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July: Salvias

There is a huge range of Salvias from annuals to perennials and sub-shrubs, some are fully hardy, some almost hardy and others need winter protection. All need a sunny spot in well drained soil. The following are just a few of later flowering ones, others like Salvia nemorosa start to flower early in June but can continue into July.

One of the best known perennials is S. patens with dark blue flowers but the cultivar ‘Cambridge Blue’ has lovely clear light blue flowers. This is normally sold as a tender perennial but can come through the winter in a sheltered spot. It looks good in pots. Try it with a soft yellow flowered marguerite.

A later flowering Salvia, which probably would not start to flower until August, is S. guaranitica ‘Blue Enigma’, a tall, up to 5’, back of the border plant which will flower on and on until the first frosts. It is helped by a covering of mulch or leaves to give some protection during the winter.

Some of the best of a long season of colour in the summer are the shrubby ones such as S. microphylla and its cultivars. This is a bushy evergreen shrub with magenta, pink or crimson flowers all summer. It can get 3 foot high and the same across, needs a sheltered position. If it overgrows its space it can be hard pruned in mid spring and is normally hardy around here but the odd cutting taken as a precaution can be a good idea.

Another shrubby saliva is S. involucrata which has larger, normally pink flowers, grows to about 5’ and is normally harder. There are cultivars such as ‘Joan’ which have rich purplish pink flowers.

There is also S. greggi which is only 2-2½ feet tall and is very free-flowering over a long period from July-October. It is variable in colour and growth habits with ‘Flame’ having deep red flowers and ‘Peach’ peachy-orange flowers and an upright habit.

For fun in a container try S. discolor with very dark-purple almost black flowers with beautiful pale green calyces throughout the summer. The elegant pale green leathery leaves are well spaced on the thin white stems. The habit is lax and pinching back the young growth promotes bushiness. It is not quite hardy and really needs the protection of a greenhouse to come through the winter.

CAF