Thursday, March 29, 2012

Salvia 'Blue Abyss'

Flowering amongst the weeds Salvia 'Blue Abyss'
The story goes that this Salvia hybrid was discovered in the garden of Robyn and Ian Powell in Mylor, South Australia. It has the hardy genes of the Mexican Salvia leucantha and flowers which are a lovely shade of smokey ultra-marine blue. I planted it in a neglected corner but it is cheerfully putting on a display for the first time.
The word abyss is usually associated with the sea so it was interesting to hear of the underwater journey that film director James Cameron made to the darkest lowest point of the ocean, some eleven kilometres below the surface. I wonder if the experience will form the basis of a new film project for him?
The Japanese writer Yukio Mishima used the concept of the abyss as a metaphor for the uncertainty facing Japanese society following their surrender on August 15,1945 in his story 'A Tale at the Cape': It was if a magnetic force were drawing me toward that beautiful abyss which was the sea. I managed to retreat a few steps. Then I threw myself to the ground and, as I tried to quiet the pounding of my heart, peered down into the abyss. What was it that I saw this time?

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