Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’

A firm favourite in our perennial tunnels. Those dark, near-black stems hold up dense spikes of violet-blue flowers from late spring, and the bees find them before we’ve even finished planting.

‘Caradonna’ stays neat and upright, rarely more than 50cm tall. It likes full sun and any reasonable soil, as long as it drains well. A gravelly or sandy spot suits it best. Once settled in, it shrugs off dry weather.

Cut the flower spikes back as they fade and you’ll often get a second flush. Lovely with ornamental grasses in a prairie-style border, or tucked along a sunny path. One of our reliable go-to perennials for anyone starting a new border.