Who doesn’t love blue? Flowers that mimic the dawn sky or the Caribbean can cool the eye in a woodland while others bring a stunning vitality to full sun gardens and containers. I have photo folder called Blue made up of garden scenes that highlight blue, blue plants - and even outdoor furniture in blue shades. Here are some favorite blues from my garden…
Above: Scilla is a tiny bulb (corm) that’s commonly called wood squill as they naturalize in shady areas and do well in woodland settings - they emerge before the tree canopy so can maximize the light conditions. They’re very small so I like to plant them in clumps to get a bigger effect. Note the purplish stems and the deeper blue striations on the backs of the petals. These bloom in very early spring.
Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is a really electric blue that borders on purple - a must for walkways in sunny spots. Muscari are deer resistant, attract early pollinators, and have a very mild scent - and they’re good for making windowsill arrangements in jelly jars. I grow them with variegated Heuchera ‘Green Spice’ in amongst peonies. After blooming cut stems back; the strappy foliage will persist through the summer and fall. Plant in the fall and buy in large quantities - they’re inexpensive and easy to grow.
Ipomea ‘Heavenly Blue’
Above: For a couple years I grew this morning glory on the vegetable garden fence and enjoyed its riotous behavior but soon tired of its prolific self seeding (all morning glory vines are prolific self sowers). ‘Heavenly Blue’ lives up to its name though - and each flower has a white-cream-yellow eye that brings bees into the pollen-rich center. Good for arbors, fences, and tuteurs.
Clematis vine with a good combination of blue and purple
Above: Clematis is another genus with good color options. Usually grown as a climbing vine, there are many shrub forms (called bush clematis) that are cold-hardy. I’m intrigued by this cultivar offered by Bluestone Perennials called ‘Mrs. Robert Brydon’ with its cloud of smaller blue and white flowers and easy care. Have mail ordered it and will try in the border.
Salvia ‘Victoria’ in the vegetable garden
Above: The longest lasting blue in my gardens every year - Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria’ (mealy cup sage). Planted in early June and cut throughout the growing season, it will continue to bloom until frost. Love this one in combination with orange marigolds.
Ageratum ‘Blue Horizon’
Another annual that I usually always make room for - floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum); look for it at garden centers in 4” pots and transplant to a sunny border or container. This is a really long-bloomer if kept deadheaded and it also makes a cheerful cut flower that looks great with zinnias of all colors. There are many cultivars, ‘Blue Horizon’ has been around a while. I’ve also grown ‘Artist Blue’ and found it kept producing until frost in my USDA Zone 5 garden.