Flowerbox Shades of Blue

Since moving to the Delmarva peninsula my garden ending habits have changed.
Steve made me a Flowerbox that will get slight sun and lots of shade.
Looking for ideas of perennials in shades of blue to give a water effect.
So far only have come up with a bit of Forget me Nots?
What else. Nothing that gets over about a foot tall and will bloom most of season???
Thanks in advance.
Candee

Hi Candee. How about platycodon (balloon flower) - I've seen them in shades of blue and they are various heights - some short, some taller. They bloom early summer - not all season, but a good couple of weeks. I think they are listed for mostly sun, but I've got mine in shade and they seem to do fine. I'm sure I can think of others if I put my mind to it. I'll get back to you if I come up with anything.

Platycodon has never liked my yard for some reason. Two attempts have failed now.

Here are a couple:

Scutellaria incana
Lobelia siphilitica
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'
Campanula carpatica 'Blue Clips'
Ajuga - multiple varieties
Rabdosia longituba
Anemone nemorosa 'Dee Day'

Edited to say that some websites might contradict what I've said here but I've grown all or a similar variety of all besides the Scutellaria myself and know they are hardy and grow in a part shade/shade environment. My rabdosia gets a little more sun but I've read that it will tolerate bright shade.

That's all I can come up with off the top of my head. Good luck :)


This message was edited Apr 28, 2015 3:36 PM

Thanks. I'll check them all out.

Good suggestions, Sequoia.

I don't know how long it blooms, but Phlox divaricata would look nice: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/308188/

...an what about some Columbine? It's not an all-season bloomer, but it's so gorgeous!

Early, short, blue bloomers:

Anemone blanda 'Blue Shades'
Phlox divaricata
Polemonium reptans

Lobelia siphilitica and Scutellaria incana both get 2 - 4 feet tall, thus not what you want.
Most all season bloomers are annuals rather than perennials.

How about a succession of bloomers?

Ice plant looks nice in boxes

I grew Lupinus texensis (Texas Bluebonnets) last year, and they stayed right at about 1' tall.

How about a dwarf catmint?

Or a dwarf caryopteris?

So many to choose from. The Texas bluebonnet so but don't they need sun? This box will have more shade than sun I am afraid which limits my options.
I like the idea of a succession of bloomers
Perhaps start with the phlox, then have some columbine and liatris!
Thanks everyone, so much fun to research all of the plants you have named. Already told Steve I am gonna need a bigger box!

Liatris is more purple than blue, and would exceed your one foot constraint. Bluebonnets indeed like sunny locations.

So true; I forgot about the sun constraint.

There's brunnera too.

and pulmeria (sp?)

Pulmonaria..?

Went to the nursery yesterday, got a columbine "Aquilegis alpina"
Bellflowers
Ajuga "Dixie chip"

Could not find the woodland phlox nor bluebonnets.

Will look at some plumeria.
Thanks.

'Rozanne' is my favorite hardy geranium, maybe a bit more purple than you want. In my yard, though, it seems to get a bit leggy in part shade, so it might end up taller than you'd like. Find a spot for it somewhere, though... it blooms all summer, through any kind of conditions!

You got it Sequoia Pulmonaria

With the "water" colors you mentioned, sounds like you need a cascading series of blue boxes, offset a little from one another like a meandering stream...

Haigr, what about a Plumbagoid or Lithodora? Like Seq said about his ideas, other websites may say something different about their needs, but the ones we carry at work are kept in mostly shade, and they bloom wonderfully, even in their little growers' pots. And my own Plumbago bloom all summer long in the shade, and the Fall foliage colour is beautiful.

Thanks for more ideas. I have the hardy geranium and love it. Will look for some plumbago tomorrow.

It never ceases to amaze me how much I like hardy geraniums. When I first saw them I never thought I would, but the more I see them the more I like them. Please share some pics when you can? :)

The ones I had in my gardens in hagerstown were huge. Will go find some pics. They seemed to bloom all season and never looked bad from drought or too much sun. I brought only a small bit with me down here and it is thriving. Will get a pic when it blooms here too.

I LOVE hardy geraniums Speedie. With this year's additions, we have 13 I think.

Well then, I will surely enjoy seeing (more) pics of those Geraniums from both of you. Other than seeing them in pics here, the only ones I get to see are in 4" or #1 pots at work... hardly show-stopping like that.

Maybe you can start a "collection" at work, stick an extra one in the ground now & again... if people can walk along a border of them, oohing and aahing, they would really fly off the shelves! Works for DeBaggio's with their thymes. :-)

Ya know Jill, that is a marvelous idea, and I know just the spot where I should start. There's a bed just outside the back of the greenhouse that recently got cleaned up and re-mulched... all the 'junk' that used to grow there is now gone and it's looking rather lonely with the lone palm, one evergreen shrub (don't remember what it is), and single hellebore. I think that's where I shall start. Thank you Jill, you are brilliant! :)

Haighr, looking forward to seeing those pics when you can find them. :)

This isn't the best photo, but the mound of geraniums is visible in the front. Dang, if I still lived up in Hagerstown, I could share some great pics soon in bloom.

Oh so beautiful!! Thank you very much. Now, after the day we had at work today, I'm not sure there's even any left for me, HA! :)

The little patch I brought with me has two little blooms!

Hurray! All my Geraniums seem ultra happy this year.

Yippeee!!! Looking forward to updated pics when you get the chance. :)

This is the little clump I started in Delaware.

Such happy pretty little faces, LOVE it! =)

Yay for happy little faces.

Here are some of mine:

I don't seem to have any of the 'blue' ones!

I planted 3 blue leadworts on Friday and thought of your blue boxes!

I brought home a Cranesbill Geranium from work yesterday and thought of you Haighr! =) I think it's a "Rozanne" though 'cause I couldn't find a "Johnson's Blue" anywhere! < =/

Lovely coleup! I am going to have to look for more.
So mine are the Cranesbill?
Thanks for thinking of me Jill!

Yep, all of the Hardy Geraniums are cransbills (named for the shape of the seed head). Here is a link to Cranesbill Nursery (in England) They only grow cranesbills and have 149 offerings! Check out Havana Blue, Johnsons Blue and Orion for starters.
http://www.cranesbillnursery.com/index.php?page=search&reset=true#sun=true#part=true#shade=true#short=true#medium=true#tall=true#early=true#mid=true#late=true#term=#start=70

Probably there are at least 10 Hardy Geranium varieties amongst us MAF ers and I'm sure we'd be glad to give you or Speedie a start or two. Critter just gave me cuttings of Biokovo and I have those and some other varieties (no blue yet lol). Do you ever come thru Annapolis on Route 50? I'm one minute off the exit! Stop by! And come to the Fall Plant Swap.

Is your new box a window box or does it set on the ground? Isn't it funny how we caa miss our plants...just like good ole friends!