What about Blue Oat grass? These hold their color throughout the season and stay very upright.

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The only colocasia I can think of (but I don't know these very well) is 'Blue HawaiiâÂÂ. The veins are a very pronounced purplish, but not really blue.

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Kevin

One thing I keep meaning to try is Crambe maritima. When I do a Google image search, some look good while others look ho-hum or ratty. I've got to remember to get one and see for myself how they'd do in my conditions in the ground or in a pot. Have you tried those or seen them in conditions similar to yours? I figure since they are brassicas and brassicas seem to adapt well to pots, they would be a good candidate to try in a pot.

hmmm, crambe. I grew the cordifolia 20 yrs ago but I decided I liked other things better.But THIS one has blue leaves!! and it looks so much better.

so I go googling and I find that forest farm has it but they say zone 7 and I'm 5. another, british, site says z.5
would I bring it in over the winter? looks like growing from seed is an option and I haven't told you this, but (shhhh) I am not a seed person. mothering ain't in this girl's dna unfortunately. brilliant suggestion but I'm going to search for it further.

helichtotrichon- good thought. I've lost it a few times (?; I have no idea) but potted might work. Th you much.

Keep 'em comin' everyone!

I'd probably start by going to the hosta forum and asking about sun tolerant blue hostas.

IME most bluish and silvery plants for sun are finer in texture or have narrow leaves. There are bluish yuccas and grasses. Agastache rupestrus has fine-textured blue-silver foliage as do several forms of lavender, but, both can be fairly dense and so create a mass. Caryopteris such as Longwood Blue is another one with similar effect Nepeta creates a very dense mound of bluish foliage. Perhaps one of the larger, more silvery Pulmonarias would work in a narrow container so the leaves could spill over the side, especially if it sits below eye level.

Another thought would be to purchase a large bunch of Eucalyptus stems and use them. They are relatively weather resistant.

How about a potted blue spruce of some sort? Like the dwarf Globe spruce?

I was also thinking Blue Spruce, though a pot large enough to successfully grow a shrub in might not be easily portable.

Have you thought about a cobalt-blue *pot*? This would give a great shot of bright blue, and you could plant anything you wanted that looks good in it. I have a biggie on my front porch that is potted with hot pink geraniums - a knockout! Cobalt blue is fairly easy to work with in terms of color schemes, while other shades of blue are not; I have a muted aqua-colored pot that I have trouble finding plants for, so many plants just look blah in it - yellow is passable, and flamin' hot pink looks great in it, but that's about it. Sigh.

Have you considered Russian sage? It blooms here almost all summer.

I MADE my daughter return a very large cobalt blue pot to me this year. I'm loving it. Only annuals in it though - brilliant blue angelonia, a pink petunia thing - small flowers and one chartreuse sweel potato that has to be cut back weekly.

Hey! maybe i found the thing! take a look at this:

http://fine-foliage.com/2014/09/02/elevated-edibles/

now...do i have to grow this from seed of will my large local nursery sell it? must find out! (anyone have in mind what varieties i should be seeking, for blue?)

Here is a link that might be useful: blue cabbage in container design

If you don't need a perennial, there are a bunch of ornamental kales and cabbages in blue tones. If you visit your local nursery now, you may well find the perfect plant and can perhaps talk someone into growing it from seed next year if you don't want to, though cabbage family is easy to grow from seed.

yes, babs, did you follow the Fine Foliage link? Those women are TALented, yes? I bet you would enjoy their blog. I am going to be seeking some neat cabbages now!)
mindy

If you don't mind overwintering them indoors, how about a blue Agave or Senecio mandraliscae?
CMK

On the Hosta forum, i asked the same question and i got this marvelous 2 photos from margaret in Seattle. Now i just have to get the name of the seed she uses! and then get My Love to grow seeds (as this gardener, me, is biologically unsuited to grow seeds.)
thx all for your ideas!
mindy

Here is a link that might be useful: scroll down for blue kale photos

There's always Wormwood, of course.

How about the gorgeously tiny but detailed acaena buchananii? My previous experience with acaenas had been the prickly New Zealand microphylla...which has lovely foliage but annoying (to my mind) reddish burrs.......whereas the buchananii has survived total seasonal neglect in a shallow pot with odd jovibarbas and comes through the winter magnificently. The glaucous foliage veers towards turquoise while keeping a filigree delicacy I have rarely encountered in a foliage plant.

How about the gorgeously tiny but detailed acaena buchananii? My previous experience with acaenas had been the prickly New Zealand microphylla...which has lovely foliage but annoying (to my mind) reddish burrs.......whereas the buchananii has survived total seasonal neglect in a shallow pot with odd jovibarbas and comes through the winter magnificently. The glaucous foliage veers towards turquoise while keeping a filigree delicacy I have rarely encountered in a foliage plant.
Even better (with paler flowers) acaena magellanica.....I love these alpine evergreens.