Depends where you are, buttercup days. I bought a set of ten supposedly hardy, named varieties last year. Only hot lips survived the winter , grew and flowered. Amistad regrew from the base, but took so long it has only just flowered. Cuttings overwintered and then used as bedding plants for us in the Midlands.
They don't get chance to invade here, except on my terms, as I have to take most of them in over winter - minus 12C is not unusual, lots of winter wet is normal and heavy snowfall is not the least bit unexpected - anytime between Halloween and the end of April. Cornwall is probably different!
Fidget, I never trust anything that says hardy on the label and isn't either a native or an alpine to survive outside here until I've got the measure of it and hopefully a spare or two. There was one year here when our holly tree was deciduous!
I'm up in the Pennines and we get wind and rain and plenty of it, low temps and usually snow, often drifting and then staying around for weeks. If the wind's from the west it's heavy wet snow with big flakes, if it's from the east it's likely to be dry hard pellety stuff that rolls about like ball bearings and covers the tracks again as fast as they're cleared. And an easterly is cruel biting wind that pinches anything above ground. The deep snow isn't usually a problem for herbaceous things tucked safely underground, but the thawing, waterlogging, refreezing cycle can be deadly, especially as spring is trying to begin.
I've got several cuttings of Amistad, it's a start! Just been drooling over Ashwoods' list, lots of lovelies on there....
Glad to hear Hotlips is seems hardy but I will take cutting in to be sure
Lots of lovely salvias mentioned (thanks I will buy some more) but it really is the red colour of hotlips that draws me. I have south/s east facing borders and this colour looks good with some orangey tones mixed in
Still don't know what my shrub is - will post some further closeups when the rain stops!
Hi folks - going back to the original thread - one more try! Here is a close up of the shrub showing back of leaves (much thicker leaves and stems than any salvia I know). Is it a Salvia or not?
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Depends where you are, buttercup days. I bought a set of ten supposedly hardy, named varieties last year. Only hot lips survived the winter , grew and flowered. Amistad regrew from the base, but took so long it has only just flowered. Cuttings overwintered and then used as bedding plants for us in the Midlands.
They don't get chance to invade here, except on my terms, as I have to take most of them in over winter - minus 12C is not unusual, lots of winter wet is normal and heavy snowfall is not the least bit unexpected - anytime between Halloween and the end of April. Cornwall is probably different!
I could cope with an invasive amistad. Not much chance.
Fidget, I never trust anything that says hardy on the label and isn't either a native or an alpine to survive outside here until I've got the measure of it and hopefully a spare or two. There was one year here when our holly tree was deciduous!
I'm up in the Pennines and we get wind and rain and plenty of it, low temps and usually snow, often drifting and then staying around for weeks. If the wind's from the west it's heavy wet snow with big flakes, if it's from the east it's likely to be dry hard pellety stuff that rolls about like ball bearings and covers the tracks again as fast as they're cleared. And an easterly is cruel biting wind that pinches anything above ground. The deep snow isn't usually a problem for herbaceous things tucked safely underground, but the thawing, waterlogging, refreezing cycle can be deadly, especially as spring is trying to begin.
I've got several cuttings of Amistad, it's a start! Just been drooling over Ashwoods' list, lots of lovelies on there....
Glad to hear Hotlips is seems hardy but I will take cutting in to be sure
Lots of lovely salvias mentioned (thanks I will buy some more) but it really is the red colour of hotlips that draws me. I have south/s east facing borders and this colour looks good with some orangey tones mixed in
Still don't know what my shrub is - will post some further closeups when the rain stops!
Hi folks - going back to the original thread - one more try! Here is a close up of the shrub showing back of leaves (much thicker leaves and stems than any salvia I know). Is it a Salvia or not?
Guess that didn't work! Try again