Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Isn’t this gorgeous? I’ve been wanting one ever since seeing it on a couple of blogs. Electric purple blue flowers coupled with jet black calyces. I have absolutely no idea where it’s going to go. According to the RHS it can grow up to 2.5 metres! And it’s tender, so it needs the shelter of a south facing wall.
But there it was.. on a sales table at a plant fair. The key word here is ‘was’..
Finding a place for it is a challenge to which I must rise. And soon. Before it gets much colder.
![Rose 'Evelyn' 004 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Rose-Evelyn-004-Wm1.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
Rose ‘Evelyn’
The roses are well into their second flush. They seem more vigorous than in recent years so they must have had a good summer too.
![Rose 'Jude the Obscure' 002 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Rose-Jude-the-Obscure-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=499%2C746&ssl=1)
Rose ‘Jude the Obscure’ (foreground)
![Rose 'Lady Emma Hamilton' 005 Wm[3]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Rose-Lady-Emma-Hamilton-005-Wm3.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
Rose ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’
..displaying the full range of her colours, orange on opening fading to pink and gold.
![Patio Rose 002 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Patio-Rose-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
Patio Rose (inherited, variety unknown)
Rather too sugary sweet perhaps, after the demure pink tones in Lady Emma Hamilton above, but this shrub is literally covered in small blooms of exquisite form. It also adds colour to a dark corner of the garden so I have resisted the temptation to shove a fork under it. So far.
![Sedum 005 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Sedum-005-Wm1.jpg?resize=493%2C737&ssl=1)
Sedum
..getting redder.
![Cyclamen hederifolium 003 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Cyclamen-hederifolium-003-Wm1.jpg?resize=1000%2C648&ssl=1)
Cyclamen hederifolium
![Callistemon 005 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Callistemon-005-Wm1.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
Callistemon, after a rain shower
A second flush for the callistemon too. Its only bloom in early summer was snatched by a squirrel or a bird and deposited up a tree. Good to see it making up for it now.
![Astrantia 'Roma' 002 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Astrantia-Roma-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
More flowers for Astrantia ‘Roma’..
![Penstemon 'Snowstorm' 002 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Penstemon-Snowstorm-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=493%2C709&ssl=1)
.. and Penstemon ‘Snowstorm’
Just as well really as this is the one I demolished by falling off the terrace wall.
![Penstemon 'Plum Jerkin' 001 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Penstemon-Plum-Jerkin-001-Wm1.jpg?resize=494%2C739&ssl=1)
Penstemon ‘Plum Jerkin’
By way of recompense I’ve bought it a companion.
![Rudbeckia fulgida var.sullivantii 'Little Goldstar' 001 Wm[3]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Rudbeckia-fulgida-var.sullivantii-Little-Goldstar-001-Wm3.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Little Goldstar’
Long on name, short in stature. Another in the series of compact perennials I’ve been seeking out for the terraces.
![Achillea millefolium 'Summer Fruits Carmine' 001 Wm[2]](https://i1.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Achillea-millefolium-Summer-Fruits-Carmine-001-Wm2.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
Achillea millefolium ‘Summer Fruits Carmine’
And to end with one of summer’s favourite scents..
![Cosmos atrosanguineus 'Chocamocha' 003 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Cosmos-atrosanguineus-Chocamocha-003-Wm1.jpg?resize=1000%2C669&ssl=1)
Cosmos atrosanguineus ‘Chocamocha’
Chocolate. You could almost eat it. If the slugs don’t get there first.
Linking to Carol and Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens (here), where you will find other September bloomers from around the world.
Lovely flowers Jessica, it just shows that gardens can carry on flowering for a while yet. You have had rain ? lucky you. when did that arrive, we are desperate for some here!
It was one of those showers literally out of the blue that was over almost before it started. So much so that when Mike went back to have a second go at the callistemon shot the water droplets were already evaporating. We need it just as bad. Possibly the end of the week?
You have a lot of wonderful flowers! I have never heard from this Salvia. Your Calistemon looks brilliant, also the lot of flowering roses!
Lilith
Sorry, forgotten my wegadress.
Hi Lilith, thank you and welcome to rusty duck.
I have the callistemon in a pot. It used to be my mother’s and unfortunately only has branches on one side. So I have to be very careful how I photograph it! I’ve been trying to train it back into a more normal shape. It will take a while because it seems they do not easily grow back from old wood.
I have that same salvia in my garden. I think it’s in too shady a spot, so am thinking of moving it. And I bought a chocolate cosmos this year. It does smell lovely. I’m looking forward to gathering seed from it, and spreading it a round the garden. I love this time of year in the garden. Not sure why.
Leanne xx
Try to avoid moving the chocolate cosmos. I’ve just done it with mine, thankfully after taking the photograph, because it’s looking a bit miserable now. It picked up overnight so if it does the same again tonight all may not be lost. 🙁
Beautiful! Inspiring start to my week.
Thank you Denise!
Fab photos & yes the colour of the Salvia is glorious, I hope you are able to find the ideal spot for it.
I have been looking for a spot for it this afternoon and may have found it. There’s just the small matter of removing a 12 foot conifer first..
More wonderful blooms. The salvia is a beauty, I hope you find it a suitable spot. I find I’m loving roses more and more so I enjoyed seeing the ones you grow. I’ve been wanting a rudbeckia but they’re rather large for my garden so this one might just be what I’m looking for, I shall keep a note of its name.
I’ve just checked the label and it says it grows to 40 cms, so that’s not too bad is it?
A lovely selection of September flowers Jessica – time and time again I find myself purchasing tender plants, they are often so appealing. However, at the end of this month I have the back breaking task of carrying them all into the conservatory or loosing them forever, unless, of course, we have a winter like the last.
I dug up a whole load of tender plants last year and put them in the greenhouse, but they didn’t do that well. Perhaps it was too humid. A nurseryman down here said I ought to be alright leaving them in the ground, just with mulch, but it still seems a risk to me. I’ve recorded -10 since we’ve been here. I wish there was an accurate way of predicting how cold a winter is going to be.. saving unnecessary back breaking work!
Fabulous photos!
Thank you, you’re very kind.
Fabulous batch of blooms as always Jessica!
It might get a bit harder next month..
Another gorgeousness overload !!
You have some lovely flowers and the photos you take really do do them justice. We need a couple of nights rain to freshen everything up, we seem to have been dry here for ages. Lots of mist and clouds but no rain, my plants need a drink 🙁
It seems odd, you in Wales and me in Devon saying that we need rain. But we sure do! Thanks Sue.
That salvia is indeed gorgeous, but not sure it would do for up here. I do have the same little Rudbeckia though and it has flowered just as well this second year so think it is a keeper. My sedum is as far on as yours which maybe proves Scotland has caught up with England by this time of the year. However my Astrantia is long gone – I had no idea they flowered for so long, or is yours a particularly late one? Your pink patio rose does make a delightful photograph. I would keep it!
Lovely post as always. Thanks.
The astrantia varieties do seem to vary. For me the darker red ones, like ‘Ruby Wedding’, have only one flush of flowers then die back. ‘Roma’ just keeps on and on, it’s been pumping them out since June, a real do-er. Astrantia major likewise.
I’ve had my eye open for the Salvia too after seeing it on other blogs, I think I’ll be very lucky if I find one here, but I’ll keep looking.
Salvias don’t really do well here but I do love them. Perhaps sooner or later I’ll find the right spot for them, and the best way of overwintering.
Beautiful September blooms! I’d keep the patio rose, I like sugary sweet things 🙂 .
It is very bright.. perhaps even more so than the photograph!
So many beautiful blooms! That salvia is a favorite of mine as well and makes it through the winter here if provided sufficient drainage. Your roses are stunning. Happy GBBD!
Hi Peter and welcome to rusty duck.
You might just have the edge on me climate wise, especially if you can grow gardenias, but I’m still tempted to risk the salvia in the ground. Thanks for the tip re drainage. That and lots of mulch I think.
Jessica, your roses are just beautiful! How lucky to still have Astrantia in bloom, mine are well over and I have cut them down. I’m off to look at a Rose catalogue now
My darker red astrantias are over as well. It seems particular varieties are longer lasting, ‘Roma’ especially. The roses have had a really good year. Not sure if it was the mild winter or summer heat, but they certainly found something to their liking. Unusual for me who normally struggles with roses. I shall feed them more next year.
Such a beautiful way to start a Monday morning.
Perhaps GBBD should always be on a Monday.. thanks Charlie.
Your flowers are so beautiful. I’d never seen a salvia that color until now, it’s really gorgeous.
I have another salvia that has that delightful blue (Salvia patens), but I also have a passion for black flowers and foliage. So this one ticks all my boxes. Just hope I can keep it alive!
super images! I have fallen in love with salvia and am growing it for the first time this year – so far, so good, it is still in bloom now. I am thinking of joining this lovely gardens link – so inspiring x
Annie, you should join in. I have picked up so many new plant ideas from it. The list is getting unmanageably long!
‘Black and Blue’ Salvia is so beautiful, but it doesn’t like our climate. You still have some lovely flowers.
It may not like mine either, but it’s worth a try. I’ve spotted a bit of cutting material that I can take for insurance. Thanks Alison.
Gorgeous September blooms in your garden. Love the colour of the salvia and the name of the pretty astrantia ‘Roma’.
‘Roma’ is a Piet Oudolf introduction, so probably not from Italy. But as a genus they do grow in Southern Europe. Definitely one for you!
Gorgeous photos, a feast for the eyes! xxx
Thanks Isabelle. The flowers aren’t lasting for as long now, especially the roses. Summer’s last fling.
Must try to get a second helping of astrantias. Beautiful colours
I’ve read that you should cut them down to the ground, leaves and all, after the first flush. But I don’t like the idea of such a big gap in the border so I just deadhead. It works better for some varieties than others, trial and error.
I wish my garden had as many flowers still blooming! Your images are fantastic! Sarah x
I’ve been lucky with the roses, they’ve never had such a good year! And also a lot of stuff is new, I’ve done quite a bit of planting this year because my clearing has resulted in a lot of gaps.
Lovely. Always like to see penstemons – we had several here a few years ago but they all seem to have gone now. I picked up a Rudbekia Little Goldstar at the garden centre this morning and it nearly went into my basket – I wish it had now:)
The place where I bought mine had it next to a dwarf Verbena bonariensis. It looked fantastic and I realised I could create the same effect.
You still have many wonderful plants in bloom as we move into the middle of September.
I have such mixed feelings about this time of year. I plant a lot of late summer/autumn bloomers to extend the season for as long as I can!
I love that Salvia. I should take some cuttings to be on the safe side. Luckily salvias root really easily.
You still have lots of lovely flowers in bloom. I am really surprised to see the Astrantia though. The roses are having such a wonderful second flowering, I can’ t remember them ever as good as this in September before.
I’d agree on the roses. I will definitely be taking salvia cuttings. Glad it’s easy, I’ve never tried them before.
What gorgeous plants you have in bloom. Here so far in September we have had rain almost everyday. The weeds are happy.
Your patio rose looks so fresh (could it be The Fairy?). The salvia is magnificent.
It looks very similar to The Fairy, but possibly the flowers are smaller on this one. It’s the closest I’ve found though, in trying to identify it. Thanks Alain.
Really stunning photos….blooms standing out are that first salvia and I love Rose Lady Emma…really a show stopper.
Rose Lady Emma has been a real hit. She came back strongly for her second year, blooms all summer and is delightfully fragrant too. Thanks Donna.
gosh……any bouquet coming from my garden at this time of year is basically brown and dried. 🙁 AND, we apparently have an infestation of either an entire mole clan or army worms. Life in my backyard is rather bleak. (so I’m really really enjoying yours!)
Moles are not good Steph. The mice perform the same function for me. Yesterday I had to replant several bugle plants that they’d undermined and just tipped straight out of the ground. Who’d have critters eh?
I grew that salvia Black & Blue years ago. But tender for you means an annual for us. So I gave it up but just seeing it makes me wonder if I should perhaps try it again. All your roses are stunning and I love the subtly related tones. What are the red spikes in the background of the Sedum? A persicaria perhaps . . .
It is a persicaria. ‘Orange Field’. It’s newly planted but looking good so far. I hope it can cope with that dry corner.
Lovely colors at this time of year. I’m still waiting for spring here in New Zealand! I’m loving that astrantia.
Hi bettyl and welcome to rusty duck.
I am very envious of you starting Spring.. it’s my favourite season. Enjoy. Hey ho, it will come round again eventually!
I love this time of year when we have a wee injection of warmth and all the plants in the garden spring back into life (we had a very cool August). It lets us in much more gently to autumn and winter :). Your flowers and photos are as always beautiful. I was weeding my garden this week and realised I have a few patches in need of something permanant and possibly flowering. I have a terrible track record in that department but I will be looking at your photos a bit more closely for some ideas 🙂
It is surprisingly easy to keep the garden going into October, even later in mild years. A trip out to an established garden at this time of year is really helpful because you can see what is in bloom. Go for it!
Beautiful! I had a bottle brush in London and it NEVER flowered. So exotic looking. Not surprised you wanted that salvia….I do too. X
I shall be taking cuttings from the salvia..
Hummingbird sage!!! Now THAT I have in my garden, and I adore it, but sadly it only lasts until the first frost. Your flower photos are gorgeous.
Thanks Natalie. I wish I had the hummingbirds to go with it!
Jessica, beautiful photos of some exquisite blooms, I love the salvia black and blue no wonder you wanted one,
I’ve found with the wet garden (yes I know your dry now but winter may change that) sometimes it’s better to leave a plant in it’s pot in a sheltered part of my garden or my cold side porch and plant in spring, then it has time to establish a bit for the winter, not suggesting you do this just saying my experience,
glad the penstemon has forgiven you and sharing it’s beauty with you, it must be pleased to have company, Frances
Your advice is very timely, we were having this conversation just today. I’m inclined to agree. I think I’ve found a very sheltered spot that does not get too wet in winter but I’m still 50:50 on whether to plant it or leave it until Spring. I shall sleep on it.
hello Jessica, later yesterday evening I remembered you get more frost than I do here on the island which is another factor for you to consider, I bought 2 salivas 2 years ago, I planted them in my front garden which has good drainage so I thought they would be alright and took the chance, one survived one didn’t, it’s so difficult, good luck, Frances
Thanks Frances. Good luck tomorrow.
Oh yet another exquisite salvia Jessica. I feel shades of iwantitnowitis coming over me – never mind where it will go 🙂
Thank you Anna, for the diagnosis. Now I know what my problem has been all these years..
2.5 metres tall – really? What on earth does it think it is doing at that height?! Seeing your lovely peachy roses again I am beginning to swither and dither about those peaches and yellows… 😉
The man who sold it to me wiggled his hand in the air at about 1.5m, so I’m hopeful. But I’m thinking of planting it under the bedroom window. If it reaches its full potential I will be able to view the flowers from there. 🙂
Good luck with getting a home for that Salvia – it’s a beauty. My new love is a similar one Salvia Amistad. It’s in a corner and on it’s own! The label said hardy but since reading on the web it might not be.
You’ve some gorgeous blooms and although I grow R. Lady Emma Hamilton, I can’t say I’ve noticed such pink in the blooms on mine but must thank you for show it here as I was going to move her to the front garden but don’t want any pink in there so she can stay where she is. You’ve saved me a job Jessica – therefore, I thank you very much 🙂
The pink in Emma is very subtle but definitely there in the old flowers. You could always nip them off as they turn pink although personally I love the faded glory! We moved a rose this week that’s been in the garden for years.. every day now it droops and every night it picks up again. Given how little root there appeared to be on it, I’ll be amazed but very pleased if it survives!
So many pretty flowers! I especially love your choice of roses. Mine stopped blooming during the hot summer days but are coming back for an autumn bloom. I missed them! I really must plant some ‘Chocolate Cosmos’. I didn’t know that they really had a chocolate scent!
The chocolate cosmos really does smell of chocolate! It’s not the sort of scent that wafts all over the garden though, so plant it near a path or somewhere else where you can stick your nose into it!
You have a lot of wonderful flowers to share but those luscious roses make me melt. My may have an annual rose parade here each January but I much prefer yours in September.
Hi Kris. I marvel at the way plants adapt and cope with their environment, growing and flowering when they find the conditions that suit them best. Rose blooms in January beat bare stems in the snow and freezing rain!
I’m drooling…
🙂
Beautiful images Jessica. Roses are doing very well as you say. I have a few here about to bloom for a second time and to my delight two dug up roses from my old garden (which were a present from my very good friend and I just couldn’t leave behind) were planted into pots and are doing so well, with one about to bloom again.
Great to hear your roses are doing well. They should settle well into your new garden if they are thriving in their pots.
I’ve lost my heart to that Salvia. Have added it to my (very extensive) wishlist! You have some real beauties in flower still, especially some of those roses. It seems to have been a good season for them. Do you have much blackspot? Some of mine are showing signs now, despite being supposedly resistant.
Loads of blackspot. With the mild damp climate it seems inescapable. But I hate the idea of spraying so we put up with it. Some of the roses have very bare legs indeed this late in the season. I’m having to find things to plant in front of them to preserve their modesty.
Totally want those chocolate cosmos! Never seen anything like those here.
They may not be that heat tolerant. I moved mine about a week ago and it’s still wilting a bit in the middle of the day. Worth trying if you can get hold of it though, it really does smell divine!
Absolutely stunning flowers, your photographs excite me more than a Walls ice-cream complete with a chocolate flake, on an English summer’s day.
Brilliant
~Jo
Blimey. I don’t think I’ve ever received praise on that scale before. Thank you Jo!
You have a good memory. If you are ever down this way try a Devon clotted cream ice cream. It’s the only thing I’ve come across on a par with Walls!
Oooh, that salvia would be irresistible, and very generous of you to reward your long suffering penstemon with a companion. I really like the look of ‘Little Goldstar’ , an excellent addition to the terraces.
‘Little Goldstar’ is a bit of a gamble. I had thought to remove yellow from the terraces, but it is such a ray of sunlight. It’s there as an experiment to see if I like it. Next to Verbena though it does seem to work.