Charming blues

Gardens have personalities, just like people. You can plant your garden, but it will decide what stays and what goes. Mine decided it likes blue flowers. Maybe it is the clay soil that gives the plants the alkaline mix they need, maybe it's the dappled shade that promotes the growth of woodland bulbs, I don't know, but my plants tend to shift to the blue-violet end of the spectrum.

Spring is the bluest season of all, covered in violets, grape hyacinths, irises, blue eyed Mary, forget-me-nots, creeping veronicas and bugleweed.

If you intend to create a monochrome theme and for some reason decide on blue, you need to carry it through all the seasons. Here is a recipe:

Spring - hyacinths, grape hyacinths, bluebells, squills, violets, forget-me-nots, blue eyed Mary, vincas.

Summer - irises, delphiniums, cornflowers, asters, hydrangeas, salvias, balloon flowers, lupines, creeping phlox, nemesia.

Fall - monkshood, plumbago, flax, phlox, Russian sage, morning glory and toad lily (yes, it does come in blue).

Blue and white flowers are great for shade gardens, they glow brighter and provide more interest in the landscape.

Don't forget the climbers - clematis, wisteria, passion flower.

When spring finally comes the crabapple floats a cloud of rosy flowers over the blue tops of hyacinths and crocuses. Of course between now and then a few days of grueling yard cleaning will have to happen, but that is another story.