Salvia 'Blue Marvel', winner of Best In Show at the 2016 New Plant Awards, is now available to order
With the largest flowers of any salvia of this type, 'Blue Marvel' reblooms reliably from early summer until well into the autumn. It branches well and, although it’s unusually short,
it retains its natural elegance.
And
Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Marvel’ was awarded Best In Show at the New Plant Awards, sponsored by the RHS, at last summer’s National Plant Show. Must be a good plant, don’t you think?
This is a hardy perennial salvia, the latest addition to the range of
dependable summer salvias that have been favourites in perennial borders for so long.
Reaching only about 30cm (1ft) in height, the upright stems are topped by crowded, 10-12cm (4-5in) spikes of deep blue flowers, each with a little white on the lower lip.
Flowering should begin in June and continue into October.
One of the members of the judging panel for the award, Jim Gardiner, RHS Executive Vice-President commented: “The judges were really excited by the quality of all the category winners. However, the best in show,
Salvia ‘Blue Marvel’, was for all of us a revelation in breeding of an already established herbaceous plant.
The flower quality and in particular the size of Salvia ‘Blue Marvel’ was quite exceptional. This plant will see uses far beyond the herbaceous border.”
‘Blue Marvel’ was developed in The Netherlands by Christa Kievit for the Ball Horticultural Company as part of a programme to develop dwarf perennial salvias with large flowers. It’s the result of a cross between two unnamed parents created in the programme and was selected in 2011.
You can order
Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Marvel’ from
RHS Plants and also from these
RHS Plant Finder nurseries.
