Hello,
I recently planted a Delphinium grandiflorum ‘Summer Nights’ and it has to be my favorite blue. Not even a hint of purple to wash this blue out. Anyway, I thought it was so awesome I wanted to share and ask you all what your favorite garden blue was.
Jeff
Wow, just beautiful! Definitely "blue", thanks for sharing.
Art
I love true blue too, but it is hard to get!
I will have to investigate 'Summer Nights'...
Salvia uliginosa (bog sage) is BLUE. Here in the pacific northwest it is actually drought tolerant, but not reliably perennial for me. No problem, it grows so big it is worth it as an annual (6 feet tall, 5 feet wide).
Muscari 'Blue Spike'.
I got a bonus from Edelweiss Perennials this spring- Gentiana angustifolia a hybrid they call 'Simon'. Wow it is blue. I don't know if it will come back, but it is listed hardy to zone 3!
I have a blue bearded iris, i think it is 'Cool Runnings'.
Not a perennial, but Ceanothus is a very blue shrub. There are many species and hybrids. My yard has shrubs that are likely 25 years old, and 12-15 feet tall. Blooming now and covered with bees. They say it is short lived, and does not break from old wood. I do not agree. 'Victoria' is what I probably have.
What do you grow with your blue flowers? My plan is clear yellow and pinks, some white, but as usual it is hard to make it happen. That "hint of purple" is treacherous! What do I do now with the pretty purple Hebe that I thought would be blue? And the Caryopteris? and the Scilla peruviana? and the....
Too funny!
I got the bright idea this winter to do a Blue Garden to accommodate Platycodons which I cannot live without (lol!) and which don't 'blend' anywhere else. So far the best color comes from some gorgeous pots bought a million years ago. The Platys are doing nothing, the Veronica Sunny Border Blue has buds but that's all so far, Dracocephalum the perennial is lovely but not long blooming, and I think the annual Dracos I did from seed are DOA. Phlox Blue Paradise is purple... I have yet to see Clematis Arabella... Fell in love with Ceanothus Marie Bleu a few weeks ago, blooms now long gone... Etc...
But the worst is that last year I started what I thought was Bog Sage, Salvia Uliginosa from seed, and this year it got tall and had buds. I was soooo excited... And look what I got!!! Yikes! Is it a weed? Should I pull it out? It certainly isn't blue :-(
Wow, that's blue.
I had to think about it, but I have a few candidates for 'true blue' in the garden.
The plant I think of as having 'true blue' flowers is the fabled 'blue poppy' (meconopsis).
I saw magnificent plantings of it in Iceland 2 years ago (pic #1).
Unfortunately, my climate reminds no one of Iceland.
But, undaunted, I have tried a hybrid called meconopsis x sheldonii which actually survived here (pic #2).
People may question how 'true blue' my attempt turned out, but I was thrilled regardless.
But there are a few other plants which crank out pretty blue flowers.
Here are a few of mine that came to mind:
#1 Brunnera (this one happens to be Jack Frost).
#2 Virginia blue bells (mertensia virginica).
#3 Gentian acaulis
#4 Muscari (at least, it looked awfully blue paired with an early blooming red quince).
#5 Scilla.
Other great delphinium grandiflorums that are true blue are blue butterfly, blue mirror and I love "summer blues", which is a lighter but true blue as well.
The spring bloomers are old friends, this is meant to be a summer garden... But I don't have that Brunnera...
Delphs have a rotten reputation around here for not lingering past the initial season, but maybe it would be worth investing in a couple just to make sure.. ;-). Sometimes I get lucky... and at least they'd pick up some slack, and hopefully by next year the Platys know what they're supposed to do, and maybe I could find a couple of other blues to help carry the load.
I have two flowers that are true blue. The first is Nigella. I know it's an annual, but it self seeds so prolifically that it might as well be considered perennial. The second is Allium Cerulean. Absolutely true blue with no hint of purple. Love these plants! By the way, the pictures are reversed. The first picture is the Allium, the second is the Nigella.
Pfg, I let the dwarf delpiniums go to seed and scratch some seeds in around the original plant, and I usually get at least few if the originals they don't come back. They do bloom the 1st year from seeds.
Wow that blue poppy from Iceland is breathtaking, very nice!
Also very nice are the Nigella, Georgian Blue Veronica, and Scilla.
Very cool... I've been looking at the A Caeruleum. Good to know its really blue... And that's encouraging about Delphiniums seeding themselves around, I never knew they did that.
Which Nigella is really blue? I have a white one I'm trying somewhere else for the first time.
Also, Lobelia Crystal Palace is a beauty. I've had it in the past, but this year it's slow to kick in, just like all the rest of the plants I imagined would be in in full bloom by now, and they're not even close.
Weird season, very late spring. Our earliest daylily opened this weekend. Last year I have a pic of it dated 6/17.
That is a gorgeous poppy...
Cynoglossum, allium caeruleum, mertensia
Pfg
I'm not sure of the variety. The seeds were a gift. If you want some seeds let me know. They are not ready yet but I should have lots of them.
Pfg
I'm not sure of the variety. The seeds were a gift. If you want some seeds let me know. They are not ready yet but I should have lots of them.
How about this Japanese iris, not photo shopped, really this color.
That Iris is pretty gorgeous too! It looks nice in the water setting.
Rteets,I'd love seeds! So pretty... Let me know if there's something you'd like of mine.
Mittsy, that JI Gusto is gorgeous. Don't they need a lot of water? I've been afraid to try them.
They do like a lot of water but not to be in standing water as they would freeze and die in the winter. They require a lot of fertilizer, and mulching too. Pfg, my collection (50+) are being donated to the WKBG in Owensboro. I have a few noids that I won't be giving them, are you interesting in trying the noids? I do have pictures of everything. I could ask my helper Outlawheart to help me dig them out. She's so sweet, she works for plants.
more noids
Pfg
I would gladly trade you for some globe thistle seeds. How's that? The nigella won't be ready for a while but if you d-mail me with your address I'll be sure to get them to you.
Just remembered the name - anchusa "dropmore". This is a vivid true blue, depite what some of the pictures may tell you.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/62298/
can also be tall, gangly and prickly, but still worthy for the blue.
I believe globe thistle is blue...isn't it, ie. Mrs Wilmotts Ghost... Some other great blues are Centaurea cyans (annual), Centaurea montana (perennial), Linum perenne (flax). Blue mist spiarea (Caryopteris), Ceresostigma plumbagoides, borage. Love the Allium cerneums, true steel blue, need to replace those in my garden one of these years when I remember...like in fall when their available too....
Have any of those who tried regular Delph.: the Pacific Hybrids ie, Galahad, Astolate, King Arthur, Gynivere etc., ever tried the D. belmosum or D. beladonna types (one is light blue, the other is dark)? They don't have the huge cluster of blossoms but are spread further apart on the stems. They seemed to multiply in clump size faster than the other more showy ones. Also just out of curiosity, those whom they don't over winter for, do you ammend your soil for them??? Have you ever tried putting in atleast 1/3-1/2 sand or peatmoss mixed in the backfill to lighten the soil and make the drainage good as it seems they die out more from excess winter moisture.... causing root rot. I try to amend the soil for plants that are finicky like that if I can't seem to exclude them from the garden...
And Mittsy.your Iris are absolutly stunning!!!!
And pam...the next time I mail a package to you I will include Linum perenne if you like...just say the word.... (lol..yes)..
Oh, ya, I've got some stunning Blues in Iris germanica also....not on home 'puter so no pix, ooops. Will have to put on my thinkingcap to see if I can come up with some more... But actually...botanically speaking many in the purple range are considered blue.....go figure what they were thinking of wayyyyy back then..lol. Oh, just thoght of another..Tweedia, think it might be an annual or Asperulea orientalis.
Oh and Pam, do you remember the Salvia seed I sent? It's a true blue..lol Salvia (?), Nekan...sorry I don't have my records in front of me nor pix....am thinking it will be a new favorite tho, topping out at 48".
Also, what about Veronica gentianoides, nice icecy blue color, yummm. And then there's Felicia 'True Blue Daisy (HA). Salvia farinacea Blue Bedder, oooh, pretty..
If ya haven't figured it out yet, I love the blue flowers and have tried to grow any that I can find....lol......tho I haven't tried the Nigella yet and love their flowers sooo, maybe I should get around to them. But it seems like the past 2 years when I've tried to start seed in the garden it just doesn't germinate, haven't figured that one out yet.. And the Mertensia......I have ACRES of it in bloom in the spring... All I can say is THANKYOU MOTHER NATURE, for being soo generous and giving us such diversity in allowing us to choose to our hearts content!!!
Kathy
Oh, gosh, yup Anchusa, it starts out a bit pinkish on my garden and them blooms fully in blue, how strange...
All the lovely blues! Thanks, Warriorwisdomkathy, for reminding me. For anyone on this thread who would like seeds of the nigella, just let me know. I will have lots and I certainly don't mind sharing. Can't have too much blue!
WWKathy,
Try sowing the nigella seed on the surface of the soil in early fall. It might need a cold period, though most annuals don't, but that's how nature does it for me, and I get germination in abundance.
Rteets, I can send you all the globe thistle you want. It seeds like crazy around here, I'm constantly pulling it it. And yes, it's blue.
Mittsy, I'd love to try some of your JI noids, thank you. What can I offer you in return?
And Kathy, I still have all those wonderful plants you sent me! I'm still working on the layout, and waiting to see how they all look together before deciding what goes where. The V Sight Seeing Blue is just about to bloom, V Austriaca has been sheared and is starting to bloom again, P Rocky Mountain Blue is settling in. Others are smaller but coming along.
I have lots of blue all over the place here, from early (Muscari, ajuga, vinca) to late (Lobelia Siphilitica). The new Blue Garden is full sun, and is meant to peak during the summer, so that means really 2 groups of summer bloomers, early (June-ish) and late. The original mainstays are the Veronica Sunny Border Blue and the blue Platys, which will be later than usual this year because they are younger plants, and they were moved this spring. Older established plants have big buds and these have none yet. The Salvia farinacea Victoria blue drowned. I have some extra Nepeta Walkers Low I can use as filler as soon as it stops pouring, and the blue TBI will be moving in... Until I get a few things going on, I'm not going to worry too much about lavender hues creeping in, just want to lose the empty spaces. Shouldn't be too hard, the area's not that big. Just another Work In Progress...
Here are my blues! Midknight Blue Agapanthus is very blue and Veronica Royal Candles is one of those that has lavender undertones, but really leans more towards blue to my eye, especially when grouped with true lavenders. This Cathedral Deep Blue Salvia is very, very dark blue, no doubt about that. No purple undertones here! I also have Corydalis Blue Heron, which is a very nice blue flower, but the snails ate off my flowers just the other day! Bad snails! The foilage sure is a nice contrast to everything else, though, because it carries that blue tint as well.
Here is a July 2 picture of my delph....it is on the downside of blooming, but the size is at least 6 1/2 feet....I winter sowed it 3 yrs. ago, and I don't remember the name of it....but what a show!
sm....SPECTACULAR!!!!!!
and pam to let ya know the V. Sight Seeing Blue is the same coloration as funnthsun's pix 2, sometimes a slight variation on color but will be close. and come fall I might have to twist your arm for some of that Eryngium, (how tall?, hoping it's the 36". And doesn't Sunny Border Blue only bloom a short time in summer then it's done? You'll love the V, S S Blue (28"), once it starts it goes til fall if you continupusly deadhead, and if you go deep into the plant for deadheading they will grow 2 stems and fill out your plant faster....then you've got 2 stems for cutting not just one for the vase!!!
rteete...Love your puupies!!! And if you have extra seed come the end of the season I'd love to trade for some....just let me know what you would like from me...
Ceretostigma or is it Ceratostigma or Ceritostigma, ok one of those has got to be right, the above spelling in my post is sooo far off, lol... ooops!
Now that I'm looking at blue I have several others that I love. The first is amsonia hubrechtii which blooms blue in the spring. It has the added advantage of having the foliage turn brilliant gold in the fall. Love that one! Then I have the pulmonaria 'Benediction' that is beautiful cobalt blue. A hard to find cultivar but so lovely!
Then almost nothing can compare to my spruce 'Fat Albert'. Amazing blue color. It is really accentuated by the Creeping Jenny it is paired with in the picture.
Thanks for the compliment about my dogs, Kathy. I love them dearly. I would be happy to send you some seeds. Maybe I could get some dianthus 'Cheddar Pink' seeds from you. I adore dianthus!!! If you see anything else on my trade list maybe we could make a bigger trade. I would love some Rosanne geraniums!
Anyway, the seeds for sure.
Lots of beautiful blues there! Wow, that Delph is gorgeous!
I've made a lot of progress on the last couple of days, but not quite finished and haven't taken any pics. I got so mad about the seeded plants not being blue that I made an emergency run to a very good nursery for a fix. Luckily they had lots of $10 (not $16-20!!!) plants so I was able to be self-indulgent. I got two Baptisia Australis, 3 Salvia Azurea, and 3 Delphinium Belladonna Bellamosum, and qualified for a 20%discount. Every little bit helps!
All are a decent size, and the Delphs were blooming beautifully. Unfortunately I didn't realize how delicate those stalks are and had lots of breakage while planting :-(. This happened because of course I had to re-configure the whole bed to incorporate the new plants, and in the interim chaos the pots got knocked over more than once. But they're in now, and some budded stalks remain, so I'll get more flowers soon.
I still have the one S Azurea Nekan from WWK's seeds, moved to a sunnier spot where I think it will be happier. Also added my blue iris, some Siberians, some Nepeta, picked up more Salvia Victoria Blue...
V Sight-seeing blue is blooming beautifully in the pot, about 12" high, looks exactly like funn's V Royal Candles. I'm assuming that mine will get taller next year?
I have Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, but not ready to plant groundcovers. I'm planning to add things I don't have yet, and just re-shaped the edges of the bed so want to wait until fall before being committed to the layout.
But after my little spree I'm much happier! :-)
LOL, Pam, you're naughty!!!! Yup, that Veronica should top out at 28"....mine are a bit shorter on one side of the border as moisture has been a bit more there...ooops... And if you remind me for your package, I have some babies of the Baptisia also.... How do you like the delphs? Did you notice the flowers are further apart on the stems?
rteets...am letting that Dianthus go to seed now, and still have blooming yet to happen....I plan on collecting seed when ready...
Speaking of Dianthus...Pam....how's that D. X Loveliness blooming for you now.....have a lavender one in full bloom in the garden now and oh soo pretty>>>>>> needs pix!!
Oh...almost forgot Veronicastrum viginicum is blue....just a bigger version of Veronica...hoping mine blooms this summer!!!! (48+ inchs)
Ha ha ha... I'm even naughtier than that! Yesterday I had another mini-spree, picked up 3 more Delphs, elatum Dasante Blue this time. It's more compact than the Bellamosum, to 3'. The broken stalks are in a vase, the elatums are blooming in the garden, I'm a happy camper. And I finally have pics...
1 Bellamosum
2 Dasante Blue
3 V Sight Seeing Blue
4 The big picture
5 The bigger picture- New PG Hydrangea standard to replace tree broken in Sandy, underplanted with lots of white- Verbascums, Salvias (incl S Turkestanica, not white, I know), Astrantia Alba, Campanula White Clips, Ceratotheca Triloba, etc, and Alchemilla, many colors of Lupines along the top of the stone wall, and a Lobelia Siphilitica that's been there for years. The mess in between is going to be replaced by 3 Hydrangea Little Lime. I have them already, just haven't gotten to it yet...
My Veronicastrum is white, and about to open. This year I finally have some really good clumps, fine to divide later.
The Dianthus aren't blooming, they petered out before being out outside, but the clumps are growing well. The Platys are starting to like being in the ground, but very little growth so far. It was wet and cool for too long, I think. Now we've had high temps and dry for 3 days in a row, no rain in sight, maybe that's what they've been waiting for. But whatever, I can wait..
Pfg
Beautiful garden! Thanks for the pictures.
Yes, beautiful. A couple of new plants, the best medicine, almost as good as sunshine.
I love blue in the garden too. I use Baby Blue Eyes annuals around the front edge for early light blue. The earlier you plant the seeds, the earlier you see the blooms. Very reliable germination. Don't plant to thick. Must be pulled and replaced with something mid summer. I use yellow portulaca.
I expect almost all of you blue lovers have noticed how impossible it is to trust blues in catalogues. Violets show up as blue as often as not. On the 4th of July I heard a story on the radio about the 1000 year old quest for a reliable true blue in fireworks. Apparently it has to be at EXACTLY the right heat. Too cool, no firework. Too hot, washes out to white. I wonder if this contributes to the difficulty of getting a true blue in a printed photograph?
Dasante has the deep blue center, surrounded by purple. I love it for its intensity, and that it 'reads' from a distance, but if you're a stickler for pure blue, it isn't.
For edging this year I'm trying Lobelia Crystal Palace, which I know is a good deep blue- and I happened to have a lot of it. Veronica Blue Carpet is tiny but growing, and I was thinking about using the perennial pale yellow snapdragon for relief... Not sure yet, I need to see a lot more before deciding about next year!
I have also been thinking about Baby Blue Eyes, but I didn't know it by that name. I have white Nemophila seeds germinating outside in pots with other plants, first time I'm trying them. I've read that you can succession plant to keep it going longer... Have you tried that?
