Salvia nemorosa 'Schwellenburg'
meadow sage
- Position: full sun
- Soil: light, moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well- drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to September
- Flower colour: pinky-purple
- Other features: attractive to butterflies and bees
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Dense and upright in habit, the grey-green foliage contrasts perfectly with the rose-tinted, purple flowers. This plant has a long flowering period providing it gets plenty of sun and you remove the spent flowers as they fade. It tends to flower a little later than most other salvias, so its a good one to choose of you are looking to prolong the summer colour. - Garden care: To prolong flowering remove the flower spikes as soon they start to fade. Cut back all the stems after they have finished flowering and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in spring.
Dianthus carthusianorum
carthusian pink
Vibrant magenta flowers
Geranium × oxonianum 'Wargrave Pink'
cranesbill
Fast-growing and long-flowering
Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea'
bugle
Excellent groundcover for shade
Sedum spectabile (Brilliant Group) 'Brilliant'
ice plant
Bright pink flowers in the late summer early autumn
How to encourage beneficial insects
All pests have natural enemies. The trick in an organic garden is to encourage these beneficial insects and other creatures to take up residence in your garden so that they can do the pest management for you. The most effective...
Read full articleCottage garden
The traditional cottage garden was an intensive, yet carefree mixture of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers all crowded into a tiny space. Today, this informal charm can be recreated using modern varieties that largely take care of themselves around an...
Read full articleTown
Create an ‘outside room’ that overcomes the three challenges of shade, exposure and lack of space using uplifting, shade-tolerant shrubs, perennials and bulbs. A sense of seclusion can be achieved with decorative screens and trellis covered in deciduous, fragrant...
Read full article