Every month I write about a particular plant or two. I showcase what gardens the plant suits and mention the particular features of that variety. This month I've decided to write about salvia.But unlike most of the other plants I feature, salvia can't be narrowed down to just one set of traits or characteristics. The salvia genus includes over 900 species! It has annuals, biennials, perennials and shrubs. There are dwarf varieties, bedding ones, some that grow up to 3m tall and wide and did you know that sage is in fact a form of salvia?

At Awapuni we sell seven varieties of salvia including both annuals and perennials. We have salvia red dwarf and our mixed salvia bundle which both grow to a height of 25cm. Victory white and patens electric blue both grow to approx 50 and 60cm respectively and the blue bedder which grows to a substantial 90cm high. And the range of colours includes blue and purple, white, and different shades of red.

Most of our salvia plants flower from summer through to autumn and are good for bedding and the back of borders. Because of the erect manner which salvia patens electric blue's branches grow, it can look incredibly striking grown in a pot over summer. In fact, that's probably the one consistent with salvia - it tends to look very striking wherever you grow it.

You can grab your salvia seedlings from our online store or next time you're down at your local supermarket or Bunnings. Luckily, given the several varieties of salvia on offer, each seedling bundle label has clear planting instructions on the back. But generally they like rich, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. If you're growing a dwarf variety simply plant 15cm apart and if it's taller salvia try planting 30-50cm apart.

Then in about eight to 10 weeks you can expect to see some striking salvia colour start to show in your garden.