Spectacular Salvias

This month Conrad McCormick injects some colour into your summer garden

- Conrad McCormick

There's nothing quite like Salvias to add a punch of colour to the summer garden. Salvias grown for their flowers are the flamboyant cousins of culinary sage. Their vibrant fiesta shades will bring colour to the summer garden from May through until November.

The name 'Salvia' derives from the Latin salveo, meaning 'I heal' or 'I save'. The herb we use in the kitchen is Salvia officinalis and was utilised by the ancient Greeks and Romans as a healing plant.

Salvias can be found over much of the globe, in Europe, Asia and the USA, South America, Central America, but it is perhaps the Mexican salvias that work best for sheer flower power. Many are hardy and can over-winter outside without problems.

Ignore those stumpy little things with pillarbox red flowers sold as bedding plants that grow to only 15cm or so tall, they're botanical travesties.

Instead look to the shrubby salvias, who show a diversity of colour from cream through gentle pinks to vibrant oranges and dayglow fluorescent shades, sky blues and sultry purples that can appear so dark to be almost black. Many are much tougher than previously thought and can thrive in many gardens across the country.

These sub-shrubby salvias generally have a permanent basal woody structure, and some are even evergreen in mild conditions. Others will shoot again from near the base if the cold weather has knocked them back. Some are completely tender to frost so can't be overwintered outdoors in our climate.

They're popular with pollinators too, though sometimes, those with longer, more tubular flower shape can make accessing nectar difficult. However, ingenious bees have quickly learnt that they can drill a little hole near the base to access the sweet sugary food hidden with.