Salvia x superba 'Rose Queen'

The royal sister of ‘Blue Queen’, Salvia x superba ‘Rose Queen’ is a wonderful, long-blooming cultivar with slender spires and beautiful mulberry-rose flowers, which open from dark pink buds in early and mid-summer.
An abundance of spectacular, flower spikes with an upright, slender appearance are produced across the whole plant from June to July.

This is a easy-to-grow variety grows 45 to 60cm (18 to 24in) tall and produces healthy, lance-shaped, fresh green leaves which possess a strong, pleasant aromatic scent. Salvia 'Rose Queen' will flower the first year from an early sowing and is perfect for filling in the gaps left by spring-flowering plants.
Great for attracting wildlife like bees and butterflies to the garden and the flowers are useful for cutting.

Sowing: Sow February to June
If at least 15°C (59°F) is not possible, do not sow before March. Germination can be slow if a fairly warm temperature is not maintained – around 18 to 24°C (64 to 75°F) seems to be ideal. Start indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frosts are due. Do not cover the seed as light is needed for germination. A fungicidal drench to prevent damping off might be helpful.
Prick out the seedlings as appropriate. For best results the next move should be to a larger pot, increasing the size of these according to growth. From the larger pots, move the plants to outdoor positions at the end of May or early June. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10 to15 days before planting out into their final positions. Space 15 to 30cm (6 to 12in) apart. Pinch out growing tip when plants are 15cm (6in) tall to encourage bushy growth. Water, fertilise and dead-head regularly.

Cultivation:
Salvia require pretty much full sun to bloom they do well if they are planted in the shade but will have fewer blooms and be more 'leggy'. Although drought-tolerant once established, a moderate amount of water must be supplied to young plants. Water freely in periods of drought.
A typical recommendation is that Salvia benefit from monthly liquid fertilising to keep it blooming non-stop, though they will often bloom impressively without such attention.
Remove the spikes of salvias after blooms have faded to encourage continuous bloom. Some gardeners prefer to let salvia flowers go to seed. Wait until new growth begins to emerge in early spring to do your winter cleanup of old stems to avoid freeze damage. The best time to divide perennial salvias is in early spring, before new growth begins.

Plant Uses:
Coastal, Flowers Borders and Beds, Mediterranean or Wildlife Gardens, Patio/Container Plants. Cut or Dried Flowers. Drought & Heat Tolerant

Origin:
Salvia is a large genus containing both annual and perennial species many of which come from California and tropical America, although there are a few of European origin.
The exact origins of Salvia × superba are unknown, though it first appeared in cultivation, and its parents are believed to include Salvia × sylvestris and Salvia amplexicaulis. Salvia nemorosa has also been suggested as a direct parent or close relative, but with so many similarities between these species and hybrids, there is no conclusive evidence

Nomenclature:
The genus name Salvia derives from the Latin word salveo meaning 'I am healed' or 'I am well', referring to the medicinal qualities of some species.
The letter 'x' before the species name refers to it being a hybrid and the species name superbus simply means 'superb'.
Named and described by Carl Linnaeus in 1762, the specific epithet nemorosa is derived from the Latin nemus meaning ‘forest’ - a reference to its typical habitat in groves and woods.
Pronounced SAL-vee-ah nem-or-OH-sah. It is commonly known as the Woodland sage or Meadow sage and occasionally referred to as the Balkan Clary.