I grow the cultivar "East Friesland" and am really happy with it. It's darker than "blue bedder" and it comes back every year without any mulching or work on my part. It's not too tall for a salvia. Maybe topping out at 24 inches, and makes a dense mat. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "sprawling" unless you mean getting bare in the center. I usually just whack mine back after a bloom and plant them close together so they support one another and I haven't had a problem.

Been busy with my garden and not posted here lately. But thanks for replying to my question. What I meant by sprawling was just what you said, getting bare in the center because the stems spread outward. The idea of whacking them back after blooming is probably a good idea. I'll try it this summer. The type I ended up purchasing is called "Lubeca" sold at Bluestone. It suppose to be a summer blooming Salvia "noted for its extra long period of bloom." It grows to 18 inches. Happy gardening.