Add some sparkle with Shrubby salvias

WITH 900 species, Salvia is an undeniably varied plant genus. But if it’s late-season sparkle that you seek, your best bet is those that are native to the Southern Hemisphere, which tend to flower better as the days start to shorten.

Bee-friendly, the blooms come in vibrant shades, their petals packed with pigment – a device that helps many plants cope with hot sunshine. Planted in borders, they glow in autumn’s crystal clear light, and can go on flowering until early winter. For me, they’ve often been the last flowers standing.

In their natural habitat these salvias are happy in rocky positions or open grassland – often aromatic, their foliage acts as a deterrent to grazing animals. Here in the