Beautiful Blues
Green aside, my favourite colours in the garden are rich blues and cool purples.
In my mind they are the garden champions, pairing beautifully with just about every other colour from white, soft pinks and pastels, to the yellows and oranges of late summer and autumn. They stand proudly too in our strong Australian light, while other colours can look washed out and insipid as the heat rises. Pair them with golden grasses in summer and the picture mirrors a burnished landscape and stormy skies. Heavenly.
The beautiful blues are worthy of a special place in the garden, so I’ve put together a gallery of a few to consider. There are many more!
Buddleia Black Knight at the back of the bed, with Agastache on the left, and Salvia Indigo Spires to the right.
The sweeet little deep blue spires of Veronica spicata (Speedwell) in the foreground.
The country garden classic, Catmint (Nepeta) bordering the bed.
The beautiful rich purple/blue of Salvia Indigo Spires to the left and front, with the deep velvet purple of Salvia Amistad to the right.
The sublime deep blue Siberian Iris, in my mind the best iris!
Lavandula intermedia grosso again, with the lovely apricot Agastache Tango in the foreground and Euphorbia Silver Swan behind.
The vivid blue of the Shrub, Ceanothus, with purple bearded irises in front (cultivar unknown)
My favourite Lavender, Lavandula intermedia grosso in the centre of the bed, lovely with the warm tones of the grass Calamagrostis Karl Foerster behind.
The metallic blue globes of Echinops ritro Veitch’s Blue with Miscanthus Adagio. The colours of a summer landscape and stormy skies!
The true blue of the Dutch iris, one of the best blue flowering garden bulbs (of course the classic Bluebell the other!).
Arguably the best Salvia I’ve found, Salvia Anthony Parker, a mainstay in my garden. This magnificent shrubby Salvia flowers from summer through to the first frost.