After three years of trial, from 2022 to 2024, judges from the RHS have awarded garden salvias the Society’s coveted Award of Merit. The salvias were grown at RHS Wisley. The trial was carried out on the species and cultivars in genus due to the huge rise in popularity of salvias in UK gardens. Eleven of the best performing salvias received the award. Awards of Merit were reconfirmed for a further 10 salvias.
Salvia stolonifera wowed the judges with its hot tangerine colour – a rarity for a fully hardy salvia.
“To have an orange salvia that comes back after winter is marvellous. It’s an extraordinary plant,” says trial judge and member of the RHS Herbaceous Plant Expert Group Marina Christopher, who grows a range of salvias on her nursery Phoenix Perennial Plants in Hampshire.
To see more about these top performing hardy salvias (cold hardy) see HERE
