The sporadic rains of recent days have reminded us of romantic English atmospheres; therefore, in this post we are going to highlight some species available this season at the Nursery and that are frequently used in the composition of borders, gardens and English public parks.
The contemporary language of gardens uses resistant, herbaceous and perennial plants, creating variable groupings of color and texture. For this, a palette of species is generated that draws wide strips of different textures, shapes and heights. This same scheme can be valid both for large planters and for more delimited interventions, simply by adjusting the number of species in the plant palette.
The effect of visual permeability is important, created with plants such as Verbena bonariensis located in the foreground, and including in the composition key species for their habit such as Salvia, Achillea or Gaura, together with other species of interest for their characteristic foliage such as Phormium.
Among the salvias we can find varieties with soft tone blooms such as Salvia leucantha to more vivid tones such as Salvia ‘Royal Bumble’.
The first is a medium-sized variety, which in full development can reach 100cm in height and 60cm in width. Its flowering begins in mid-summer and ends in late autumn.
The flowers are small, white and purple in color. This contrast of colors makes its inflorescences very showy. The leaves are lanceolate, with the upper side of blue-green color and the underside greenish-white.
This is a species resistant to pests and diseases if grown under the correct conditions, since soils with excessive moisture or poor drainage can cause from root rot to freezing in climates with harsh winters.
The second is a more compact variety that can reach 80cm high and 60cm wide. Its flowering begins in early summer and also ends in late autumn. Its flowers are more striking due to their intense magenta color. The foliage is showy and is composed of oval leaves of intense green color.
Both are perennial, aromatic plants, of compact habit, resistant to water scarcity and suitable for sun or partial shade areas. They need well-drained soils, with a certain fertility and rich in humus. They are simple plants to cultivate and with very low maintenance requirements. Their frost resistance is moderate, they tolerate temperatures down to -10ºC. And they are useful for increasing biodiversity in the garden, as they are very attractive to pollinators.
Images: longwoodgardens.org / M. Galante / xericstyle.wordpress.com / M. Galante