Blue banded bees (Amegilla sp.) are (IMO) Australia’s most pretty native bee with their vibrant blue stripes of fur on their abdomens, fuzzy legs and huge eyes. They are solitary bees that build nests in clay soil or homemade mud bricks if you’re feeling crafty. Another interesting fact about these beautiful bees - they are buzz pollinators – they shiver their flight muscles when grasping flowers to release pollen from pollen capsules. Many Australian native flowers require this type of pollination. When I take an early morning stroll around my garden, the buzzing of my blue banded visitors is music to my ears. Some sage advice from a seasoned bee stalker – Blue banded bees love Salvias.
Salvia is a large genus of herbaceous flowering plants with many plants having ‘Sage’ in their common name. There are so many varieties to choose from ranging in size from low growing to 2 metre shrubs and in so many colour choices for the flowers. Many have scented foliage, and some have culinary uses in cooking and herbal tea making (eg. Common sage – Salvia officinalis) or have edible flowers (eg. Pineapple Sage – Salvia elegans). Generally, they like full sun positions with well-drained soil and are drought tolerant. Salvias are great for planting en masse for a wild, romantic display. They are also great in mixed borders and cottage style gardens. Feel free to go prune happy on perennial Salvias when they start getting a bit loose and untidy, the plant can be reduced by half and they will thank you for it by producing abundant growth.
Salvias of note:
Bog sage (Salvia uliginosa) with its bright sky-blue flowers in Summer and Autumn as seen in the above picture. They are so named because they love damp conditions such a boggy area and they can also tolerate part shade positions.
Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans), a large growing Salvia with bright edible red flowers.
Salvia So Blue (Salvia farinacea) is a smaller growing Salvia that flowers Spring through to Autumn in full sun positions.
Come and see our range of salvias and sages in store today.
