Purple Flowers

Allium schoenoprasum May 2010

Aubrieta deltoidea March 2010

Clematis x jackmanii August 2010

Pulsatilla vulgaris May 2010

Geranium phaeum May 2010

Purple lends richness and depth to the garden.  Purple flowers blend well with red & blue, contrast with yellow & orange.  Purple flowers look especially beautiful against blue-gray foliage.  I have included a range of flowers with colors from pale lavender to purple-black.  You may find that some tend toward red, blue or pink.  But these are all lovely purple or purple-ish flowers. 

Tree
Pawlonia tomentosa (Empress Tree): sun

Shrubs

Buddleia davidii ‘Purple Emperor’ (Butterfly Bush): sun

Daboecia cantabrica (Irish Heath): sun

Hebe ‘Amy’, Hebe ‘Patty’s Purple’ (Hebe): sun

Lavandula stoechas (Spanish Lavender): sun, xeric

Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra', Magnolia x soulangeana 'San Jose', Magnolia ‘Susan’ (Magnolia): sun

Rhododendron ‘Sappho’, Rhododendron ‘Purple Splendour’ (Rhododendron): part shade

Rosa ‘Ebb Tide’ (Floribunda Rose) Rosa ‘Neptune’ (Hybrid Tea Rose) Rosa ‘Night Owl’ (Climbing Rose): sun

Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’, Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’, Syringa vulgaris ‘Lavender Lady’, Syringa vulgaris ‘Adelaide Dunbar’ (Lilac): sun

Perennials

Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’, Allium christophii (Star of Persia) Allium ‘Firmament’, Allium ‘Globemaster’ (Ornamental Onion) Allium schoenoprasum (Chives): sun, tolerates dryness

Anemone blanda ‘Radar’ (Windflower): shade

Aster ‘Hella Lacy’ (Michaelmas Daisy): sun

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ (False Indigo): sun

Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’: reseeding annual, sun

Crocus sieberi ‘Firefly’, Crocus vernus ‘King of the Striped’, Crocus vernus ‘Twilight’ (Crocus): sun

Delphinium ‘Purple Passion’ (Delphinium): sun

Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove): reseeding biennial, sun or shade

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower): sun

Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ (Wallflower): sun

Fritillaria persica (Persian Fritillary): sun

Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow): sun or shade

Helleborus x hybridus, Helleborus lividus (Hellebore): shade, tolerates dryness

Hemerocallis ‘Barbary Corsair’, Hemerocallis ‘Bela Lugosi’, Hemerocallis ‘Strutters Ball’ (Daylily): sun

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Purple Voice’ (Hyacinth): sun

Iris chrysographes, Iris cycloglossa, Iris sibirica ‘High Standards’ (Siberian Iris): sun

Liatris spicata (Gayfeather): sun

Penstemon x mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue): sun, xeric

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage): sun

Pulmonaria longifolia (Lungwort): shade

Pulsatella vulgaris (Pasque Flower): sun

Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ (Meadow Sage): sun

Tradescantia virginiana (Spiderwort): shade

Tricyrtis ‘Empress’ (Toad Lily): shade

Tulipa ‘Abigail’, Tulipa ‘Jackpot’, Tulipa humilis ‘Persian Pearl’, Tulipa ‘Negrita’, Tulipa ‘Passionale’, Tulipa ‘Purple Prince’, Tulipa ‘Violet Beauty’ (Tulip): sun

Verbena bonariensis (Verbena): sun

Veronica ‘Eveline’, Veronica ‘Purpleicious’, Veronica ‘Total Eclipse’ (Speedwell): sun

Zantedeschia ‘Black Pearl’ (Calla Lily): sun, needs moisture

Groundcovers & Trailers

Aubrieta deltoidea ‘Cascade Purple’ (Rock Cress): sun

Clematis ‘Bonanza’, Clematis x jackmanii, Clematis ‘Wisley’: vine, sun

Liriope muscari (Lily Turf): shade, tolerates dryness

Mazus reptans (Creeping Mazus): sun

Pink Flowers

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Yoshinogawa' May 2009

Allium unifolium June 2009

Erigeron glaucus 'Sea Breeze' June 2009

Penstemon x mexicali 'Red Rocks' June 2009

Weigela florida 'Variegata' May 2009

Pink isn’t just for little girls.  Many pink flowers have a subtle elegance.  Pink is almost always delightful.  The range of shades of pink is amazing.  There is nothing more beautiful than Paeonia suffruticosa in full bloom.  (Be advised that they are often described as red, which is utterly false.)  Pink Poppies & Camellia are also quite lovely.  Use pink with red for a warm glow.  Pink with blue & purple is very rich.  Pink with yellow & especially orange is very striking.  Pink with white is very soothing.  Unless you are an absolute purist, I think Weigela florida 'Variegata' is a must for a white garden.  Pink blends well in a red garden, lends excitement to a yellow garden & adds a pleasing contrast to a blue garden.  Any garden looks pretty in pink.

Trees
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ (Korean Dogwood)
Halesia carolina ‘Rosea’
Lagerstroemia indica ‘Tuskegee’ (Crape Myrtle)
Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Pink Suberba’
Malus ‘Strawberry Parfait’ (Crabapple)
Prunus serrulata (Flowering Cherry)

Shrubs
Abelia x grandiflora ‘Edward Goucher’
Calluna vulgaris ‘County Wicklow’ (Heather)
Camellia japonica or sasanqua
Cistus skanbergii (Pink Rockrose)
Daphne odora
Deutzia x elegantissima ‘Rosealind’
Erica carnea ‘Springwood Pink’ (Heath)
Escallonia ‘Jubilee’
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Forever Pink’
Kalmia latifolia ‘Olympic Fire’ (Mountain Laurel)
Kolkwitzia amabilis (Beauty Bush)
Paeonia suffruticosa (Tree Peony)
Pieris ‘Valley Valentine’ (Lily of the Valley Shrub)
Rhododendron ‘Pink Pearl’ or ‘Yaku Princess’
Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant)
Rosa ‘Queen Elizabeth’ (Grandiflora Rose)
Weigela florida 'Variegata'

Perennials
Allium unifolium
Amaryllis belladonna (Naked Lady)
Anemone x hybrida
Astilbe x arendsii ‘Rheinland’ (Ostrich Plume)
Bergenia crassifolia
Clematis integrifolia ‘Hanajima’
Darmera peltata
Dierama pulcherrimum (Fairywand)
Dicentra formosa or spectabilis (Bleeding Heart)
Erigeron glaucus 'Sea Breeze'
Gaura lindheimeri
Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Cranesbill)
Hemerocallis ‘Fairy Tale Pink’ or ‘Lullaby Baby’
Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Pink Pearl’
Lilium ‘Chianti’ (Asiatic Lily)
Lychnis coronaria (Crown Pink)
Nerine bowdenii
Monarda x didyma ‘Coral Reef’ (Beebalm)
Paeonia ‘Bowl of Beauty’ or ‘Flame’ (Peony)
Papaver orientale ‘Little Dancing Girl’ (Oriental Poppy)
Penstemon x mexicali 'Red Rocks'
Primula vialii
Sedum ‘Brilliant’
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ears)
Tradescantia ‘Pink Chablis’
Tulipa ‘Angelique’ or 'Menton' (Tulip)

Groundcovers & Trailers
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Vancouver Jade’ (Kinnikinnick)
Armeria maritima (Thrift)
Cyclamen hederifolium
Fragaria frel ‘Pink Panda’
Lamium maculatum
Phlox subulata (Moss Pink)
Sedum spurium
Thymus ‘Pink Chintz’ or serpyllum (Creeping Thyme)

The White Garden

 

  Lilium regale ‘Album’ June 2009

 

 Hydrangea quercifolia June 2009

 

Ornithogalum umbellatum May 2009

 

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’ April 2009

Magnolia stellata 'Centennial'  April 2009

The white garden at Sissinghurst Castle July 2009

White is clean & fresh like a laundry detergent commercial. White foliage stands out in shade. The flowers of many shade plants such as Aruncus dioicus  & Trillium ovatum are white. A white garden has a quiet, old-fashioned charm. White combines well with blue flowers & gray foliage. Try Hebe glaucophylla with Galtonia candicans or Ornithogalum umbellatum.  There is a very lovely little white garden among the demonstration gardens at Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco.  The most famous white garden is at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, England.  White is perhaps the most common color theme for gardens.  Adding some blue, pink &/or purple creates more interest.

Plant List

Trees: with white flowers, except as noted

Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’: white foliage

Cornus kousa chinensis (Korean Dogwood)

Davidia involucrata (Dove Tree)

Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia)

Sorbus cashmiriana (Mountain Ash): white fruit & flowers

Stewartia pseudocamellia

Styrax japonica or obassia (Snowdrop Tree)

Shrubs: with white flowers, except as noted

Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange)

Cistus x hybridus (White Rockrose)

Fatsia japonica ‘Variegata’: white foliage

Hebe glaucophylla

Hebe recurva

Hebe salicifolia

Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray)

Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Magnolia stellata 'Centennial'

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Variegatus’: white foliage & flowers

Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange)

Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Renkaku’ (Tree Peony)

Pieris japonica ‘Variegata’: white foliage & flowers

Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Yeddo Hawthorne)

Ribes sanguineum ‘White Icicle’

Rosa rugosa ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’
Spiraea prunifolia (Bridalwreath) Spiraea trilobata 'Fairy Queen', Spiraea x vanhouttei

Viburnum plicatum tomentosum (Doublefile Viburnum)

Weigela florida ‘Variegata’: white foliage & pink flowers

Perennials: with white flowers, except as noted

Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’ (Sweet Flag): white foliage

Aruncus dioicus or aethusifolius (Goat’s Beard)

Astilbe x arendsii ‘Deutschland’ (Ostrich Plume)

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost': white foliage

Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’ (Bleeding Heart)

Cimicifuga racemosa (Bugbane)

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (Coneflower)

Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)

Galtonia candicans (Summer Hyacinth)

Lilium regale ‘Album’ (Regal Lily)

Narcissus ‘Mt Hood’ or ‘Thalia’ (Daffodil)

Ornithogalum umbellatum (Star of Bethlehem)

Paeonia ‘Krinkled White’

Romneya coulteri (Matilija Poppy)

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’ (Bloodroot)

Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon's Seal)

Tellima grandiflora (Fringe Cup)

Trillium ovatum (Western White Trillium)

Zantedeschia aethiopica (Calla Lily)

Groundcovers & Trailers

Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’ (Bishop’s Weed): white foliage

Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in Summer): white foliage & flowers

Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’: white foliage

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft): white flowers

Lamium maculatum ‘White Nancy’: white foliage & flowers

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’: white foliage & yellow flowers

Orange Flowers

 Kniphofia nelsonii June 2009

Berberis darwinii March 2010


Eschscholzia californica May 2009

Lilium columbianum June 2009

Tulipa batalinii ‘Apricot Jewel’ May 2009

Orange flowers bring excitement to the garden. Orange harmonizes with red & brightens purple. Use orange flowers in a blue garden for a richer experience. For an ultra-brite effect use orange & yellow flowers against red foliage.  Orange & pink flowers together make a quirky contrast. Among the most popular and useful orange flowers are Crocosmia & Kniphofia.  An orange flower that fascinated me in childhood was Lilium lancifolium.  Now I am more entranced by Tulipa batalinii ‘Apricot Jewel.

Shrubs
Berberis darwinii (Barberry): sun or shade
Chaenomeles ‘Orange Delight’ (Quince): sun
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ (Witch Hazel): shade
Rhododendron occidentale (Western Azalea): shade
Rosa ‘Strike It Rich’ (Grandiflora Rose): sun

Perennials: all for sun
Achillea millefolium ‘Terra Cotta’
Agastache aurantiaca (Hummingbird Mint)’
Antirrhinum majus ‘Golden Gate’ (Snapdragon)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Canna ‘Tropicanna’
Chrysanthemum ‘Kelvin Mandarin’ or ‘Robin’
Crocosmia ‘Emberglow’
Dahlia ‘Flame’
Digitalis obscura (Foxglove)
Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ or ‘Sunset’ (Coneflower)
Eremurus ‘Shelford Cleopatra’ (Foxtail Lily)
Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy)
Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’
Fritillaria imperialis (Crown Imperial)
Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’ (Blanket Flower)
Geum ‘Fireball’
Gladiolus ‘Georgette’
Glaucium flavum (Horn Poppy)
Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ or ‘Wyndley’ (Sneezeweed)
Hemerocallis ‘Apricot Sparkles’ (Daylily)
Iris ’Cinderella’s Coach’
Kniphofia nelsonii (Torch Lily)
Lilium columbianum or lancifolium (Tiger Lily)
Papaver orientale ‘Allegro Vivace’ (Poppy)
Phygelius capensis ‘Salmon’s Leap’
Potentilla fruticosa ‘Mango Tango’
Ratibida columnifera (Mexican Hat)
Tulipa batalinii ‘Apricot Jewel’ or ‘Little Princess’

Groundcovers & Trailers: all for sun
Gazania ‘Tanager’
Helianthemum nummularium ‘Ben More’ (Sunrose)

The Yellow Garden

 Hemerocallis ‘Hyperion’ June 2009

  Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Lutea Nana’ August 2008

Narcissus 'King Alfred' March 2010

Weigela florida ‘Rubidor’ May 2009

Erythronium tuolumnense March 2010

Yellow flowers are bright & happy. I remember walking in the heath in the Orkney Islands in early May. Primula vulgaris was blooming along the edges of the paths. Not only did I learn the origin of the primrose path, but it was a cheerful sight in that cold & bleak climate. In my own garden, I am cheered in January by the sulfur blossoms of Euphorbia rigida. I thrill to Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ 4 to 6 weeks later.  Non-gardeners & neophyte gardeners often dislike yellow foliage. When I first saw Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’ I thought it looked like celery left in the refrigerator too long. But gold & yellow foliage grow on a gardener. The soft lemony foliage of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Lutea Nana’ is very pleasing. The brassy gold of Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ is outstanding in Winter. A yellow garden might be the happiest place on Earth.  Mix in orange flowers to blend, blue flowers to contrast.

Trees
Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' (Golden Fullmoon Maple): gold foliage

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Lutea’ : yellow foliage

Gleditzia triacanthos inermis ‘Sunburst’ : yellow new foliage

Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’ : yellow foliage

Thuja plicata ‘Aurea’ : gold foliage

Shrubs

Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea' (Japanese Barberry): yellow foliage
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Lutea Nana’ (Dwarf Port Orford Cedar) Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Lutea’ (Dwarf Hinoki Cypress): yellow foliage, evergreen
Choisya ternata 'Sundance' (Mexican Orange): yellow foliage, white flowers, best in part or light shade, evergreen

Hebe ochracea: gold foliage, evergreen

Hypericum 'Hidcote' : yellow flowers

Juniperus chinensis ‘Gold Cone’ (Chinese Juniper): gold new growth, evergreen
Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph' (Dwarf Lodgepole Pine): yellow foliage, evergreen
Platycladus orientalis 'Aurea Nana' (Oriental Arborvitae): yellow foliage, evergreen

Spiraea japonica ‘Goldmound’ (Japanese Spiraea): gold foliage, pink flowers, Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon': yellow foliage, white flowers
Sambucus racemosa 'Plumosa Aurea', Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold' (Red Elderberry): yellow foliage, white flowers, red fruit
Santolina virens (Green Lavender Cotton): yellow flowers, evergreen

Taxus baccata ‘Aurea’ : gold foliage, evergreen
Thuja occidentalis 'Golden Globe', Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold', Thuja occidentalis 'Sunkist', Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ (Arborvitae): gold foliage, evergreen

Viburnum opulus ‘Aureum’: yellow foliage, white flowers

Weigela florida ‘Rubidor’: yellow foliage, red flowers

Perennials: all with yellow flowers, except as noted

Achillea ‘Moonshine’

Aurinia saxatilis

Chrysanthemum parthenium ‘Aureum’ : yellow foliage

Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Sunburst' or ‘Sunray’

Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’: yellow foliage

Digitalis lutea

Epimedium x perralchicum ‘Frohnleiten’

Erythronium tuolumnense

Euphorbia

Helenium autumnale

Hemerocallis ‘Hyperion’: fragrant

Kniphofia ‘Little Maid’

Ligularia stenocephala ‘The Rocket’

Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ or ‘Tete-a-Tete’

Paeonia ‘Claire de Lune’

Primula vulgaris

Tulipa tarda or turkestanica

Groundcovers

Sedum aizoon: yellow flowers

Sedum ‘Angelina’: yellow foliage & flowers

Hypericum cerastioides: yellow flowers

The Blue Garden

 

Crambe maritima August 2008

Rosa glauca June 2009

Campanula carpatica May 2009

Eryngium planum August 2010

Hebe recurva March 2010

Here is a list of blue plants for Seattle, the Pacific Northwest & USDA Zone 8. Use it to find blue flowers & plants with blue, gray or silver foliage. Blue is soft & soothing. Most blue foliage is somewhat gray. Blue-gray foliage often has a fluffy, feathery look. Blue & gray look very handsome with red, contrast nicely with yellow. Blue flowers work well with gray foliage, because there is just enough contrast to make them visible, yet they also blend nicely. Purple, pink & white flowers go well with blue. Blue is calm & accepts diversity. Many plants with blue-gray & gray foliage have yellow or white flowers. Blue-gray, gray & silver foliage are tasteful additions to a white garden, especially when these plants have white flowers. Plants with blue-gray or gray foliage & yellow flowers are perfect for a blue & yellow garden, an arresting combination.  The terms glaucus, glauca & glaucum mean that the plants have a fine, whitish, powdery coating, usually on the leaves, but fruits can also be glaucus.  Xeric plants don't usually need irrigation.  This list is meant to introduce you to these plants & give basic information.  Further research will be needed to find sizes & specific horticultural requirements.

Trees: all for sun

Abies concolor 'Candicans' (White Fir) Abies pinsapo 'Glauca' (Spanish Fir) Abies procera 'Glauca' (Noble Fir): all with blue-gray foliage, evergreen conifers.

Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' (Blue Atlas Cedar): blue foliage, large evergreen conifer.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pembury Blue’ (Port Orford Cedar) Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’ (Boulevard Cypress): blue foliage, evergreen conifers.

Cupressus arizonica glabra ‘Blue Ice’ (Arizona Cypress): blue foliage, evergreen conifer, xeric.

Juniperus scopulorum 'Blue Heaven' (Rocky Mountain Juniper): blue foliage, xeric; Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket' (Rocky Mountain Juniper): blue gray foliage, very narrow, xeric; Juniperus virginiana 'Glauca' (Eastern Red Cedar): silver-gray foliage; all evergreen conifers.

Picea breweriana (Brewer Spruce): blue-green foliage, purple cones; Picea pungens 'Moerheim' & Picea pungens 'Thomsen' (Colorado Blue Spruce): blue foliage; evergreen conifers.

Pinus kwangtungensis (Chinese White Pine) Pinus parviflora 'Tempelhof' (Japanese White Pine): blue foliage, evergreen conifers.

Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ (Weeping Willowleaf Pear): silver-gray foliage, white flowers

Sequoia sempervivum ‘Filoli’ (Coast Redwood): blue foliage, large evergreen conifer

Shrubs

Abies concolor 'Compacta' (Dwarf White Fir) Abies lasiocarpa 'Compacta' (Dwarf Alpine Fir): blue-gray foliage, evergreen conifers.

Caryopteris x clandonensis (Blue Mist) Caryopteris incana (Bluebeard): blue flowers, sun.

Ceanothus impressus 'Vandenberg' (Santa Barbara Mountain Lilac) Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Victoria' aka 'Skylark' (Blue Blossom): xeric, showy bloom, not long-lived, these 2 are the most commonly grown in Seattle, others may suffer frost damage.

Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula' (Weeping Atlas Cedar): blue foliage, evergreen conifer.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’: surprisingly blue foliage, sun, evergreen conifer

Elaeagnus commutata (Silverberry): silver foliage, silver fruit, small yellow flowers, sun, xeric.

Hebe recurva, Hebe topiaria: blue-gray foliage, white flowers, sun, evergreen

Hydrangea macrophylla 'All Summer Beauty', Hydrangea macrophylla ' Blue Wave', Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blue Billow’, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer', Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’ (Bigleaf Hydrangea including Lacecap & Mophead): & other culvivars, blue flowers, part shade, in alkaline soil flowers will be pink.

Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star': silver-blue foliage, Juniperus squamata 'Loderi': blue-green foliage, Juniperus squamata 'Chinese Silver': silver-blue-green foliage; all for sun, evergreen conifers

Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender) Lavandula dentata (French Lavender): blue flowers with silver-gray foliage, sun, xeric.

Lithocarpus densiflorus var. echinoides (Dwarf Tanoak): blue-green foliage, evergreen.

Picea pungens 'Globosa', Picea pungens 'Montgomery' & Picea pungens 'Procumbens' (Dwarf Colorado Blue Spruce): blue foliage, evergreen conifer.

Rhododendron 'Blue Peter': blue flowers, shade, evergreen.

Rosa glauca: blue foliage with pink tinge, pink flowers, sun.

Rosmarinus officinalis 'Tuscan Blue': & other cultivars, blue flowers, sun, xeric, evergreen, culinary herb.

Santolina chamaecyparissus (Lavender Cotton): silver foliage, yellow flowers, sun, xeric

Senecio greyi (aka Brachyglottis 'Sunshine'): gray foliage, yellow flowers, evergreen

Perennials: all with blue flowers, except as noted

Agapanthus campanulatus, Agapanthus ‘Headbourne Hybrids’, Agapanthus ‘Midnight Blue’, Agapanthus ‘Peter Pan’ (Lily of the Nile): & other cultivars, these are all derived from Agapanthus campanulatus, the only reliable hardy species in USDA Zone 8, sun.

Allium azureum (Ornamental Onion): sun, xeric.

Baptisia australis (False Indigo): sun, tolerates some dryness.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost': shade, silvery leaves & blue flowers, shade.

Campanula glomerata (Clustered Bellflower) Campanula lactiflora, Campanula latifolia, Campanula latiloba, Campanula persicifolia (Peachleaf Bellflower): & other species, many cultivars, sun.

Camassia cusickii, Camassia leichtlinii, Camassia quamash (Camas): sun, xeric.

Chionodoxa luciliae (Glory of the Snow): sun.

Clematis integrifolia: sun, not a vine

Corydalis ‘Blue Panda’: shade, needs moisture.

Crambe maritima (Sea Kale): blue-gray foliage, white flowers, sun, xeric.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Blue Pearl’: sun.

Cynara cardunculus (Cardoon): silver-gray foliage, blue flowers, sun.

Deinanthe caerulea: shade, needs moisture.

Delphinium 'Blue Tit', Delphinium 'Fanfare', Delphinium 'Leonora': sun, needs staking.

Echinops ritro (Globe Thistle): sun, xeric

Erigeron glaucus (Beach Aster) Erigeron speciosus (Showy Fleabane): xeric

Eryngium alpinum, Eryngium amethystinum, Eryngium bourgatii, Eryngium planum (Sea Holly): sun, xeric

Euphorbia characias, Euphorbia nicaeensis, Euphorbia rigida (Spurge): gray foliage, yellow flowers, xeric

Festuca ovina ‘Glauca’ (Blue Fescue): blue foliage

Gentiana affinis, Gentiana cruciata, Gentiana septemfida, Gentiana tianschanica, Gentiana verna (Gentian): many species, sun, some need moisture.

Geranium himalayense, Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’, Geranium 'Rozanne' (Cranesbill): sun or shade

Hepatica americana, Hepatica nobilis (Liverwort): shade.

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Blue Jacket', Hyacinthus orientalis 'Blue Pearl', Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Delft Blue’ (Dutch Hyacinth): sun.

Iris 'Blue Magic' (Dutch Iris) Iris douglasiana (Doulgas Iris): xeric; Iris missouriensis, Iris reticulata 'Harmony', Iris sibirica 'Bennerup Blue' (Siberian Iris) Iris tenax (Oregon Iris): many species & cultivars with blue flowers, sun.

Limonium latifolium (Statice): sun.

Lupinus x hybridus 'Gallery Blue', Lupinus perennis, Lupinus polyphyllus (Lupine): sun.

Meconopsis betonicifolia (Himalayan Poppy) Meconopsis grandis, Meconopsis x sheldonii: shade, needs moisture, can be difficult to grow.

Mertensia ciliata (Mountain Bluebell) Mertensia pulmonarioides (Virginia Bluebells): shade, needs moisture.

Muscari armeniacum, Muscari latifolium, Muscari neglectum, Muscari paradoxum (Grape Hyacinth): sun or part shade.

Myosotis scorpioides (Perennial Forget-Me-Not): part shade

Nepeta clarkei, Nepeta x faassenii, Nepera sibirica (Catmint): & other species, sun.

Omphalodes cappadocica, Omphalodes verna: shade, needs moisture.

Platycodon grandiflorus (Balloon Flower): sun.

Penstemon heterophyllus, Penstemon montanus, Penstemon serrulatus, Penstemon procerus, Penstemon strictus, Penstemon virens (Beardtongue): & other species, sun, many are xeric.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage): gray foliage & blue flowers

Prunella grandiflora, Prunella vulgaris (Self Heal): sun.

Pulmonaria angustifolia, Pulmonaria longifolia, Pulmonaria saccharata (Lungwort): & cultivars, shade

Salvia nemorosa 'Superba', Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht' (Sage): & other species, sun.

Scilla peruviana: sun, xeric, from Spain not Peru.

Scutellaria alpina, Scutellaria baicalensis, Scutellaria resinosa (Skullcap): sun.

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ears): gray foliage, pink flowers, sun, xeric.

Tradescantia virginiana 'Zwanenburg Blue' (Spiderwort): sun or part shade.

Triteleia laxa 'Queen Fabiola': sun, xeric.

Veronica spicata (Speedwell): many cultivars, sun.

Groundcovers & Trailers

Ajuga reptans (Carpet Bugle): many cultivers, blue flowers, sun or part shade.

Campanula carpatica (Carpathian Harebell) Campanula portenschlagiana (Dalmatian Bellflower) Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian Bellflower): blue flowers

Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in Summer): gray foliage, white flowers, short lived.

Convolvulus sabatius (Ground Morning Glory): blue flowers, sun.

Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spruge): blue-gray foliage, yellow flowers, sun, xeric

Hebe glaucophylla: blue-gray foliage, white flowers, Hebe x pimeleoides: blue-gray foliage, blue flowers, Hebe pinguifolia 'Pagei': blue-gray foliage, white flowers; all for sun, low evergreen shrubs with creeping stems.

Juniperus conferta 'Pacific Blue' (Shore Juniper) Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip' (Creeping Juniper) Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet': blue foliage, sun, low evergreen shrubs with creeping stems.

Lithodora diffusa: blue flowers, sun, xeric.

Pratia pedunculata (Blue Star Creeper): sun.

Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ (Trailing Rosemary): sun, low evergreen shrub with creeping stems.

Sedum anacampseros: blue-green foliage, pink flowers, sun; Sedum dasyphyllum: blue-green foliage, pink flowers, sun; Sedum forsterianum: blue-green foliage, yellow flowers, shade or part-shade; Sedum obtusatum: blue-green foliage, cream flowers, sun; Sedum oregonense: blue-green foliage, yellow flowers, sun; Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce': blue-green foliage, yellow flowers, sun; all xeric.

Veronica pectinata, Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue', Veronica prostrata 'Heavenly Blue': blue flowers, xeric.