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Replacing a Salvia

floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
in Plants
I want to replace Salvia x Sylvestris Caradonna with another Salvia. Caradonna I have found to be an under performer here even with dead-heading. I was wondering whether Salvia Pretensis might be better? Does anyone grow these, and if so do they continue flowering with dead-heading?
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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    There was a thread a while back with some suggestions
    I replaced my Caradonna with Mainacht which I think is a far better variety
    The previous thread and a pic of Mainacht - 
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1026128/good-salvia-and-penstemon-variety-suggestions/p1


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Thanks @Pete.8 I had completely forgotten that thread! I wonder how @Nollie got on this year with Mainacht as we have similar climates.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    My Mainacht has been planted for 3 ish years now and will need dividing next spring as it's getting a bit crowded - I'm still very pleased with it.
    Another one I grow is S. Patens - easy from seed and a hue of blue that really stands out. It doesn't get masses of flower spikes but goes on flowering from mid-summer until the frost gets them.
    Some return the following year, some don't.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Hi @floralies, not too well, unfortunately. I bought 6 plants from promesse de fleurs. They were not exactly quality plants, arrived in poor condition, got bad mildew, languished, two or three survived but few flowers. The odd flower I did get early on was lovely though and I was pleased initially, but they just never really thrived. Perhaps they will come back better next year. I should have really complained, but my non-existent French wasn’t up to it! Don’t let that put you off, I am willing to try it again if I can find another online supplier that will post here.

    I am also going to try S. Verticillata Purple Rain next year - @WillDB grows it and said it reflowers well. Slightly more muted colour, perhaps, but I like the whorls of flowers up the stems. 
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    That is very unusual for Promesse de Fleurs @Nollie, their plants are usually very good. Interesting though about Mainacht. Here is a link to another site I have found but not used them.
    https://www.senteursduquercy.com/4-sauges
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited November 2019
    Salvia v. 'Purple Rain' is great!

    I still do like Caradonna though, even if the flowering period is a bit short. Mine go over by mid July at the latest and then look a bit scruffy after this. I took this in mid October on one of our sites; that's Salvia Caradonna behind the Geranium Rozanne. I don't know whether its reflowering or has had flowering delayed somehow. Next year I am going to cut my Caradonnas right down to the ground as soon as the flowers start going over.



    I also tried Ostfriesland this year; not as elegant as Caradonna IMO, and not any longer flowering for me.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I ordered some Agastache Blue Boa from PDF at the same time and those turned out fine, floralies. I wonder if the Mainacht were just old stock that had been languishing on a shelf for a few years. I did place a later order with them and they weren’t great either, only one of the penstemon ravens made it til the end of summer, but it was a very harsh and hot summer to be planting anything so I may be unfairly judging PDF. I hope so as they have so many plants I want!

    Have you ever used Leaderplant? They have Mainacht too.

    I don’t think there is a salvia to rival the purple colour of Caradonna, a lot of ‘purples’ turn out more pink for me, so I am going to keep some clumps, but thin them out and plant something more blue-toned to take over.

    @WillDB, I have the odd flower spike on Caradonna now, but mine are over faster than yours and are just a boring blob of uninteresting foliage for most of the summer. Perhaps a total chop after the first flowering would work better than deadheading individual spikes, I will try that next year.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Lovely pic @WillDB. I had thought of trying Salvia Pratensis next year - a different one all together. It's trial and error as with all plants! Hardy Geraniums do very poorly in our hot sun down here.
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    Yay, my thread! I was happy with the £4.99 Mainacht I got at B&M, it flowered for a decent length of time, considering it was newly planted. 

    What do you do with salvias this time of year, do they need cutting back or just leaving as they are?
    East Yorkshire
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    I leave the top growth on all mine over winter to protect from from frost etc, and prune back in spring when new growth appears.
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