Best purple salvia collection
Bring season-long colour to the garden with this trio of shrubby salvias, each offering a compact habit and a unique floral display. Their vibrant purple tones and bicolour blooms pair beautifully with aromatic foliage, creating interest from late spring right into autumn. Easy to grow and loved by pollinators, they’re perfect for adding brushed-past-fragrance, wildlife appeal, and lasting colour to borders or pots.
How to care for Best purple 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 plants begin 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 plants begin 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 'Nachtvlinder': Dark plum-purple flowers with a velvety texture bloom from late spring into autumn, attracting bees and other pollinators. This compact, bushy shrub has aromatic mid-green leaves that release a sweet, blackcurrant-like scent when brushed against. Grows to 75cm.
Salvia Oriental Dove: This shrubby perennial captivates with its exquisite floral display and aromatic foliage. Upright and bushy in habit, it's adorned with vibrant lilac purple blooms featuring distinctive white-fringed lower lips that seem to glow against the fresh green leaves. Grows to 80cm.
Salvia Amethyst Lips: Producing an abundance of eye-catching, bicoloured (sometimes solid) purple and white blooms throughout the summer. During mild winters, this bushy plant can retain its small, ovate, aromatic leaves during the cooler months. A great performer in mixed or herbaceous borders, it will also flourish in pots and containers. Grows to 1m.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Position:
Full sun / light shade
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.
