My Salvia Collection (Past and Present) part two

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Early in my collection Simbad sent me some seeds. The first of them was S.sclarea…………..

It is a biennial or a short lived perennial. The flowers are quite small but what is really grown for is the distinctive flower bracts.

Another one from Simbads seed was S.forrskoalii……………..

Fully hardy this plant grows a basal rosette of large leaves (anything up to 25cm long) from which emerges a many branched flower spike. In full bloom this is a spectacular plant……………..

The third one from Simbads seed is S.glutinosa…………….

The plant is fully hardy and it secretes a sticky substance which takes care of aphids and small flies making it trouble free. However, its common name is Jupiters Distaff and if I’d thought about that I might have considered that it had the potential to grow large – it does! The plant in the photo below was close to two metres tall and it spread out at least the same distance………….

Easily grown from the plentiful seed that it produces it is also easily propagated by layering.

Amy sent me a young S.buchananii plant which thrived but unfortunately it did not survive the winter……………….

It is one that I will be replacing next year as it is a really good Salvia.

Salvia confertiflora is hardy in mild parts of the country but certainly not here in the Cotswolds. The flowers are small but eye-catching…………

The further back that you view it from the better it gets…………..

Despite being borderline hardy it is easy to grow. Mid to late October I lift it and shove it in a pot which is put in the shed/garage for the winter. Then in mid March I put it in the greenhouse and introduce a little water to coax it back into growth. Planted out early June it is usually in bloom a couple of months later.

S.transyllvanica is a really nice small hardy Salvia. Usually the last of my hardy Salvia to get back into growth it can be back in bloom as little as five or so weeks later……………

And now my favourite hardy Salvia – S.dolichantha…………

Grown from seed I was chuffed when the first flowers emerged and it had come true as the “Chinese” Salvia are notoriously promiscuous. From a basal rosette of leaves three or four lightly branched flower spikes emerge at an angle before straightening up and growing to a height of about 50cm………………..

Finally, S.stolonifera………….

It is not the most floriferous plant but despite preferring a slightly shady and moist spot it is hardy and soon starts to creep……………

Part three to follow.

• 28 Sep, 2015
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