Superstar Salvias!

If you wanted to build a collection of all the Salvias available today, you would need yourself a very big garden!

Salvias have been the stars of 21st century gardening, with more and more varieties coming out each year.
‘Hot Lips’ was the plant to really start the trend, its red and white bicolour blooms turning heads wherever it appeared.

It introduced many to the delights of this hugely varied family, which takes in sub-shrubs, perennials, annuals and herbs.

Plant breeders have been more than happy to meet demand and you can now get them in just about every colour imaginable, alongside an increasing number of bicolour mixes.

If you want to help the bees, they are one of the best plants you can go for!

They have aromatic leaves, with a fruity smell similar to blackberries, which is best appreciated by brushing your hands on them as you pass by.

One of the biggest appeals of Salvias is the exceptionally long flowering season.

The woody-stemmed shrubby Salvias such as Hot Lips come in to bloom in May and are often still going right up to the end of the year. As many grow to mounds of around three foot and are coated in a mass of flowers this is a substantial boost to the borders!

Although modern, they still work well in cottage garden themes, while bolder colours fit in perfectly to more exotic looking gardens.

The rule of planting in threes can be ignored as they are large enough to put on a show on their own. Instead repeat through the borders for a cohesive look.

Plant a mix of colours and you will have varied looking borders without much effort.

In Suffolk we are lucky to have the right conditions for growing Salvias, thanks to our relatively mild winters. They are drought-tolerant and do best in free-draining soil and sunshine, although can cope with partial shade.

Maintenance is easy. When first flowers fade in midsummer cut back the whole plant by half and do the same either at the end of the season or wait till early spring.

Other types of Salvia - of which there are very many - require slightly different care but are just as bee-friendly and almost as long-flowering.

• Find a huge choice of Salvias this June at Katie’s Garden Plant Centre