Salvia Kisses and Wishes

Salvia Kisses and Wishes

This compact Salvia is a cousin to the very popular 'Wendy's Wish', 'Ember's Wish', and 'Love and 'Wishes', which have proved to be great performers in Sydney gardens (and in many other areas as well). It has large, soft-pink flowers held in dusky calyces, similar in shape to those of the other 'Wish' cultivars, and like them, it blooms over a long period of time. It is also a compact plant, growing to around 75 cm in height. It enjoys a sunny spot in reasonable soil, but can cope with a little shade. It is fairly drought tolerant once established, only needing watering when it is very hot in summer. In mild areas, it can be pruned back by a half to one-third in late May. It will regrow over winter. In frosty regions, leave this pruning until late winter. When it gets woody after a few years, replace it with a fresh plant. It can grow in a container. It is sensitive to hard frosts. I think all the 'Wish' cultivars do best with plenty of space around them. Hemmed in by other plants they don't seem to flourish as well.

Salvia 'Kisses and Wishes' was discovered as a mutation in a batch of Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' by Sarah Knott of Southwater, West Sussex, England, in 2015. It was launched at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2018, and is the first of the 'Wish' series to be developed outside of Australia. As with the other 'Wish' salvias, part of the proceeds of sales of this plant are donated to Make-A-Wish Australia. This organisation grants cherished wishes to seriously ill children and has been operating in Australia since 1985.