EASTCOAST PERENNIALS |
Salvia chiapensis - Sue Templeton calls this the poor man’s version of Salvia buchananii and I can see her point. Don’t let this put you off, I like the softer, leafier feel of this plant and its long season, and find the way its slender flower stalks loop and twist appealing. Bright pink velvety flowers for most of the year. Manages a few degrees of frost. (60cm) |
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confertiflora - This species combines a flower form and colour unusual among the genus,(to say nothing of garden plants in general)! The flowers are little fat dots of a most intense orange-scarlet, strung out along long tapered red-purple stalks which wave above the textured grey-green foliage. Used with great success at Sissinghurst (where they over-winter it as cuttings), in their “cottage garden”, teamed with spurges, mahogany sunflowers, dahlias and orange gingers. Here, it over-winters in the garden at -4C or so quite comfortably with only minimal tip damage. (1-2m, dependent on winter temperatures and pruning). ***$7.00 |
mexicana ‘Lime Caylx’ - Another of the big shrubby Salvias with metal-grey veiny leaves and big heads of almost royal-blue flowers with lime green calyces - the colour effect is beaut with a mass of flowers. A seedling of the O/S S. Mexicana ‘Limelight’ and very similar to it, but not technically entitled to the name. Frost tender, but returns here if in a sheltered spot. (1.75m) **$7.50 SOLD OUT |
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microphylla ‘Margaret Arnold’ - Be warned that this one suckers, and place it accordingly in a bed isolated by lawns or paths. The colour is so rich, a really choice crimson-pink, that finding just the right spot is well worthwhile. The calyces are tinted black, which sets the flowers off to perfection. Very hardy, and frost hardy too boot. (1.2m) **$7.50 |
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muirii - Finally a small pale blue, grey-leaved Salvia that likes us here. Such a “Mediterranean” looking plant, but has not turned a hair at this year’s humidity and weeks of rain, (although I would always try to keep it well drained). Small pale twiddly leaves and flowers with a long lower lip with central white stripes. (1m or less). Takes a little frost. **$7.50 |
splendens ‘Red Van Houttei’ - The ‘Van Houttei’ that I have listed in the past is not exactly the same plant as this one. The bract colour is similar, but this has a really stunningly bright deep blood-red flower - my first one is more a deep maroon, which corresponds better with the description in “The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Salvias”. Frost tender here but grudgingly returns with some shel;ter. Easy by cuttings, so you can replace it every few years anyway. (1.2m) **$7.00 SOLD OUT |
Sedum These wonderful plants range from true desert succulents to those that are better suited to the somewhat moister regime of the normal garden bed. Even these will tolerate considerable drought once they are established. (They have fat stumpy roots and it takes them time to get these down). The starry flowers are very attractive to butterflies and have exceptional vase life. Mixed bunches are delightful. The tall ones may be given a 1/3 trim in early summer if you desire, before they have budded up, to encourage thicker bushier growth. This will also cause them to flower a little later and avoid any need to stake them. Sun, or shade for a part of the day. |
ruprechtii ‘Dusky Pink’ - This plant is now a contestant for my choice of most favourite Sedum. The foliage is just gorgeous; big fat wavy pink-edged blue-grey leaves, regimentally opposite up strong self-supporting stems. The small star flowers are in little posy heads collected into an open sort of “broccoli” shape, and quite white on mauve-pink stems. Out early autumn. (40cm) **$7.00 |
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spectabile ‘Babe’ - The lovely S. ‘Herbstfreude’ (“Autumn Joy” to us English speakers), is a difficult plant to improve upon, but I think we may have succeeded. This daughter is a compact form with exceptionally decorative slim highly serrated foliage, beautifully held cupped up towards the flower stem. (Yes, it holds water drop “pearls”). Its tightly rounded heads of pink flowers come two weeks earlier than ‘Autumn Joy’and proceed through the same changes (jade green to light pink to bright rose to coral to russet-tan). Often there are several stages on the plant at once, which is highly decorative. (40cm) **$8.50 |
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spectabile ‘Brilliant’ - The flat plate flowers usual to S. spectabile, but in an astoundingly brilliant very deep pink. If yours are only a moderately strong everyday sort of pink, they have reverted, it happens sometimes with this cultivar. All of the S. spectabile have extremely good lasting properties as cut flowers. (60cm) **$7.50 |
spectabile ‘Meteor’ - This fits in between S. spectabile in soft pink, and S. ‘Brilliant’ in astoundingly bright pink, being a good shade of carmine in slightly curved-top heads. As these age, instead of going green they hold a flaming red tint, which gives them an exceptionally long season of interest. Otherwise, they have all the normal virtues associated with these very hardy perennials. (50cm) **$7.00 SOLD OUT |
Spiraea species - Dwarf May. The name of this May Bush has unfortunately over time been lost, but it’s a useful little item if you haven’t space for one of the spreading versions. Mine is almost 2m high after 20 years, but only a little over 1m wide. Finely twigged, deciduous and dotted with delicate white flower sprays in spring. |
Stachys thirkei - This is a little version of Lamb’s Ears that is tough in the dry and quite humidity resistant too, a convenient pair of characteristics in the one plant. Good pale celadon-green woolly foliage mats that stay low, with the occasional flower spike to 30cm. |
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The letters AGM following a plant's name indicate a current Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society of the United Kingdom. Although this relates of course to its performance in the UK, it gives a good indication of its worthiness compared to others of its genus.
DROUGHT TOLERANCE INDICATORS
* denotes a drought hardy plant (infrequent watering)
** a very drought hardy plant (water only in extreme conditions)
*** a totally drought hardy plant (no watering after establishment)
Remember that this is determined here, for our summer rainfall climate and clay loam soil, and be willing to adapt if the area you garden in is significantly different.
Some of the newer introductions may not yet have received a star rating even though they may later be found to merit one. For this reason star ratings may suddenly appear on plants that did not have them in previous catalogues.