Strange year for Salvias in the UK. Freezing winter, followed by a warm spring, with no rain for 3 months. Cool and overcast summer, sufficient rain, now, 29th Sept, it is 82 degrees, and forecast to get even hotter for the next few days. Are my Salvias confused? I think so. But my garden looks fabulous at the moment, so many Salvias flowering like mad........all the guaraniticas, curviflora, oppositiflora, madrensis about to flower, vitifolia has been spectacular but having a slight hissy-fit with the sudden intense, hot sunshine.

Have received seeds from Mexico, Argentina, and Turkey, so trying many new species. So far, S. acerifolia, S. subpatens, and S. languidula from Mexico look promising. The Turkish species are difficult here, need heat and dry soil, hope to see flowers next year if they survive the winter. I am keeping them in pots, with mostly grit, and just a tiny bit of compost. Argentinean species seem to be thriving, S. brevipes, S. cardiophylla, S. calolophos,3 forms of S. pallida, 5 forms of S. stachydifolia............what a muddled species this is! S. nervosa, S. borjensis, and S. durifolia seem not to be happy in my climate......but every year is different, and I will try plants in different conditions next year.

Have been collecting many seeds from rare species this summer, so do check my site www.robinssalvias.com for my latest seed list.

Kind regards to fellow Salviaphiles.........Robin.