Salvia 'Belle de Loire'

Look forward to an incredibly long season of pretty peach tones from Salvia 'Belle de Loire' – there are very few plants which parade complete and utter floral delight for quite so long. From late spring through to autumn, this sensational salvia treats you to a profusion of dainty blooms which change colour with the seasons. When the flowers emerge and through most of summer, the petals are a combination of two colours; pale lemon yellow with a peach-pink marking in the middle. Up close this is a lovely detail, from further away the colours merge which gives the overall appearance of a peach haze. When temperatures begin to fall at the end of summer, the colours fade to a pale pink. Salvia 'Belle de Loire' is a bushy type of sage with aromatic foliage and a strong habit. For the astonishing show it provides every year, it demands very little in return from you – what a dream!

Happy in a sunny spot in a border, but also tolerant to a little light shade, Salvia × jamensis 'Belle de Loire' is a reliable and useful plant suitable for most gardens. It’ll settle in happily to free-draining soil types including poor, sandy soil, and it’s fairly drought tolerant once it’s established. It’s not keen on clay soil but, if you love this plant, it’s prolific and long-lasting enough to be a beauty in a patio container if your garden soil isn’t right for it. Over winter, the hardy Salvia 'Belle de Loire' can tolerate temperatures as low as -5/-10C. This gorgeous perennial looks great in an informal border among other sun-loving perennials such as salvias, Perovskia, Gaura and dahlias, particularly purple or pink ones!