Salvia (perennial variety)

'African Sky' is an H3 (-5 to 1) hardiness rating, I used to keep it in my friend's unheated greenhouse during the colder months. Last Autumn I took a risk and simply dug it out of the ground, potted it up and left it close to a house wall over Winter and it coped even better than it did in the greenhouse! Went mad this Summer and was extremely floriferous!

I think I'm just going to have 'African Sky', 'Icing Sugar' and 'Nachtvlinder' in prominent positions from now on. Possibly 'Amethyst Lips', but I found it a tad unimpressive and may even give it away, TBH. Also rather like 'Blue Marvel', but the slugs go nuts over it, so I'll need to spray regularly with garlic spray in Spring and Summer.

Nick

 

Thought after I had written my response that I hadn't expressed my regard for your pictures particularly that Nachtflinder! Is it derived from one or more than one plant?!

 

Delicate!!!!! In as much as it grows too much and becomes vulnerable to strong winds maybe! A brute.

If you are refering to me, thanks! The Nachtvlinder (along with most of the Nachvlinder in West Oxon) are all from the same plant. Colour does vary with light levels.

I've grown a few Salvia over the years. The following link should work - it shows a lot of them.
Flickr Search — “salvia”

Salvia glutinosa is a good reliable hardy species............
Salvia glutinosa by longk48, on Flickr

Salvia glutinosa by longk48, on Flickr

Salvia glutinosa by longk48, on Flickr

 

Yes they are AMAZING!!
Regarding Nachtflinder being rampant, could live with that as I like the colour, but here it is a small plant, useful trailing between everything else, showing its superb hue! Here Hughes not a brute!! Cheers!

 

I bought mine as plug plants and cannot recommend 'Hayloft ' for Salvia's highly enough I bought two collections around March time. A mix of the delicate and the robust varieties . Barely 3 inch in height but an abundance of roots.
Ìt wasn t long before they were all in bud and producing a ray of colour.. just need to sort out now which I can overwinter and the others to bring in to greenhouse.

 

Same with me! Lost one, Salmon something! And another, Flamingo ? Something again (make the most of your memory! also walking difficult so can't go out to read label! Or just idle!!) The latter grew but then stopped! So it's back in propagator! Seriously don't think it's Haylofts fault as rest now in bigger pots, enjoying life. They're accepting my care and accept my conversations! As I've mentioned previously they'll spend Winter inside. And yes, somewhere there's room!
Confertiflora to be dug up very soon, cuttings taken, pruning composted and main root balls, pot planted.
The other plants are seed grown. My one Amistad is smiling at 2M at me! Wonderful plant, must search the others for seeds again this year. The other seedlings are Patens, now planted in pairs in big pots, and flowering! And the Jezebels which germinated well, about 20 odd!, but forgot them and they grew, etiolated! And the Whitefly found them. Head Gardener cursed and put them outside at the weekend, so colder conditions and couple of showers have cleared most though young now hatching! So she's reminded me about them!!! Think I'll snip them down and pot them up in pots (3 each) Hope I won't have to spray ( only things, ie, whitefly, that I use, an organic one on)
Gardening makes you work!

 

thanks Everyone

the hotlips varieties grew flowered then stopped and in the past two weeks have started flowering again ... to be honest I wasnt over keen flowers are just too small

 

Yes, I've noticed that this year on many varieties. Has to be general temperature, level of fertiliser perhaps, rain, or in my garden, the level of light perhaps? They all get a second (3rd, 4th, .......) chance, though containers can be changed. Perhaps the hardy ones (like Hot Lips) will benefit from a leafmould mulch!

 

All Salvias very vigorous, confertiflora about to be dug up and wonderfully floriferous. This continues in pots/containers right through Winter so I talk to them a lot! Never found seed though! Looking for more Amistad seed as had handfull last year, resulting in one great plant which will come in this Winter. I bought a Sagitta (Blue Butterfly, from Sarah Raven) Easily the VERY BEST salvia I've ever had in 15- 20 years growing the species! I've spotted one or two possible cuttings, though plant will be indoors. Only -5 hardy anyway so marginal for me. However don't mind being careful, like with Confertiflora, as some varieties so friendly! The Blue Butterfly a patens with those big spear shaped leaves!

 

Got a few Amisted cuttings, never found seed yet, need to take a few cuttings this next weekend. Small S corrugata, S darcyi and S stolonifera plants will be moved into cold greenhouse once/if it cools down outside.

 

Black n Blue finally flowering, just as frost approaching. At least the plant survived though thought it was something else being recalcitrant! Cuttings will have to be from the base of the flowering shoot which I don't like doing. Perhaps I should cut off flower and encourage small shoots to grow a bit?

 

Just ahead of mine then!

Being a spreading tuberous variety I find the best way is to take out the runners as they emerge and pot them up.

 

I bought a small plant of one called Black and Bloom, I think is similar, and its been flowering all summer in a pot.

 

I've not found it as hardy as Black and Blue (should be ok where you live though) and it isn't tuberous. Better foliage though.

 

Ok, I did wonder what the difference was.
How close are these to Amistad.