Hot plants!

There's enough people out there telling you what was 'hot' at Chelsea this year, but here's a garden plant that needs to be widely grown.

Discovered as a hybrid swarm near the village of Jame in Mexico, Salvia x jamensis has the potential to be a very valuable and hard working plant for European gardeners. Given the chance this shrub will grow to about 3ft (1m) tall and probably the same in width, but here's the thing; in colder climates it becomes perennial, and that habit of dying back for winter gives an encouraging degree of hardiness. The colours are great, and Salvia x jamensis 'Hot Lips' is doing well in cultivation already. Here are four of my top varieties, although in due course I may need to add to this list!

Salvia x jamensis 'Pluenn'

I think Salvia 'Pluenn' has a very promising future as a border plant in British gardens. The strong candy-pink flowers are fairly large and will associate well with many different plants. It provides a strong colour but without being overbearing.

Salvia x jamensis 'Flammenn'

With a stronger colour than 'Pluenn', Salvia 'Flammenn' might suit a more exotic planting. This variety has a colour more typically associated with S. microphylla varieties, and I think that the better hardiness might make it a good alternative to Salvia microphylla varieties like 'Newby Hall'.

Salvia x jamensis 'Royal Bumble'

Salvia 'Royal Bumble' is a good rich red, although my picture doesn't quite do it justice. The darkness of the colour might make this tricky to place among other plants but don't be fooled, the flowers of 'Royal Bumble' demand to be viewed. This would look great grown amongst light grasses such as Anemanthele lessoniana (syn. Stipa arundinacea) where the light texture of the grass will merge well with these bold flowers. Larger, 'heavier' grasses might drown these Salvias later in the year.

Salvia x jamensis 'Violette De Loire'

I think that Salvia 'Violette De Loire' might be my favourite at the moment; rich purple flowers of this quality are very hard to find! This would work well as a splash of colour with low foliage plants or maybe with something airy with white flowers. 

Salvia x jamensis all like a moist but free-draining soil and plenty of sun, although a little shade will only reduce flowering. Their height makes them great at the front of the border, and they will associate well with light and airy plants of a similar height, like fine grasses or short perennials. Similarly their slightly floppy habit in pots would mean they could be grown well in containers, maybe with white trailing Lobelia or Bacopa? 

If you grow them in containers then keep an extra eye on their water in growth, and remember that they will likely loose some of their hardiness in containers so will need winter protection. In the garden they should gain hardiness as they mature, but I would strongly advise a dry mulch (bark or similar) for their first winter, and if you're in a cold area then maybe mulch them every year.

If kept in a frost-free greenhouse each winter you can typically get them into flower by the end of May. Deadheading will almost certainly increase flowering.