Border salvia collection
This collection brings together a mix of dramatic salvias with richly coloured blooms and striking dark stems or calyces, each chosen for their long flowering season and ability to keep borders and pots looking vibrant right through summer into autumn. They’re highly attractive to bees and butterflies, blending bold colours with upright, architectural forms, and are easy to grow once established. Perfect for adding height, drama, and months of pollinator-friendly colour to the garden.
How to care for Border salvia collection:
When planting, incorporate compost to improve drainage and fertility, spacing plants 30-45cm (12-18in) apart and watering thoroughly.
To keep the plants blooming throughout the season, promptly remove flower spikes as soon as they begin to fade - this deadheading encourages the plants to produce more flowers rather than putting energy into seed production.
In early spring, apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plants to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and provide essential nutrients as it breaks down. Ensure the mulch is spread evenly, but keep it away from the stems to prevent rot. A supplementary granular fertiliser (such as the mineral based Growmore) is advised in the early part of the season, once the plant begins to sprout.
Regular watering, particularly in dry spells, will help maintain healthy growth, but be careful not to waterlog the soil, as these salvias prefer well-drained conditions.
Finally, consider providing some protection in exposed or colder regions of the UK by covering with a double layer of horticultural fleece or dry mulch (bark chippings/ composted pine needles) to insulate the roots, or by using a cloche to protect the plants against hard frosts.
To keep the plants blooming throughout the season, promptly remove flower spikes as soon as they begin to fade - this deadheading encourages the plants to produce more flowers rather than putting energy into seed production.
In early spring, apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plants to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and provide essential nutrients as it breaks down. Ensure the mulch is spread evenly, but keep it away from the stems to prevent rot. A supplementary granular fertiliser (such as the mineral based Growmore) is advised in the early part of the season, once the plant begins to sprout.
Regular watering, particularly in dry spells, will help maintain healthy growth, but be careful not to waterlog the soil, as these salvias prefer well-drained conditions.
Finally, consider providing some protection in exposed or colder regions of the UK by covering with a double layer of horticultural fleece or dry mulch (bark chippings/ composted pine needles) to insulate the roots, or by using a cloche to protect the plants against hard frosts.
What's included:
In this collection you will receive one of each of the following plants supplied in 9cm nursery pots:
Salvia 'Amistad': This award-winning perennial is celebrated for its long flowering period, producing striking deep purple, tubular flowers with near-black calyces and stems from early summer to the first frost. Salvia 'Amistad' forms a bushy, upright habit with aromatic, bright green, slightly downy leaves that provide a lush backdrop to its dramatic blooms. Loved by bees and butterflies, it is perfect for pollinator-friendly gardens, ornamental borders, or patio containers. Grows to 1.2m.
Salvia Pink Amistad: Hot on the heels of the enormously popular ‘Amistad’, comes this elegant pink and magenta sage - the stunningly beautiful 'Pink Amistad’. Strutting its stuff with with strong upright stems and darkened bracts that provide a gorgeous contrast for its deep pink buds to reveal gentle, soft pink blooms. These late summer stunners, in flower from July until October, are also a hit with pollinating insects, especially bees, and perform well in pots or blended with mixed border plantings. Grows to 1.6m.
Salvia Love and Wishes: This relatively new addition has jaw-dropping magenta flowers, each held by a dark burgundy calyx. Also, if the plant is deadheaded regularly, the flowers will appear over an incredibly long period - often providing colour from June to November. It has a neat and tidy habit too, which makes it great for both borders and pots, and once well established, it will become tolerant of drought. Grows to 80cm.
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue': This head-turning perennial offers both stature and sumptuous colour. It's an impressive sight in late summer and autumn when the dark, 30cm long spikes appear, each threaded with rich purple-blue flowers that are held at their bases by near-black calyces. Grows to 2.5m.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Position:
Full sun
Rate of growth:
Fast-growing
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, or peat-free general purpose compost
Hardiness:
Borderline hardy (will need protection in winter in colder areas)
-
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
