Svarta vinbär salvia rhs

There are so many types of salvias, you could spend years discovering new varieties – you may wish to move to a place with a bigger garden to passform them all in! Along with an endless variety of hue and fragrance, these summer stalwarts have great drought tolerance and also perform well in milder climes. They are long-flowering, low-maintenance and offer great wildlife value. If this were not enough, they are resistant to many of the usual pests that munch through our summer plants.

Traditionally, spikes of scarlet showcased summer bedding salvias, available via S. splendens and its cultivars. In the s, breeding intensified. Now, many salvia varieties have salmon-pink, lilac, lavender, purple, vit and burgundy blooms. There are even bi-colored forms, with bracts of differing shades. You can also grow green, purple and variegated foliage; these aromatic and tactile sages have soft, felted leaves, ideal for sensory gardens. 

Salvias can be grown as perennials or annuals, depending on region and risk of frost. There is one true annual, S. viridis (formerly S. horminum). Once used as a culinary herb, it is now grown mainly for its colored bracts, and the introducti

  • svarta vinbär salvia rhs

    • Annual and biennial salvias

    Botanical name: Salvia

    Common name: Painted sage, clary

    Often boldly-coloured, annual salvias are excellent for plugging gaps in summer borders or in large containers with other annuals. Biennials can be taller and are useful for giving height to borders. They’re easily grown from seed in spring and will produce seeds that you can collect and sow for a display in future years. 

    Looks

    Often with larger flowers than other types, these salvias produce densely packed spikes in bright red or shades of pink, purple and blue, including pastels. Some flowers combine two colours.

    Likes

    Annual and biennial salvias like plenty of sun, with protection from wind.

    Dislikes

    Will struggle if not given enough room to grow, so check the plant label for expected width and space plants accordingly.

    Did you know?

    Salvia viridis (annual clary) makes a good cut flower. It's blue, white or pink blooms, with distinctive veined bracts, are borne on sturdy stems that have a long vase life and dry well. 

    Growing guide

    How to grow salvias

    All the information you'll need to grow & care for salvias in your garden – in

    Salvia is in the Mentheae family; broadly, it is a type of mint. This makes sense when you look at the structure and aromatic properties of common sage, grown for culinary and medicinal purposes, and clary sage, which is used as an essential oil. Common sage is an all-round life saver and can be drunk as a bitter tea: worth it for a cheap body cleanser or aphrodisiac.

    N.B.: Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is not a true sage though it is a close relation and also a good “doer” in the garden.

    Sage can become large and unwieldy in an herb garden and can be better placed among flowers, with its wonderfully textured foliage. Purple and variegated varieties are especially useful.

    Beth Chatto grows purple sage with spiky eringium, for contrasting color and texture. See: Required Reading: Beth Chatto’s 5 Favorite Flowers for a Gravel Garden.

    N.B.: Looking to add to your garden this spring? Our Perennials A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design can help:

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