Hi, Try picea pungens St.Marys, I really like my picea abies Gulls Nest very dwarf nice blue green color. Just another Jeff

Picea pungens won't like all the watering I expect you'll be doing. Nor would Junipers.

Thuja occidentalis = good. Your soil is well-drained. I think this species of cultivars would do great.
Picea mariana = great choice.
Taxus (any species) = should do fine I would think.
Thuja plicata = Native of super-wet Areas of Pacific NW.
Pinus contorta = should do fine. (Found on iteriors of waterways in the Pugent Sound.
Pseudotsuga menziesii = should do fine. Wet Oregon Native.
(loses its leaves) Taxodium distichum = great choice.
Possibly an Alaskan Cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)?

Picea mariana 'Blue Tier Drop' Currently sold by Coenosium Gardens, but not sure where I placed the pamphlet.

"Yellow" conifers too are recommended.

There's a line of Chamaecyparis pisifera with golden color you might like.
'Golden Mops', 'Gold Spangle', etc- trimmed to size.

Dax

Juniperus communis 'Compressa' ... bluish tinge... though in the picture you can see both the new green growth and last years bluish foliage below ...ken

{{gwi:692893}}

I wouldn't go with a Juniper.

Dax

Thank you! I will look up all of these suggestions. Love the juniper pic, gorgeous. Dax, why wouldnt you plant a Juniper?

Jen

All we know is that it is a well-drained flower bed. Could be perfectly suitable for a juniper. What kind of flowers are you growing there now?

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Blue Feathers' is not nearly as columnar or narrow as the juniper, but it is a great blue color and quite slow growing and fits well into a mixed planting bed. And I'd have to say that junipers are often included in mixed planting beds that are regularly irrigated here and with no ill-effect.

And several of the suggestions that Dax provided will rapidly outgrow a modestly sized flowerbed nor are they particularly blue in color.

I'll stop getting technical. Sometimes I assume I know more than I know.

Junipers and water don't mix paricularly well if they are splashed on or the soil is always wet (my mom keeps her soil constantly wet in flower gardens)... our soil here is unique as I try to mention in my screen title. It's unlike anything you could imagine. I personally also know that humidity and splashing of water on a Juniper is not a good combination. This person is in Ohio. However Ohio seems to be one of the 'trickiest' states for me to get a grip on. They can grow Lawson Cypress (Gardengal, either species or cutlivar) with perfection and no-where else in the midwest can this be done. So... I made some leaps outside my "normal self."

tjsangel,

Ignore me! Truly. It's not like I should be this 'technical.' We're all gardeners and we should plant what we like.

Ken's idea is a great plant for you.

Kind Regards,

Dax

I keep this area pretty dry compared to most of the other beds. I grow Sedum, Liatris and Blue baptisia here, and some spring bulbs (tulips and daffodils.) None of those like to be wet. But I do agree that I keep some of my perennials well watered during the summer. There are so many great options it will be hard to decide! I want something to look at during the winter. Thank you everyone!

Jen

i dont think its how much water that matters .. as compared to your soil structure .. and how that water moves thru it ...

in my pure sand.. i can not over water a plant.. if my life .. or the plants .. depended on it ... lol

ken

I have a cham. pisifera called curly tops that is very blue and I suspect it will stay small for a long time. I think sawara cypress is hardy in zone 5, but I'm not the guy to ask b/c it's so frickin hot here...

'Blue Feathers' is nice. But might be too large-growing for this spot.