Gentiana aucaulis
The search for blue flowers is a holy grail, of sorts, for some gardeners. What else would explain the fanaticism for Meconopsis betoncifolia, the Himalayan blue poppy, an absurdly expensive specimen known for it’s propensity to disappear and disappoint in all but the most perfect conditions – and truly, how many of us have gardens that perfectly mimic the cloudland meadows where they are endemic? But, one look at the flower – which always looks like the color of a blue ice pop to me – and you are struck blind to the price tag and dumb to the fussy nature.
True blue in the garden can be harder to come by than other colors. Many flower hues lean toward violet, lavender or even burgundy, yet may still be called “blue” either in name or description by the masters of marketing. There is even a race to create a blue rose, which sounds positively unnecessary and mildly repulsive. But I do have some favorite blues for the garden. Let’s start in the shade garden:
Pulmonaria ‘Benediction’ – This sweet, low-growing perennial sports cobalt-blue flowers without even a hint of the pink that infects the petals of so many other lungworts. Lovely and distinct silver dots on the deep-green leaves are the perfect backdrop for the early spring show. The foliage pouts a bit after the bloom fades, so I cut it back to the ground, and for this brutal treatment I am rewarded with a fresh flush of new leaves.
Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ – Delicate sky-blue flowers resembling forget-me-nots float over the fully silver leaves of this easy, mounding perennial. After the spring bloom, tidy it up by cutting off the spent flower stalks. Best suited to the moist, humus rich shade garden where it may spread around happily.
Aconitum x arendsii – Electric, ultra, super blue! Tall spikes, studded with hooded flowers rise to 3 feet plus on this perennial. But, beware! This beauty is toxic if ingested. Still, totally worth it in my book – just find a spot away from curious kids and mouthy dogs.
Fuchsia ‘Preston Guild’ – Okay, okay, the flowers are not an unadulterated blue – there’s some pinky-violet in there – but it definitely does the best impression of blue of any Fuchsia I’ve seen. Give this two-foot, cold-hardy shrub some morning sun for best bloom and rich moist soil with plenty of mulch in the fall.
And for sun:
Eryngium ‘Sapphire’ – The stems AND spiky flowers of this drought-tolerant perennial look like they have been spray painted steely-blue, which sounds terrible but is really, really cool! Stretching to 3 feet +, it mingles nicely at the back of the border. This makes a unique cut flower, fresh or dried.
Caryopteris cvs. – This tough and lovely genus has many fine cultivars, all with true blue, fragrant flowers in summer. Most have silvery leaves, though a favorite of mine, ‘Ferndown’, has very nice dark green and glossy foliage. Extremely drought tolerant, so be sure to provide good drainage and give minimal water after establishment.
Ceanothus – There are also many fine cultivars to choose from here, ranging from low, friendly scramblers to ginormous, garden-gobbling shrubs. They are fragrant, both in foliage and flower, and a definite favorite for bees. Ceanothus require lean and mean soil, which may explain why they are often short-lived in the PNW (approx. 10 years). Planting them in a rockery and amending the area with pumice or gravel can help.
Finally, let’s talk about that alluring, impossibly-blue beauty in the photo at the beginning: Gentiana aucaulis. And here we have arrived, full circle, at another tricky plant that ever-hopeful and curious gardeners will flock to, despite it’s challenging nature. They like some water, but not too much; some fertility, but not too much; some sun, but not too hot! And never, ever try to move them! Makes you want to run out and get one now, right?