So cool Salvias
Blue flowers are the most soothing of all, invoking a sense of tranquility and peace, particularly if planted in large drifts. They also help to make a garden feel more spacious. A generous helping of blue and purple flowers planted among warmer colours will tone down the intensity and really make those reds and oranges pop.
White is crisp, fresh and sophisticated. Designed by nature to attract night flying pollinators, white flowers are reflected by the moonlight and the last to fade from view in the evenings. Together, blue and white make a refreshing combo in the heat of summer.
Favourites among the summer blues, salvias are excellent value in the garden. Modern types flower in profusion from late spring through to autumn. The latest breeding has crossed two species (Salvia microphylla x greggii) giving us the fabulous ‘So Cool’ Salvias. In three cool and calm tones, ‘So Cool’ Salvias offer a much stronger and more reliable garden performance.
Whether you plant them en masse or use these stunning blue and white hues as accents in outdoor rooms, they can bring an oasis of calm to a world that can sometimes feel out of control.
Blue and white flowers are stayers, whatever the fashion of the day. There is something about them that keeps them in universal popularity.
For a colour wheel to assist your garden planning or for more information on listed varieties visit www.livingfashion.co.nz
Tip: Cool colours give an impression of distance. Liberal planting of blue and lavender will make a small courtyard feel more spacious. Similarly, concentrating blue and purple flowers to the rear of a garden with warmer colours to the fore will enhance the feeling of depth.
Did you know?
Belonging to the sage family, Salvias comprise a genus of more than 900 species. The ‘Salvia’ name is thought to originate from Roman times, ‘Salvare’ being the Latin verb referring to healing. This genus has long been associated with a wide range of healing properties.
Cool Palette Partners
- Soft Blues and Mauves
- ‘So Cool’ Salvias
- Lithodora ‘Crystal Blue’
- Lavender ‘Sweet Romance’
- Nemesia Lilacberry
- Scabiosa ‘Vivid Violet’
- Convolvulus ‘Two Moons’
- Hydrangea ‘Renate Steineger’
- Hosta ‘Silver Knight’
- Icy Whites
- Salvia ‘Glare’
- Dianthus ‘Memories’
- Federation Daisy ‘Purity’
- Gaura ‘So White’
- Brunnera ‘Alexanders Great’
- Hellebore ‘Mollys White’
- Heuchera ‘Glitter’
- Hydrangea ‘Schneeball’
Feature article from Living Fashion. For further information and more inspirational planting ideas, visit www.livingfashion.co.nz
1-Nov-2016
Plants for . . .
