Re: Got the Blues

[Spiegel]

Paederota bonarota is from the Dolomites and is alpine, at least where I've seen it.  It starts at treeline and I don't really know how high it goes.  I've almost always seen it on limestone growing in crevices.  I have it planted in the tufa crevice garden where it seems to be permanent. It doesn't like hot and dry but survives it, perhaps because its toes are clinging to tufa. It is absolutely gorgeous in nature and pretty good in the garden, really worth growing. I'm attaching a picture of it growing in the Dolomites

[Spiegel]

Compared to some of the other plants shown, this one is a bit humble but a wonderful blue and easy to grow - Dracocephalum argunense.  The picture shows it growing next to the driveway where it is regularly plowed in the winter but comes through with a smile. It starts to bloom in June and continues to hard frost. If you like primary, it's great pared with Zinnia grandiflora.

[Hoy]

I grow some Dracocephalum species here but none has started flowering yet.
Paederota bonarota is now on my expanding wish list!

[Hoy]

Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue' has become a popular plant here after introduction some years ago. My plant has crept into the street where it is regularly hit by cars!

[McDonough]

Love all these blue things, once grew that Draco, must get it back one day, the Paederota really turns my head... one of those obscure names easily overlooked until one sees a photo (as they say, a photo is worth a... ), and what's not to like about the heavenly blue of Lithodora. 

This sunny hot days beckons me to be outdoors, and when I go outside from my basement door, the first thing I see are the blue globes of an extra fine form of Allium caeruleum "DBG Form" (Denver Botanic garden) that I received bubs of a few years back.  The flowers are sweet scented, and I caught a photo with a wasp (around these parts called "yellow jackets") feeding on the nectar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_jacket).

[Kelaidis]

Glad to see the Allium is blooming for you: It's been blooming here for a week or so and is hanging in there...

That Paederota is awesome, Ann! I've grown its yellow cousin (not very well) but never gotten the blue one. It reminds me a bit of a wonderful veronica I saw in Mongolia; I shall see if I can put my hands on its picture. It may be in the next NARGS bulletin come to think of it..never got a name for it: shoot!

[Todd Boland]

Got back from a 2 week holiday to find these few 'blues' open....Globularia nudicaulis (I think), Veronica prostrata and Aquilegia flabellata 'Ministar'

[McDonough]

Oooh, nice blue series Todd!

[Hoy]

Globularia has never been a success for me. And the small Aquilegias disappear fast too.
Veronicas are better!

This one I obtained as V. integrifolia.

[Todd Boland]

Nice Veronica Trond....I've made a note of it!

I have this one but mine does not look as good as the one we have in the BG...V. peduncularis 'Georgia Blue'

[McDonough]

I have this one but mine does not look as good as the one we have in the BG...V. peduncularis 'Georgia Blue'

I grew this once, liked it very much, but lost it and much of the garden in my "garden is completely neglected" years when my two girls were young and life-demands were many.  Both this one, and V. integrifolia that Trond shows, are great looking veronicas.

[Lori S.]

I seem to have many things in bloom now that are a lot more purple than blue, but I finally found some that are more-or-less blue (to my eye, at least)!
1) Mertensia primuloides, starting to bloom.
2) Although I have already posted them, I'm going to post a very nice blue Penstemon nitidus, just because they are still in bloom (and now blooming in the wild locally) and so gorgeous!
3) Penstemon cyananthus
4) First flower on Campanula chamissonis (syn. C. dasyantha, C. pilosa) - nice proportion of flower to plant!  (I should explain - this puny thing is from seed the previous year!)

[Hoy]

I have Mertensia primuloides too. It is one of the few Mertensias that slugs don't eat. My seed wishlist is growing longer and longer. I definitely have to try blue penstemons again. Had some fine plants years ago but they disappeared ......

[Todd Boland]

My M. primuloides is just about gone..too crowded out I'm afraid.

Lori, I may have caught up to you...my C. dasyanthera is in full bloom too.  Along with my Meconopsis and a Linum alpinum.

[McDonough]

Todd, your new camera is showing it's fine capabilities again (and of course, the photographer's talents), really beautiful shots.