Salvia: This post-war staple has bright flowers, and newer varieties offer improved consistency, says Graham Clarke

摘要

Red, white and blue - the colours of the Union Jack - were the most frequently seen shades in summer flowerbeds in the 1950s and 1960s, symbolising a theme of patriotism following World WarTwo.The red was usually provided by Salvia. Upright spikes ofintense scarlet flowers were available via a handful of varieties of S. splendens. Then, in the 1970s, there was a sudden desire for all things pastel - flowerbeds up and down the land were filled with pinks, creams, light blues and silvers. Salvia wentinto a decline. But stronger bedding colours became popular again in the 1990s, so the breeding of Salvia intensified. Many cultivars are grown today, with a wide range of flower colours - including salmon-pink, lilac, lavender, purple, white and dark red. The most recent introductions are bi-coloured.