Agastache rugosa

‘Astello Indigo’

ASTELLO INDIGO AGASTACHE

Agastache rugosa ‘Astello Indigo’
ASTELLO INDIGO AGASTACHE

Agastache ‘Astello Indigo’ has perhaps the bluest, darkest, and loveliest flowers of all the Agastache.
It is a new release, and a real triumph of modern breeding.
So no wonder that Agastache rugosa ‘Astello Indigo’ has won Europe’s coveted award for great garden plants – the Fleuroselect Gold Medal.
‘Astello Indigo’ makes a great garden show because she produces her deep indigo blue and lavender flower spikes constantly, from spring through summer and autumn.
And all on a compact and sturdy bush.

Deliciously scented & edible

This hardy, evergreen, shrubby perennial should have a place in every garden, and in pots as well so you can move it around to feature.
As well as giving a beautiful garden display, ‘Astello Indigo’ is delightful for its mint scent, and mint flavoured edible flowers and foliage. Cooks love it for use in the kitchen.
But when you add in a tough, bone-hardy constitution, and water-wise, easy low maintenance, then it is a garden essential.

Tough & easy to grow

‘Astello Indigo’ is tough and easily grown in Full Sun to Part Shade.
It is hardy in frost and forgiving of a wide range of soils, including sandy, rocky and poor soils.
It suits coastal areas, windy, and hot and dry gardens.
‘Astello Indigo’ is water-wise and drought resistant, so it is ideal for gardeners with limited water.

Agastache rugosa ‘Astello Indigo’ is a low maintenance plant, and largely untroubled by any pests and diseases.
The only work required is to cut the whole plant back hard before spring to encourage new growth and a neat shape. And to pick and enjoy the delicious flowers and foliage as often as possible.

Use in cooking

Both flowers and foliage are scented and flavoured like mint (and this is a mint you can safely have without it invading anything). So they are both very useful in the kitchen.
Use the mint flavour in cakes, biscuits, salads, drinks; as edible and colourful garnish; and to flavour meat dishes. (Agastache leaves go really well with pork).
Both flowers and foliage are delightful when dried and added to pot-pourri and insect repelling sachets.

Flowers first year from seed

Agastache rugosa ‘Astello Indigo’ is a hardy, upright, dense, compact perennial clump, and very quick growing for fast garden effect.
If seed is sown early indoors, the plants will flower happily in their first year from seed.
The plant makes an upright 60-80cm. high, dense shrubby perennial.

Lovely cut flowers

The bountiful flower trusses make good cut blooms for a vase indoors, where their lovely indigo blue colour, and soft texture set off all other flowers and colours so well.

Birds & bees love Agastache

But for me it is the entertainment provided by our native honey-eating birds, while they acrobatically dance amongst the flowers and do a fine impersonation of a Hummingbird while sipping nectar from the flowers, that make Agastache indispensable in my garden.
As the Agastache blooms continuously for months on end, from late spring to autumn’s close, the plant a blessing for all our birds and useful pollinators and great entertainment for us.
‘Astello Indigo’ flowers are exceptionally rich in nectar. So they are invaluable and long lasting food source for bees, butterflies, birds and other useful pollinators. You will really see the difference in fruit set when you plant some in your veggie plot or orchard.

Rabbit & deer resistant

And to top it all off – rabbits and deer cant abide the aromatic oils in the foliage and flowers – so they leave them alone. Bless all Agastache.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Scatter seeds directly in the garden during spring or autumn / or sow at any time indoors in punnets.

INDOORS FOR EARLY PLANTS: Sow seed in punnets on surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Pat seed gently into the surface of the mix. Do not cover. Seeds need light to germinate.

Moisten the mix by placing the punnet in a water bath, with the water level below the surface of the punnet, and allow the water to percolate up from the bottom. This will ensure the mix is thoroughly moist but not drenched.

Label the punnet with the name and date sown.

Place in a well lit position, but not in direct sunlight.
Keep punnet moist by misting surface from a water spray bottle.

Temperature of 18-20C approx. is best for rapid germination, but they are not particularly fussy. At optimum temperature seedlings emerge in approx. 14-28 days.
(An electronic heat bed is ideal but not essential, any warm, well-lit spot will do).

SEED COUNT: Minimum 12 seeds per packet approximately. This is a new release plant so few seeds are available this year.
(We aim to make our seed counts on the generous side)

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