Plants to rival a salvia hot lips

[notsolittlegrebe]

We have a hot lips in a sunny spot in the back garden and imho it is The Best Plant - it's beautiful, attracts hoards of bees, flowers May - Nov and best of all neither drought, freezing weather nor my incompetent gardening have killed it yet.

I'm thinking of getting another for a similarly sunny spot in the front but maybe I should branch out a bit.. can anyone recommend a plant that is as remarkably brilliant in all respects as a hot lips?

I'm looking for something similarly sized for a particular place, but would also be interested in hearing about your long flowering, bee attracting, indestructible plants for other spots...

Thanks in advance!

How about an Astrantia? Contrast of leaf and flower structure could look good.

Ooh, thanks for the suggestion JT. Any idea how well they cope with drought?

Mine look a bit wilty, but this is exceptional. In a normal summer they’re pretty indestructible once settled in.
They are easy to propagate from seed, I always have a few spare just in case! They also eventually bulk up so can be divided.

I bought Hot Lips last year and it isn't looking amazing at the moment
I am really disappointed
I am going to feed it tonight and keep it well watered as it is in a pot
Any ideas?

Thanks JT I just might get a couple.

IAm - I am definitely no expert! Ours was established when we inherited the garden. The flowers tend to shrivel a bit in the heat but go back to normal in the morning and evening when it's a bit cooler. Could it be waterlogged in the pot? (Ours is planted out) or not getting enough sun?

English lavender (sorry, bit obvious) or Erysimum Bowles Mauve? Purple salvias seem all the rage at the moment (sorry another salvia and all my recommendations are purple!)
I'm quite into my hardy fuchsias at the moment (from Morrisons )

Thanks Ginger. Purple is good! Definitely getting some wallflowers and lavender - can you recommend and particular varieties of purple salvia which are long flowering and preferably hard to kill?

I don't have any myself (yet) - I keep admiring it in the garden centres and other people's gardens

I'm joining in the hot lips party, mine is doing quite well this year.

Hardy geraniums are easy peasy too (Johnsons Blue etc) - you can chop them right back after flowering and they'll bounce back with more flowers.

Salvia 'Nachtvlinder' (Night moth) is a velvety plum-purple salvia. It's described as semi-hardy, but mine came through last winter with no problems.

Thanks both!

Definitely more salvias, there's a wonderful range of colours including a beautiful bright blue one.

If salvias do well for you and you like purple, try S Amistad. Geranium Rozanne is another “good doer” with a long flowering season

I spoke to the nursery man who grew my Hot Lips, he said as pp did, to cut it back and it will flourish.
So that's what I have done.
Over the winter I am going to plant it in the ground and look forward to its happy aspect, it always makes me smile. I first saw it in a garden in Glastonbury so it reminds me of holidays and lovely walks.