Derek Jarman at Hayloft Plants just emailed to tell me about the newcomers in their latest catalogue. Salvia greggii ‘Icing Sugar’ looks one of the best.
Recalling the bicoloured flowers of Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’, the two-tone purple flowers of ‘Icing Sugar’ are carried on bushy, twiggy plants up to 90cm high from now through to September. Click on the picture to see the plant in more detail. However, unlike those of ‘Hot Lips’, the two-tone colouring is stable whatever the weather or the time of year. Easy in full sun and best in well-drained soil, once established ‘Icing Sugar’ will tolerate drought.
Salvia greggii ‘Icing Sugar’ is available from Hayloft Plants. It is also available from these RHS Plant Finder nurseries, from some independent garden centres, and from garden centres in these groups: Capital Gardens, Dobbies, Frosts, Blue Diamond, Haskins, Klondyke, Strikes, Stewarts and The Garden Stores.
The Cocktail Series of border phlox also looks interesting. Bred in Holland by Jan Verschoor, Jan is already well-known for his previous phlox including the bicoloured ‘Peppermint Twist’. The three in the Cocktail Series, with small gardens in mind, reach only about 50cm so can even be grown in containers.
‘Pina Colada’ is pure white, Derek describes ‘Fondant Fancy’ as ”true girly pink” while he says ‘Grenadine Dream’ is “an incredible deep red, probably the best red ever” – that’s something to live up to. All are scented and weather resistant and their neatly rounded, flat flowers are especially elegant.
These three phlox in the Cocktail Series are available from Hayloft Plants.
Finally, on the back cover of their catalogue Hayloft also have yet another new echinacea – this one, from famed breeder and garden designer Piet Oudolf, ‘Green Jewel’ is completely green.
Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’ is available from Hayloft Plants.