World Clock
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"Blue thou art, intensely blue !
Flower ! whence came thy dazzling hue ?
When I opened first mine eye,
Upward glancing to the sky,
Straightway from the firmament
Was the sapphire brilliance sent."

- JAMES MONTGOMERY
Choosing colors in the garden is as subjective and personal as the kind of music and art that appeals to you. It creates a mood - an irresistible garden harmony. For me, that choice is blue. Having “the blues” in my garden is anything but sad! Blue is a calming, serene color. It’s been said that blue can slow the pulse rate, reduce stress and relieve tension. Blue brings the color of the sky and sea into the garden. Imagine how you feel when you see a blue sea or lake against a pink, purple or golden sunset. Now transfer those feelings to your garden! Heaven!

At first, I tried planting almost all blue flowers in my garden– which were beautiful up close, but from a distance, the blues seemed to disappear into the green of their foliage. Now, I find that my blue flower stand out better planted with other colors. My blues flowers are joyful planted with yellow and orange, romantic with pinks, vivacious with red and glowing with white. They tie the entire garden together. There are so many blue flowers to choose from, perennials and annuals, bulbs and even foliage plants. Although it is difficult to find “true” blue flowers, even if they lean a little toward violet-blue, I don’t complain. There may be slight differences in tint but you don’t lose the color’s all-over effect. If you plan well, you can have blue flowers from spring until fall. I’d like to tell you about some of the blue flowers that I have in my Zone 5 garden. Maybe you’ll find something you like that you would like to try!

The first clear-blue flowers to appear in my garden in early April are the spring-flowering bulbs. Siberian squills (Scilla) were some of the very first bulbs I planted when we moved into our home over 25 years ago. Left to naturalize in an undisturbed spot, they will eventually form a beautiful blue carpet. Another bulb that loves to spread in the garden is the Grape Hyacinth or Muscari. I love their tiny, beaded-blue flowers. The showiest of the blue bulbs in the spring garden are the fragrant Dutch Hyacinths. Following the bulbs, the delightful, tiny blue flowers of perennial Pulmonarias and Brunneras appear, and the lovely blue clusters of Virginia Blue Bells. Icicle pansies, planted last fall, also begin to reappear in April. My first experience with Icicle pansies has been very favorable, with blooms lasting well into July.