Late last summer we paid a flying visit to Dyson’s Nurseries at Great Comp near Sevenoaks in Kent. It was all rather unsatisfactory as we were short of time and had our pups Max and Millie in tow. We couldn’t take them into the garden (although I snuck in to use the loo, which was torture as I wanted a proper look) and we had to dash around the nursery like dervishes in order to stay on schedule. Fortunately it does not take either of us long to make a decision about buying a plant, so within ten minutes we had scooped up a number of them, plus a couple more as gifts for friends.
Dyson’s are legendary for their salvias. The nursery holds a collection which extends to over 250 species and cultivars. Many have scented foliage and most flower throughout the British summer and in to early winter. (My uncle’s Salvia ‘Amistad’ was still in fine fettle on Christmas Day.) Whilst perennial salvias will gaily bloom until late in the year, they are not necessarily hardy and some require winter protection.
One such salvia is S. leucocephala, the white-headed sage. A woody perennial, its tenderness is perhaps less surprising when one considers that it comes from Ecuador. Salvia leucocephala is rare both in the wild and in cultivation and I had not seen plants offered for sale before. I made my purchase based purely on the alluring description: the plain green foliage gives very little away.
On returning home we placed our entire haul in the greenhouse and forgot about it. The first salvia to start flowering was Salvia dombeyi, the giant Bolivian sage. Clusters of pendulous, scarlet flowers emerging from glossy black calyces appeared continuously from November until February. This pleased us both no end and the plant continues to be in rude health. Then, as winter came to a mild and soggy end, Salvia leucocephala started to produce little pyramids of white, wooly calyces at the end of each stem. Finally these opened to reveal striking, maroon flowers, which have lasted several weeks already. Our plant is extremely lanky so we are having to support it using neighbouring plants such as Impatiens balansae and Zantedeschia ‘Hercules’.
As the days get longer and warmer we will now have to start ventilating the greenhouse on sunny days otherwise grey mould (botrytis) will set in. The plants are packed in close, which is a recipe for disaster if the conditions get too stuffy. My greenhouse is not heated, but ideally Salvia leucocephala would like more winter warmth. I also observe that it needs excellent light to stop it from becoming too leggy, as does Salvia dombeyi. Experts advise pruning after flowering, which I will do before repotting and standing the plant outside for summer.
Salvia leucocephala would look sensational planted in a well-drained gravel garden or in a large pot on a hot, sunny terrace with herbs and olives. Stake it well or provide with a shrubby companion to scramble through. Then provide warmth and shelter in the winter and you’ll be turning heads in February and March when everyone else is reliant on daffodils and forsythia for excitement. TFG.
Categories: Beautiful Strangers, Flowers, Foliage, Perennials, Plants
Gorgeous ! DefinitEly adding this to my list! Thank you for sharing!
Love salvias and don’t have this one – my s. confertiflora has flowered all winter, ditto s.involucrata Hadspen; feel you need these too!
I am not nearly an expert, nay, just casual observer. However, even though I do not know the ins and outs of raising these salvias, I can sure appreciate your photographic skills. Thanks for sharing such stunning photography.
Very kind, thank you.
Salvias seem like an odd choice there. I do not think of them as originating from Ecuador or Bolivia. They are popular here because so many appreciate the chaparral climate. Some are native, or are native nearby. Perhaps those from Ecuador and Bolivia are not popular here because they would not like the climate like the chaparral species do.
I expect so. We are a nation of plant collectors so we love anything unusual or ‘exotic’ whether it suits our climate or not!
A handsome plant. I like those fuzzy wuzzy calyses. They present the blooms beautifully.
They are cute aren’t they? Feels very odd having a salvia flowering now, when everything else in the garden and greenhouse is glossy green and ‘new’ looking. The Salvia feels like a memory of last year.
lovely plants. I was impressed by the salvia at Newby Hall in Yorkshire and you have reminded me to look out for them. I always enjoy your posts.
Thank you Linda. I have narrowly missed visiting Newby Hall on a couple of occasions. I am determined to get there one day.