Blue Perennials

Blue (and purple-because true blue is hard to find and many purples look blue in the garden) perennials are probably my favorite flowers to search for and add to my perennial beds.  Every year horticulturists come out with new and improved cultures and strains of our favorite plants and then there are those that remain old favorites year after year. 

Yesterday I talked about blue flowers in general, but I thought I should give you some more specific information about some blue perennials that I either have or want that do well in zone 5.

The standard blue perennials that are reliable in my gardens include lavender; Salvia may night, Campanula blue chips, Babtisia australis, Russian Sage, and catmint.

catmint

Campenella blue chips

 In the spring, I rely on Siberian Iris, grape hyacinths, scilla, creeping phlox, blue alliums and then tall bearded iris and forget-me-nots for blue perennials.  

Grape hyacinths

forget-me-nots

Some other reliable blue perennials that I plan on purchasing this year include Aster monch, which I’m hoping will give me blue color into late summer and early fall.  Virginia bluebells for a shot of blue in my shade gardens, and Phlox, Blue Paradise which is a said to be a mildew resistant hybrid of the summer phlox that I love.

Both lavender and campanula come in several varieties that include short and tall varieties and all kinds of bloom times and shades of blue.  There is sure to be one or two that would make a lovely addition to your blue perennial collection. 

I love delphiniums in a blue perennial bed, because my grandmother is reported to have had many of them, but my current garden doesn’t seem to support them very well.  

They are gorgeous and naturally come in brilliant shades of blue, but need staking to stay nice and something disastrous always seems to happen to mine. (I usually buy another one, though and am determined to find just the right spot for some to thrive in my garden.) 

Some other blue perennials to consider are lady bells, bellflowers, Amsonia (blue stars), sea holly, and Cranesbill Geranium rozanne.

perennial geranium roxanne

 Last year I 

purchased Agastache, blue fortune that is

supposed to be hardy and drought resistant, but we had such a difficult growing season last 

summer, I’m not sure if it made it.  If it didn’t, I’ll probably try to get it started again because I

think it might be a wonderful addition to my blue perennials.

Blue and purple are two of my favorite colors so I am always looking for blue perennials, but some of these plants have some other lovely things to recommend them, also.   The asters, phlox, lavender, agastache and catmint all have fragrance and nectar that are favorites of bees and butterflies.

If you are looking for blue in your shade garden there are numerous hostas that come in shades of blue.  I personally have blue ivory, first frost, and blue mouse ears, and I would like to have drinking gourd, Hadspen Blue, Humpback whale and Spilt Milk.  (These are all varieties that are available from White Flower Farm- an exceptionally fine garden nursery and catalog!)

Blue vines to consider are clematis and wisteria and blue shrubs should include lilacs and butterfly bush.

Hydrangeas come in shades of blue also, but you may have to treat your soil with lime because they tend to turn pink in alkaline soils.

Blue perennials are often showstoppers, and I encourage you to try a few in your beds or borders. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!