Woody, I can't tell you anything about it but I think it is downright gorgeous, I see it's in a blue pot, Heritage Perennials by any chance? I'm going to hit the garden centers tomorrow :). Verbascum nigrum does well for me, even grows in gravel, so maybe.... if I can find one, fingers crossed.

Annette

I planted Verbascum 'Violetta' 7 years ago in somewhat amended clay soil. Since then I have completely ignored it - never watered it, have the time I don't even remember I have it till most of the flowering is done. But not only does it come come back faithfully every year, it's seeded around a bit so I find new ones in odd places.

The problem I find is you really need a large stand of them to make any kind of impact. Otherwise they tend to get lost among other plants.

Annette - no, the pot is black, not blue (the camera is getting confused by the black pot, black garage door and faded black asphalt driveway and so is distorting the color of the pot...) It's not a Heritage Perennials plant - the tag says Bowman Greenhouses is the grower - they're in BC! So maybe it'll be easy for you to find one.

a2zmom - 'ignore it' - I can certainly do that :-) and I think I'll plant it in my small 'teardrop' bed were it will be easy to see it.

Woody, I also think that amazing color will help it stand out. Mine is a dark purple which tends to fade into the background.

Verbascum winter sows nicely so you might try letting some seed fall to the ground and collecting and winter sowing some this winter. I no longer need to winter seed any as they self sow here. That blue is lovely.

I have the violet, a light purple, milkshake, and Southern Charm. After the first bloom I cut the stalk to the next budding point. These lower and side blooms are shorter but still lovely. I think not letting Southern Charm go to seed has helped it last several years. It is the only one I bought as a plant.

Tried several of these over the years - Southern Charm, chaixii Album, phoeniceum - hoping they might do well in this damp climate since bird-sown common mullein (thapsis) thrives. Planted together on a slope for drainage in sun till mid-afternoon, each gave a half-hearted showing, as did their scant volunteer seedlings, and petered out after a few years. Ah, well, nice try, no go.

Weeding around in a mixed perennial bed in another area this Spring, noticed a vaguely familiar seedling & left it for later ID, watching it grow quickly & lushly. Once it began to bloom, finally recognized it as verbascum. Which one - a mix from the former site, wildling, sown by a bird? This mystery's shot up to 30x20" & thrown a dozen spikes whose flowers are clear pale apricot yellow with lavender bosses. Gives the effect of a multiple clump rather than a loner. Could it be chaixii, nigrum or blattaria? Whatever its identity, most welcome, and obviously happy in this overly rainy site & season. Rich clay-based loam where it stands, kept moist for the roses & companions. Somehow had the idea they preferred leaner & drier soil - maybe that's where I went wrong in the past?

Delighted at the serendipity & hoping it will stick around & reproduce. Found a Southern Charm at the rear of the pot ghetto. (How many years has that been hiding there?) Given a larger pot & rich soil, it's now ready to bloom. High interest in the charms of this tribe peaking again...

Swoon for wowser Blue Lagoon - thanks for putting it on my radar! Not turning up in stock on mailorder sites, know of any? May have to make the local nursery rounds in search of this beauty. (Better yet, call around, since my seasonal resistance is weakening, what with the denizens of the pot ward imploring me to find earth homes for them & not let newcomers jump the line.) Lucky ones with Blue Lagoon, do tell how they do for you!

Only the white-flowered one is reliably hardy for me (actually kind of weedy due to self sowing), I've tried the purple and the peach (Helen Johnson)...they were okay for a few years but just disappeared one year. It might be a good idea to collect seeds just in case.

No seeds - will have to propagate from root cuttings. I had this - a bit measly, to be honest and the blue became a sort of washed out slatey colour - OK, I thought but it was not a strong plant and, only 2 years after getting 3, they are no longer with me.....whereas the little V.phoeniceums have remained, returning reliably, never misbehaving, year on year. Another highly strung, overbred diva, to my mind....but then again, my plants get a robust testing!

I'd still like to try it, we took a trip down island this morning DH was looking for a gadget for his computer, needless to say we hit every garden center on the way home :). No Blue Lagoon, in fact no-one had heard of it but they all jotted the name down.
I didn't come home empty handed tho... as we toddled our way back home I picked up another Brugmansia to add to my collection, it's the old variety 'Sunset' but it already had flower buds on it and the price was right, at least that was my reasoning LOL. 4 more are heading my way, 'Dola' 'Angels Exotic', 'Full Rosea' all pinks and 'Snowbank', another with variegated leaves, they should be in the mail on wednesday.
Picked up another Tradescantia 'Mac's Blue' to replace the one I lost, a double hollyhock (purple), a Veronica 'Eveline' and a small plant of 'Aglaia' this one I had also lost a couple of years ago.
Talking about Tradescanthia's, not everyones cup of tea but I love them. When searching the web to see what other varieties are out there I've seen pictures of mine on other websites, one in particular my picture stating it's 'Mac's Double' it's not it's one called 'Rondeau Sapphire' which I purchased from Sterling Perennials quite a few years back. It has the habit of blooming double sometimes single.
I don't mind anyone using my pictures if it is of any use to them but it would be nice if they got the name right.

I haven't hit the garden centers locally yet to see if any of them have 'Blue Lagoon', no telling what will fall off the tables and into my basket while on the hunt :).

Annette