For a time I was really impressed with an All-American-Selection-Winning salvia called ‘Summer Jewel Red’. I’m always excited to find trustworthy annuals in the 16 to 24-inch range.
But then there were a few summers where my plants barely reached 8 inches tall and they got buried by their neighbors. Eventually I gave up on growing this cultivar altogether.
But this winter when the seed catalogs arrived I was enticed by a sibling of this plant that also just happened to win an AAS award. I decided to give ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ a try, and I ordered some seeds.
The germination rate was excellent and the plants were well-behaved in their little plant packs. They started blooming shortly after I planted them in late May.
The flowers are a lovely color, and so far the plants are on their way to achieving their intended height.
‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ grows 18 to 24 inches tall in full sun to part-shade.
So far I’m sold, but we’ll see what they look like in mid-summer.