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christinmk

whatcha' got blooming now that is purple/blue?

Jeez Christin, pull it together!!! It took me three tries to spell "blue" right in the title, LOL. The first spelling was "bleu"- perhaps I am subconsciously craving some cheese, who knows. ;-D

What have you got blooming now that is blue or purple? I've got some 'Spark's Variety' Aconitum and various balloon flowers.

My brain is a bit fried at the moment, so I would love to hear (and see!!!) what else is blooming in your gardens this time of the year in those colors.

Did I mention pics are very welcome? ;-)
CMK

Comments (21)

  • plantladyco
    10 years ago

    asters

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    10 years ago

    Christin! I've been thinking about you because you gave me seeds for the golden jubilee agastache which I really like.

    Well, yesterday I found a killer agastache that I'd never heard of before. Gorgeous huge purple flowers. Check out 'blue boa'. If I am able to collect seeds I can send you some!

    Also blooming, ironweed, butterfly bush 'lo and behold', some salvias are still trying hard to push out some blooms, morning glory, hosta, and this lespedeeza which is a pinky purple. Oh, and beautyberry is blooming its little purple flowers. Can't wait for the purple berries.

    {{gwi:269674}}

  • aachenelf z5 Mpls
    10 years ago

    My favorite deep purple for late season is Clematis heracleifolia var. davidiana. This just started to bloom about a week ago. Usually this one is about 3 feet tall and very bushy, but the majority of my plant died last winter. A small piece survived, so it isn't at full glory, but it's still nice.

    Kevin

    {{gwi:269675}}

    {{gwi:269676}}

    Oh yes, the Colocasia 'Blue Hawaii' in the background kind of counts.

    (a close up of a leaf)

    {{gwi:269677}}

    This post was edited by aachenelf on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 17:06

  • jadeite
    10 years ago

    My caropyteris Dark Knight, planted about a month ago, has beautiful dark blue flowers over it's tiny head (about 12" high, 6" across). I'm especially pleased that the color matches the ceratostigma plumbaginoides which edges the bed. Sorry, no pics yet, everything is too small to make much of an impression.

    Cheryl

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    10 years ago

    The main purple/blue here at the moment is the big butterfly bush in the front bed. Aster 'Monch' s a nice blue note too, but it's relatively small in comparison. Soon there with be vast quantities of purple asters! (Gotta do some severe weeding out when they're finished for the year!!) There are only a few buds open today but they should be starting to put on a bigger show by the weekend I think. The hibiscuses still dominate the show at the moment, although they are coming to the end of their bloom season. I spent an hour this morning deadheading seed capsules from the biggest driveway clump - and I haven't removed all of them, or started on the ones in the main front bed!

    This picture shows the butterfly bush - with 6' DH deadheading as a scale figure so you can get an idea of how big it is! DH likes to take photos of birds, butterflies, and misc. insects, all of which like the butterfly bush, so he does a good job of keeping it deadheaded for a long bloom season :-) We only cut it down to about 3' in the spring - and thin out some of the smallest stems at the base. We want it tall to be a quasi-tree to add height to the bed.
    {{gwi:269678}}

  • kelp
    10 years ago

    New England Aster, Geranium 'Rozanne', New York Ironweed, Tall Ironweed, Great Blue Lobelia, Prairie Bottle Gentian, and my Butterfly Bush.

  • kelp
    10 years ago

    Oh yea, Hosta 'First Frost' -- my favorite.

  • judyhi
    10 years ago

    I too have the blue mist spirea-caryopteris which is almost blue.This is my favorite bloomer right now. I like the idea of the plumbago near. The blue fortune agastache (which I call purple) and russian sage are still with flower. I also would be interested in what others have to say.
    Thanks.

  • GreatPlains1
    10 years ago

    delete post

    This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 2:06

  • jadeite
    10 years ago

    I completely forgot the backyard where lavender is blooming like crazy, also scabiosa Blue Butterfly, verbena Homestead Purple and agastache Black Adder. Judyhi's post reminded me of the agastache.

    Cheryl

  • GreatPlains1
    10 years ago

    delete post

    This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 2:07

  • Ispahan Zone6a Chicago
    10 years ago

    I love purple/blue flowers and so do the bees. Here is what I have blooming now:

    Geranium 'Rozanne'
    Agastache 'Blue Blazes'
    Agastache 'Blue Fortune' (losing color and going to seed)
    Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
    Verbena bonariensis

    Just starting:
    Aster laevis 'Bluebird'
    Aster oblongifolius 'Raydon's Favorite'

    Still to come:
    Aconitum 'Barker's Variety'
    Aster cordifolius
    Aster oblongifolius 'October Skies'
    Aster oblongifolius 'Fanny'
    Aster tartaricus 'Jindai'
    Eupatorium coelestinum

    This post was edited by ispahan on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 21:14

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for all the suggestions.

    -Susan, I was thinking of you the other day too, as I was pulling a weed ;-D It was one of those ghastly Adenophoras and I was thinking how much I hoped one of those buggers didn't hitchhike along with any plants I sent you last year!!!

    Glad you like the Golden Jubilee. I ended up ripping mine out this year because it looked like crap, LOL. Are the bottom leaves on yours dying off? Mine always did and it annoyed me! There is a 'Blue Fortune' planted at work that is incredible. Makes me wonder if my GJ was planted in the wrong area, A. foeniculum tends to do that in general, or if BF is simply a superior cultivar/planted in a better local.

    After that last thread about the Vernonia I went out to check my plant. Turns out it has nearly made it to two whole feet AND HAS BUDS ON IT!!! Someone please alert the media!!!! What, and that only took three/four years?! I'm excited to see it though. Are the flowers a fairly good purple? I'm just hoping it doesn't blend in with the nearby Joe-Pye.

    -Kevin, that Clematis is killer! Nice combo-ed with the Helenium too.

    -woodyoak, how do you guys go about deadheading your BB? Some of those long pole loppers, or do you/hubs get up on a ladder and trim it by hand?

    Oh yeah, I forgot about Gentian. I have some septemfida blooming out back along a narrow pathway. It's a wonder it is still living since the poor devil got a taste of my foot more times than I care to count this year! Lol. I also stared some 'Marsha' Gentian awhile back. Doubt it will bloom this year, but we will see.

    Just have to share this pic from over a week ago of Aconitum 'Spark's Variety' with the foliage of my 'Nora Leigh' Phlox. I didn't get it in the shot, but there is some red beebalm nearby as well that looks awesome in combination with them. It is one of those things Bob Ross called a "happy accident" I think!
    CMK

  • river_crossroads z8b Central Louisiana
    10 years ago

    Hey again, Christin!

    Me, too, salvia and liatris.

    Salvia guaranitica 'Amistad,' new this year

    {{gwi:269679}}

    Salvia guaranitica 'Van Remsen,' a natural hybrid created in the backyard of LSU ornithologist Dr. James Van Remsen, grows 7 ft tall & hummers love it

    {{gwi:269680}}

    Here is a link that might be useful: Click Next to see 3 pics of Liatris aspera

  • franeli
    10 years ago

    There are always wonderful photos posted on this forum! I love garden photos!

    I have Agastache 'blue fortune', Veronica 'eveline',some purple sage and 'blue horizon' ageratum blooming in my driveway border.

    {{gwi:269681}}

  • mulchmama
    10 years ago

    These are some gorgeous photos you've all posted! Here is mine, Blue Pitcher Sage, a native plant grown from directly sown seed, around ourmessy catchment pond. It's the bluest blue of anything in my garden and a lovely late-season attraction. In about a week, when the Autumn Fire sedums have developed their color, this is going to be reallynice combo.

  • ontnative
    10 years ago

    Aster frikartii 'Monch". Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia). Geranium wlassovianum (Wlassov's Cranesbill).

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    10 years ago

    CMK - re the BB - DH is tall enough and the BB branches are flexible enough that he can just reach up and pull the tall branches down within reach to let him use the secateurs to deadhaed. Since the BB is cut back to 3' or so in spring, all the tall growth is the current year's wood so remains flexible.

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    -river, awesome sages. They are such a wonderfully "true" blue.

    -franeli, ummm.....GORGEOUS! No I mean really, that is one of the nicest designs for a summer garden I have seen. I plan on perusing your PB album tonight after work ;-)

    -MulchMama, your sage is lovely. I've got one started from seed also, but it is well over four feet tall now??! Do you chomp yours back earlier in the season to keep it shorter?

    -woodyoak, ah! That explains it, thanks ;-)
    CMK

  • mulchmama
    10 years ago

    Christinmk, I do shear my pitcher sage back, but somehow, I missed a lot of the stems this year. Some are short, many are well over 4-ft tall and this weekend's rain flattened a couple plants. I'm also noticing some new ones that came up when I wasn't looking.

  • terrene
    10 years ago

    Blue and purple perennials blooming now:

    Agastache foeniculum - 'Black Adder' is going strong, Blue Fortune and species are finishing up
    Geranium 'Rozanne'
    Hosta 'Halcyon'
    Buddleia 'Black Knight'
    Liatris scariosa
    Liatris aspera
    Salvia azurea
    Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue'
    Phlox 'Blue Paradise' - this is such a long blooming Phlox!
    Some mint
    Rebloom on Penstemon smallii

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