Sacha, I visited your nursery in August with my sister, where I introduced
myself as a sometime user of this forum. You were both very kind and Ray
showed me round your lovely garden. I purchased a Salvia ambigens - which
has turned into a very fine plant. My question is do you consider that
Salvia ambigens is a seperate species as I believe Betsy Clebsch claims in
her book, or do you regard it as the same as Salvia guaranitica 'Blue
Enigma' as John Sutton claims. Either way it is a lovely plant.

On 14/10/06 23:46, in article ,
"Peter Sutton" wrote:

Sacha, I visited your nursery in August with my sister, where I introduced
myself as a sometime user of this forum. You were both very kind and Ray
showed me round your lovely garden. I purchased a Salvia ambigens - which
has turned into a very fine plant. My question is do you consider that
Salvia ambigens is a seperate species as I believe Betsy Clebsch claims in
her book, or do you regard it as the same as Salvia guaranitica 'Blue
Enigma' as John Sutton claims. Either way it is a lovely plant.


Hello, Peter. I remember your visit very well and I'm glad you enjoyed the
garden. The RHS changed ambigens to S. guaranitica a while ago. Up until
then there was, apparently, some confusion because people were calling the
same plant the two names but it is now officially S. guaranitica. There is
another S. guaranitica called Black and Blue, which is taller but it's Ray's
opinion that 'Blue Enigma' is probably hardier and is certainly stronger in
terms of flowering.
As you say it's a lovely plant and ours is still going strong in the garden
and looks wonderful. Another that is doing rather well in a container but
not quite as strong flowering right now is S. Stormy Pink which is quite a
new hybrid, possibly a S. microphylla. S. involucrata Mulberry Jam is a big
favourite of mine as is S. confertiflora but I think we discussed these and
you didn't think they'd be suitable for you. They come through the winter
with us but I know they're borderline. I think 'Mulberry Jam' was found in
Betsy Clebsch's garden.
BTW, did you know that Christine Yeo is giving up opening to the public? I
think she's going to go on breeding and raising plants, though.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Sacha, I visited your nursery in August with my sister, where I
introduced
myself as a sometime user of this forum. You were both very kind and
Ray
showed me round your lovely garden. I purchased a Salvia ambigens -
which
has turned into a very fine plant. My question is do you consider that
Salvia ambigens is a seperate species as I believe Betsy Clebsch claims
in
her book, or do you regard it as the same as Salvia guaranitica 'Blue
Enigma' as John Sutton claims. Either way it is a lovely plant.


Hello, Peter. I remember your visit very well and I'm glad you enjoyed
the
garden. The RHS changed ambigens to S. guaranitica a while ago. Up until
then there was, apparently, some confusion because people were calling the
same plant the two names but it is now officially S. guaranitica. There
is
another S. guaranitica called Black and Blue, which is taller but it's
Ray's
opinion that 'Blue Enigma' is probably hardier and is certainly stronger
in
terms of flowering.
As you say it's a lovely plant and ours is still going strong in the
garden
and looks wonderful. Another that is doing rather well in a container but
not quite as strong flowering right now is S. Stormy Pink which is quite a
new hybrid, possibly a S. microphylla. S. involucrata Mulberry Jam is a
big
favourite of mine as is S. confertiflora but I think we discussed these
and
you didn't think they'd be suitable for you. They come through the winter
with us but I know they're borderline. I think 'Mulberry Jam' was found
in
Betsy Clebsch's garden.
BTW, did you know that Christine Yeo is giving up opening to the public?
I
think she's going to go on breeding and raising plants, though.
--
Sacha, many thanks for your reply. Having discovered that you have an
excellent range of Salvias, I will be back when I am next down in Devon. I
have both your S. 'Blue Enigma' and a S. 'Black and Blue' almost side by
side in pots, and hope to be getting some more varieties. I am sorry that
Christine Yeo is giving up. She told me when I visited her nursery a couple
of days before I visited you. However I am pleased to hear she is going on
breeding and raising plants. I think that once you have been hooked, it is
difficult to give up.

On 15/10/06 15:11, in article ,
"Peter Sutton" wrote:
snip
--
Sacha, many thanks for your reply. Having discovered that you have an
excellent range of Salvias, I will be back when I am next down in Devon. I
have both your S. 'Blue Enigma' and a S. 'Black and Blue' almost side by
side in pots, and hope to be getting some more varieties. I am sorry that
Christine Yeo is giving up. She told me when I visited her nursery a couple
of days before I visited you. However I am pleased to hear she is going on
breeding and raising plants. I think that once you have been hooked, it is
difficult to give up.


I don't know this, of course, but I suppose it's possible that if you rang
her beforehand, she might be willing to let you go and have a browse. She
was here a while ago and as I had to go out, it was Ray who had a longish
chat with her. If he knows any more I'll let you know about it.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Thanks Sacha

In article , Sacha
writes

BTW, did you know that Christine Yeo is giving up opening to the public? I
think she's going to go on breeding and raising plants, though.


Her books are very useful but the Internet Salvia newsgroup was always
WAY above my head

I like "Desert Blaze" I think a macrophylla. Blue Enigma is lovely but
died with me over damp winters.

I have had Salvia uliginosa flowering for about 2 months this year, it's
superb and creates a filmy screen like Verbena bon. It's really growing
very well and is still covered in wonderful intense blue flowers.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , Sacha
writes

BTW, did you know that Christine Yeo is giving up opening to the public?
I
think she's going to go on breeding and raising plants, though.


Her books are very useful but the Internet Salvia newsgroup was always
WAY above my head

I like "Desert Blaze" I think a macrophylla. Blue Enigma is lovely but
died with me over damp winters.

I have had Salvia uliginosa flowering for about 2 months this year, it's
superb and creates a filmy screen like Verbena bon. It's really growing
very well and is still covered in wonderful intense blue flowers.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

I have tried many times to get Salvia uliginosa through the winter (with all
my gardening friends expressing surprise I can not!) then last year the
gutter above it blocked and it spent a good part of the winter either
submerged or saturated and as you have probably guessed its been great since
June :~) I am trying it in a few more places as its certainly a star if it
grows well.
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

BTW, did you know that Christine Yeo is giving up opening to the public?
I
think she's going to go on breeding and raising plants, though.

I like "Desert Blaze" I think a macrophylla. Blue Enigma is lovely but
died with me over damp winters.

I have had Salvia uliginosa flowering for about 2 months this year, it's
superb and creates a filmy screen like Verbena bon. It's really growing
very well and is still covered in wonderful intense blue flowers.


Janet - I am new to Salvias this year, but have already realised there are
some very fine plants (as well as some rubbish) in this genus. I grew S.
Patens, and a coral pink S.Coccinea as well as S.Mystic Spires, S.
Ambigens(S.Guaranitica Blue Enseign) and S. Guaranitica Black and Blue, in
pots and found them all to be really good plants. I also grew S. Verbenacea
and S. Napifolia, which were totally forgetable. S Microphylla, grown in a
bed, was a star. It started flowering in the middle of June and is still in
full flower today. And S. Uliginosa is very nice too. I will bring most of
them inside over winter - and hope they survive.