular specie of cana and barberi), Nepeta ( yes, my 30 + hummers go after faasennii crosses like Dropmore, wlakers Low, and Sixhills Giant, and others like N. subsessilis, N. Blue Moon and siberica), Salvias ( coccinea, elegans, Tangerine Dream, nemerosa Blauhugel, Uglinosa, Greggi of course), and my collection of Lobelia. Lobelia laxiflora is a plant that many don't mention, and its a shame because it really gives the hummers something else in the yard or in a pot. The bright bi-colored flowers really give the color needed in the garden and for the hummer.

Agastache Man - I grow Lobelia Laxiflora also but mine just can't seem to resist the one called Queen Victoria. I also grow one called Lobelia Tupa and it has yet to bloom. Does anyone else grow Lobelia Tupa?

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