Salvia

Long, wiry, dark green stems and shiny leaves. Velvety magenta flowers. A striking combination. Tender, so take cuttings or bring the plant into a cold greenhouse. 60cm

Very hardy clumps of fresh green flat leaves. Aloft are held surprising soft yellow flowers with a brown lower lip. 40cm

Soft-pink flowers.

Rosy-apricot flowers.

If you grow only one salvia, this is the one. Branches of thin stems produce pairs of large, open royal blue flowers from early summer onwards. On well drained soil mulch in winter, otherwise lift the little dahlia-like tubers and pot them up to overwinter. 50cm

Pale blue flowers.

White flowers.

Deep blue flowers, dark green calyces. Not as tall as the above variety but the flowers start much earlier (midsummer). 1m

Delicate foliage, small pale yellow flowers. 1m

A great straggly beauty that manages to combine unruliness and elegance. The velvety grey-green leaves have sparkling white reverses. Long stems carry black flowers withy grey hoods. Tender. Great in pots or low walls.

Very bright scarlet flowers that are shown off by the maroon calyces. The stems are quite brittle, so keep out of the wind. Tender. 40cm

Long purple and white velvety flowers at the end of tall stems. Everyone who passes by this plant has to stroke its flowers. Probably not very good for the flowers but must do us some good. Best grown in large pots and given winter protection.

Much neater than the usual sage, with rounded leaves.

Another late-flowering, strident salvia. Towering stems of deep blue flowers with black calyces. Thirsty plants, so keep well watered during the summer. 2.2m

I don't know why this hardy herbaceous salvia isn't more widely grown. Low-growing rosettes of dark green leaves with broad maroon veining. Beautiful. Unlike most salvia it prefers a shady spot.

Much hardier than often imagined, the spires of bright sky-blue flowers look great against the usual yellows and oranges of autumn. Needs a moist sunny spot to grow well. Mulch the crown in the winter for added protection. Can form large dense clumps when happy. 1.2m

White flowered form.

Upright branches of glowing indigo flowers in late summer and autumn. 1.5m

Dark purple flowers in late summer and autumn and light-green foliage. 1m tall

Neat, upright purple-black stems covered with rich violet-blue flowers. A stunning plant that will start flowering at the end of May and will continue for weeks. Cut it back and it will do the same trick I nlate summer. 60cm

Raised in California, this cultivar is much smaller and its stems less brittle than the species, so an easier plant to grow. The buds are magenta and the velvety flowers are a vivid pink that is toned down by the dark calyxes. It grows to about 1m tall

Slender stems that get to about 1m tall are covered in bright scarlet flowers from June to October.

Pale lavender and white flowers velvety floaers, similar to S. leucantha but this one os not as tall, growing to about 1.2m tall.