Tips on Landscaping and Gardening in Blue
by J. A. Young
Pinks, reds and yellows couldnt be more natural in your garden than say green! But there is an array of grasses, shrubs, flowers and plants in various shades of blue that can capture the attention of your gardens onlookers and make a dramatic color statement. Adding blue means adding an unexpected touch to your landscape and finding that lovely blue foliage is easier than ever.
Lesser periwinkle, also known as creeping myrtle, makes a dense ground cover that even does well in shade and in dry soil. It will thrive, though, with some sunshine and any well-drained soil. The pretty blue flowers are star-shaped and the leaves are a glossy green.
Blue wheat grass forms clumping metallic blue foliage. Even the flowers it produces sometime in June are a lovely blue-green. This ornamental grass thrives in moist, well-drained soil and full sunshine.
Blue Lyme grass has been a favorite ornamental grass of gardeners since 1900. This grass grows in nearly any soil with full sun or light shade. It is also drought-tolerant and has no known pests making it a solid choice.
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Hardy Geranium |
Blue Fescue |
Blue fescue takes on various shades of blue and gray. This evergreen is a cool season plant with soft foliage that works well as borders or as edging. It thrives in full sun in a moist, well-drained soil.
Blue oat grass has bright blue foliage that can be planted in masses, but even makes a dramatic focal point when planted alone. It is often used in both rock and coastal gardens. It prefers a fertile soil that is well-drained and full sun.
The blue blossom is a hardy shrub that flowers from late spring to early summer producing a bounty of medium-blue flower clusters. Well-drained, fertile soils are best for this lovely evergreen.
Lithodora diffusa Heavenly Blue is a hardy evergreen shrub that produces vivid blue flowers. It is also known as weed-proof for the dense carpet it creates with its slender green leaves. It thrives in a sunny situation with a humus-rich acid soil.
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Himalayan Blue Poppy |
The Geranium Johnsons Blue is a hardy perennial that flowers early to late summer and does well in a moist soil. The flowers are a particularly clear shade of blue and the foliage forms a dense, weed-proof mass.
The chicory is a hardy perennial that blooms from midsummer to early autumn. They are a sweet shade of blue; they prefer a well-drained soil and some sunlight. These flowers are attractive to beesespecially after the noon hour each day.
The exceptional Tibetan/Himalayan blue poppy produces sky blue flowers that flower in early summer. They require shelter as well as a rich soil in order to hold their bloom and to grow their three to four feet.
Blue cowslip produces royal blue funnel-shaped flowers. Some shade and a moisture-retentive soil allow this hardy perennial to thrive and bloom from early to late spring.
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Blue Star Sea Holly Buy from Amazon $4.95 |
Blue Sea Holly Collection Buy from Amazon $39.99 |
Sea holly makes an interesting choice for landscapes because of its violet-blue color and its conspicuous oddly-shaped flowers. It is a hardy perennial that blooms from mid to late summer and prefers a light, well-drained soil.
The water forget-me-not does well in a couple inches of soil, but also thrives in wet soil or soil that is reasonably moist. This hardy perennial produces tufts that create carpets of growth. Although the flowers are small, they are a stunning blue.
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