Russian sage...

A day of recovery and catching up with essential chores - especially washing. The weather alternated between brilliant sunshine and torrential rain - with lightning and thunder thrown in for good measure. Photography was restricted to the occasional quick dash to the patio, where the russian sage Perovskia atriplicifolia is in full bloom. This is one of my favourite late summer plants, and is described below in an article extracted from the Daily Telegraph:

"Commonly known as Russian sage, Perovskia was named after the Russian count who first introduced it to Western gardens about 100 years ago. But this late summer/early autumn performer, a member of the Labiatae family, has its origins further east in the arid, rocky soil and wide open spaces of Afghanistan and the Himalayas.

Perovskia is a sub-shrub that grows annually from a woody base. The most commonly encountered form is Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Blue Spire' which each year puts out 3ft to 4ft tall erect silver stems clothed in ovate, deeply cut and lobed greyish leaves. At the end of the summer its stems terminate in long panicles of tiny, soft-violet tubular flowers. The effect is of a bluish haze hovering above the border, which is particularly effective among the longer shadows and in evening light.

An added bonus is that the leaves of perovskia are strongly aromatic when brushed or crushed and smell of both sage and lavender. The stems are deciduous and, with a little grooming and adjustment in late autumn, have a slender, upright, bleached presence in the garden that can last throughout winter."