Mamajack presents: Salvia from the Sultan!

By Jill M Nicolaus (critterologist) on May 16, 2012

Announcing a rare opportunity to choose special plants for your garden, guided by a grower who is surely an expert's expert...

The Sultan of Salvia, Richard Dufresne (pronounced “du-frain”), has been busy this spring, turning hundreds of cuttings into beautifully rooted little plants, ready to shi p to our gardens this month. MamaJack’s has the distinct pleasure of hosting a spring sale with him, with a “buy 4 get 1 FREE” offer so you can start building a collection of your own. You (and your hummingbirds) will enjoy their bright blooms scattered here and there across your landscape this summer!

His passion is not only for the plants themselves, but for getting them into gardens across the country. With some 900 different varieties, the genus Salvia includes much more than the culinary sage or bedding annuals we all know.

You probably recognize names like ‘May Night’ (Salvia x sylvestris), ‘Black & Blue’ (Salvia guarantica), and ‘Coral Nymph’ (Salvia splendens). You may have sought out additional varieties, like Salvia nemorosa ‘Marcus’ and ‘Snow Hill’ to add bloom spikes to the front of a border, Salvia forskaolii for a shadier spot, or Salvia sclarea (clary sage) for your herb garden.

But Richard's collection goes far beyond these. Even a quick look at his World of Salvias website will introduce you to plants you never knew existed. When you find yourself thinking, “wow, this one would be perfect for that spot in my garden!” you'll be glad Richard is also skilled at rooting cuttings.

I learned a ton during last year’s sale, both from the detailed information on his site and from the chat on the order thread in Mamajack’s Sales Forum. Q&A with the Sultan himself! Planting sites, overwintering varieties that might be tender or marginal in my zone… I thought I would be narrowing down my choices by following the chat, but instead my wish list kept getting longer. My garden was in a “clean-up” phase last year, but this year I’m all primed to purchase & plant!

A deep understanding of the native growing conditions of these plants and of how that translates to home garden culture lets him recommend sites and zones where he thinks they will flourish. Many unusual salvias aren't very cold-hardy, but Richard has grown some of the hardier types for this sale. Of the 72 plants on the current "available now" sale, 48 are suggested for zone 7.

Choices are more limited for zone 6 gardens, but there are many ways to create suitably warm micro-climates if you're in a cooler zone (next to a big rock, for example). You can also overwinter entire plants or cuttings, and many of his selections for this sale grow and flower quickly enough to be wonderful even as annuals in your garden.

In addition to the plants offered specifically to Mamajack’s members, you can order plants from his “general availability” inventory. This gives you a lot more latitude in choosing (with his help, just ask) special plants for your garden. Since most of these plants are not (yet!) widely grown, his recommendations are only that--recommendations, not guarantees.

The more you tell him about your growing conditions, the better he can advise you on your selections. Along those same lines, please let him know how your choices perform in your garden and how well they come back or overwinter for you.

His mission is not just, or even primarily, about selling plants. It’s about growing knowledge, sharing enthusiasm, and fostering deeper relationships between people and the natural world around them.

From his description of himself, I can well imagine that in medieval times he’d have been a monk, collecting new plants and experiences as he traveled, sharing seeds and plants and philosophical discussions like a cross between St. Francis of Assisi and Johnny Appleseed.

No wonder he’s one of MamaJack’s favorite people!

To order or just to browse, visit MamaJack’s and check out the order thread for this sale.

For photos of the size and root structure on the plants he sends out, see this post.

To help you select favorites that will do well in your garden, check out Richard’s website, The World of Salvias, as well as the 2011 order thread.

For more customer feedback, see this entry in the Garden Watchdog.

Related articles:
Mamajack's, sales, salvia

About Jill M Nicolaus
Better known in cyberspace as "Critter," Jill lives in Maryland with her DH and Sunshine Girl. You'll find dozens of projects underway at any given time in their home, both inside and out. Plants, crafts, kids, critters, books, music... she dabbles in a little of everything and hopes that through her articles, you will too!

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Untitled LorettaNJ May 29, 2012 7:01 PM 1