Hilary as soon as I read your post regarding an article written about Salvias I went straight to the book case and got the book out and re read it. I am familiar with most of the Salvias mentioned and have tried to grow them from seeds or bought them from abroad with little success. My biggest failure being Salvia canariensis, Salvia aethiopis and Salvia argentea all three plants expired the first summer here. From seeds S. pomifera, ringers, glutinosa, fulgens and a few others struggled to germinate and if they did they died. Salvia sclarea is still fighting. When I read the first paragraph on page 21 and I quote "throughout , I've directed my comments towards Winter hardiness rather than towards capacity to withstand sumerdrought and high temperatures because I assume that, given their places of origin, few if any of these plants will be discombobulated by two or three dry months of temperatures in the 90s or above."end of quote .Obviously since the article was written approx. 1995 by somebody not living in the Med there was room for error. I can not grow Salvia willeana that is native to Cyprus because it dislikes the 100+ F degrees of our garden. It grows abundantly on the Troodos hills. However I do have great success with Salvia microphylla ...