20th June 2022 - Salvias

Salvia guaranitica Carine's Amazing Blue

The patio gets hot in the summer. Sun-drenched and slightly windblown, it felt like a Mediterranean feel was the answer. For me that means fruit trees in large terracotta pots, plenty of scented herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano, and drought tolerant potted plants to add colour. Salvias were the natural choice to add vibrancy and interest, and many of them are also edible or have scented leaves. 

With the bright orange 'Warm Welcome' rose beginning to grow up the arch, and several fruit trees growing away happily in their containers, I turned my attention to buying salvias. I had two grown from plug plants, the well-known 'Hot Lips' and lesser known 'Cherry Lips' but I'll be honest, I'd neglected them and they were looking very sad in too-small, waterlogged pots (as an aside, I'm learning very quickly that peat-free compost dries out quickly on top but retains moisture extremely well!)

So with lots of pots freed up from finally being able to plant things out into the garden, the salvia operation commenced. 

More to come but here is what we achieved:

Salvia Mirage Pink

Fig 'Violette de Sollies', Salvia Mirage Blue and Hot Lips

Salvia Cherry Lips, Amethyst Lips and Mirage Pink

I'm introducing a new feature this week on seasonal cooking and recipes, including what to do with stuff from your fruit and veg boxes. 

Happy gardening.