GARDENING
Salvias for my Soul
B
eing surrounded by the
horticultural smorgasbord
that we enjoy as gardeners
in the British Isles, it’s all too easy
to overlook a potential superstar of
the garden and one of these has
recently re-insinuated itself into my
consciousness.
It is a very diverse species with
about 900 members, possibly
more. Some are of more botanical than
horticultural interest but they include
showy annuals to something as reliable
and familiar as a traditional Sunday
Roast. Some types flower spectacularly
from June to November and their flowers
provide some of the purest blues to be
found, in addition to white, many shades
of pink, peach and brightest red and as
an added bonus, it’s adored by bees.
So what is this potential jewel of the
garden I hear you cry? Wonder no more,
I give you Salvia’s! From our loved and
familiar garden sage in all its colourful
variations, through to the sizzling Red
of S.splendens much loved by Victorian
gardeners and parks departments.
IN THE
GARDEN
With Tina Hyde
I don’t know why salvias are somehow
easy to overlook; perhaps this is due
to their relatively easy going nature
(although some are fussier than others)
and they definitely need well drained
soil. It’s not that I haven’t appreciated
salvias in the past, I grew S.microphylla in
a previous garden and loved its constant
show of magenta flowers that lasted for
months.
What’s suddenly come to my attention
are the New World species and cultivars,
the shrubby salvias from Mexico, Central
and South America and the southern
most states of the USA which provide
a long lasting displays of flowers and
attractive foliage that helps to bridge the
floral gap after the parade of summer
beauties such as Delphi niums and
Roses goes over.
Once this June and July riot has
passed many gardens seem to lose
their wow-factor until the later
autumn flowering species come
to the fore. Even if the archetypal
herbaceous border is not your style
shrubby Salvias are a great asset to
the summer garden, especially hot
dry gardens with well drained soil and
there are colours that will fit in with every
imaginable colour scheme.
They’re fairly low maintenance too,
clip them back in early to mid-April, they
don’t even need to be dead-headed if
you haven’t the time. Many cultivars will
do well in pots, especially the tender
varieties which appreciate being given
shelter in a greenhouse for the winter.
A few of my personal favourites are: S.
microphylla ‘Hot Lips’ with a fabulously
bi-coloured red and white flower, S.
lycioides which has the bluest of blue
flowers and a recently introduced tender
species S. curviflora which has long,
tubular deep magenta flowers.
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