MUST HAVE plants
Add elegance to sunny, hot spots with free-flowering salvias. Sue Fisher looks at some of the best shrubby types to grow
Shrubby salvias provide the perfect pick-me-up for summer gardens, flowering exuberantly and keeping the show going for months to come. These easy-to-grow shrubs bear a profusion of lipped flowers that smother the compact, twiggy bushes from early summer, right through into winter if weather permits. They’re wonderful in borders, raised beds, pots, and even as low hedges, and they’re great for wildlife too with nectar-rich blooms.
The genus of Salvia is huge and immensely varied, totalling more than 900 species worldwide, and includes shrubs such as rosemary, as well as annuals that are often grown as bedding plants.
The salvias described will add countless flowers to the garden. They may not survive hard or wet winters in the UK but will have the best chance if grown in free-draining soil.
These are often collectively known as Mexican salvias because of their origins and have become immensely popular for their long-flowering and versatility. The first major introduction came nearly twenty years ago when flamboyant ‘Hot Lips’ wowed gardeners with its abundance of brilliant red and white flowers, followed by many more hybrids so now gardeners have a magnificent colour choice encompassing reds, pinks, purple, lilac, magenta, peach and cream, plus some showy bicolours that really up the tempo. The small rounded green leaves, aromatic when crushed, offset the flowers well, plus some have darker stems that create added contrast.
Bear their Mexican origins in mind when planting because sharply-drained soil and exposure to plenty of sun are a must. Grow them in pots or raised beds if the soil is heavy. Think ‘lean and mean’ for growing in the ground, where poorer soil is best, as rich soil gives lush, floppy foliage and fewer flowers. In pots, give them more TLC, with an occasional feed and decent compost.
Shrubby salvias work well in lots of gardening styles and plant combinations. I like growing them among bold, architectural foliage from phormiums and cordylines, and coloured grasses. Or grow them mixed with other bright flowers such as dahlias, nemesias, diascias and cosmos in a seasonal scheme. They stand up well in windy c
