Salvia ‘Garnettstone’: This is a bushy subshrub, 60-80cmH with stems of dark crimson flowers in spring, continuing through most of the year.
Salvia ‘Garnettstone’: is a seedling found in a garden, a lovely dark crimson form of a microphylla hybrid.
Flowers: are a dark crimson. The hood, the tube and 2 side lobes being a slightly darker crimson, whilst the large bottom lobe is still crimson but a touch paler. The slightly different pink beeline around the throat area attracts insects to explore further into the flower.
2 to 3 flowers are held either side of the green stem. Numerous stems of crimson flowers are sent up which are held above the foliage to attract passing pollinating insects. All the colours and markings on the flowers are there to attract bees and other pollinating insects.
Colours seem to fade with age, becoming a lovely pink colour, which adds to the attractiveness of the shrub.
Calyces: are dark coloured with even darker coloured tips which show off the crimson flowers beautifully. These are ribbed and pointed. They drop off the stem after the flower have finished, needing to be cut off at the end of the season.
Leaves: are a bright green, a typical microphylla leaf, lanceolate to oval in shape, well veined with rounded crenations around the margins.
Salvia ‘Garnettstone’: is best planted in a full sun position either in an open area or in a mixed border with other blue, white, purple or paler pink perennials and small shrubs. This Salvia makes a spectacular show when in full flower, especially if planted along an edge to a path or edging a bed next to a lawn where it can waft out it’s pretty stems of flowers as you pass. Watch the bees and small butterflies perch on the flowers on a sunny day.
This is a tough hardy plant for the hot dry summer season. It is usually frost and cold hardy, but does appreciate snail pellets or other treatments when there is a lot of moisture. Best on well drained soils, most soils should suit this gorgeous Salvia very well.
In late autumn, early winter is the time to cut back to good green buds and clean out any dead or twiggy growth. In spring when new growth begins, feed and mulch well to keep the root area cool during the hot dry summer season. Clean up old leaves, stems and any general debris, top up mulch.
In early summer, begin trimming the plant to shape. Cut off any flowers and cut the leaf stems down by half to encourage new growth and flowers, the new subsequent growth will be stronger for the summer period. Then watch the flower begin their show.
Propagation: is usually by tip cuttings from new shoots during the season.