IS THIS SALVIA GREGGII DEAD

I have several different salvias and some take longer toget going again in spring than others ao I always wait to see where the new shoots are before pruning back. Leaving the old wood on a bit longer also helps to protect any viable buds from frosts which can still do serious damage to new young growth for at least another month or so depending on wher you are.

 

As the others have said it depends on location, climate and soil. I grow quite a few Salvias but I'm in Southern SW France where it's generally milder and drier (except for this winter)! I do find though that some don't like to be cut back too hard. If there are ones you particularly like always take cuttings to ensure a good supply.

 

Thanks everyone I'll try and add my location ( Merseyside ) like fairygirl suggested although I'm not good with technology , if I manage to turn the TV on I view that as an achievement .
Anyway slightly off topic I was about to do the scrape test AnniD mentioned and I noticed a blue tit going into the nesting box few yards up the garden .I put the box up last autumn and it's the first time anything shown an interest. Me and Mrs Dropmore have been watching two of them flying in and out all mourning so I'm scared to go out incase I scare them .

 

Thanks floralies you posted as I was doing the above reply . I live on merseyside which is more or less in the center of the UK on the coast so its usually relatively mild but wet so not ideal for salvia probably but there's plenty of them in the GC in summer and being a novice I just thought like a lot of people I suppose that looks nice and planted it. It's facing east as well so again not ideal but it gets sun till about 2pm in the summer.
Anyway thanks for the tip about taking cuttings I shall definitely do that if the plant survives.

 

That's lovely news about the blue tits @Dropmore , the spuggies (sparrows) are making a right racket in my garden at the moment.
I think they might be nest building in the neighbour's Forsythia bush, they've done that in previous years.

 

Best leave them in peace a week or two @Dropmore till they've nested and laid eggs.

I've just received an alert to say the swallows, swifts and house-martins will be turning up soon so I need to get their main nesting site (old ruin of a former farmhouse) cleared out so we don't disturb them whilst nest building.