Fall flowers: Salvia

Salvia is a herb, the largest in the sage family, that flowers in many different colors. Personally, I particularly like the red salvia as it is the most vivid and thus most photogenic, in my humble opinion. But there are also other colors such as blue, purple, white and orange. They are heat and drought tolerant so they start to grow from summer, but they generally look their best in fall. 

Saitama prefecture, where I live, is the largest producer of salvia in all of Japan. But despite that there are not many places you can see them as a flower display. Thankfully, there is one location, Omiya Hananooka in Saitama city (pictured) where you can see them annually. They have been in bloom since July and should bloom until around the end of October, unless they cut them down earlier. 

In the English flower language Salvia represent 'esteem', 'wisdom' and 'domestic virtue'. In Japanese, the "hana no kotoba' flower language is by color of the salvia. For example, red salvia is said to represent 'burning desire'. They are the flower of August 31st, September 19th and October 4th. 

Have you seen any salvia flower displays here in Japan? Any you would recommend visiting?