There's nothing quite as cool-looking(temperaturewise) as BLUE flowers. I grew Phacelia a few years ago, best blue i ever saw, next to cornflowers. The bell-shaped blue flowers with icy-white anthers were beautiful, and stirred up images of cooler weather. They do have a short bloom time, hot weather just about stops the show, cutting back helps somewhat. Give 'em a try, i believe there are 2 or 3 varieties. Good luck, and enjoy.

You want blue? here ya go.... Perennials Wolfsbane Aconitum Blue Star Amsonia Aster, several Aster *Astilbe, several Astilbe Belleflower Campanula Aquilegia Columbine Sea Holly Eryngium Gentian Gentiana Johnson's Blue Hardy Geranium Brookside Hardy Geranium Mrs. Kendal Clark Hardy Geranium Bearded Iris, several Iris *Kansas Gayfeather Liatris Flax Linum Blue Lobelia Lobelia Lupines Lupinus Forget-Me-Not Myosotis Russian Sage Perovskia Garden Phlox, several Phlox pan. Woodland Phlox Phlox stol. Emerald Blule Creeping Phlox sub. Balloon Flower Platycodon Jacob's Ladder Polemonium Meadow Sage Salvia Pincushion Flower Scabiosa Blue Eyed Grass Sisyrinchium *Veronica, several Veronica *Violet Viola Bulbs Blue Giant Hyacinths Delft Blue Hyacinths King of the Blues Hyacinths *Giant Allium *Purple Sensation Allium Glory of the Snow Chionodoxa Blue Bird Crocus Spring Beauty Scilla Wood Hyacinth *Grape Hyacinths Muscari Species Iris Iris reticulata Blue Parrot Tulip *The Bishop Tulip *Attila Tulip Annuals Ageratum Ageratum Aster, several varieties Aster Bachelor Button Centaurea *Mexican Heather Cuphea *Globe Amaranth Gomphrena Heliotrope Heliotrope Morning Glory Ipomea Lobelia Lobelia Petunia Petunia Blue Salvia Salvia Pansy Viola Herbs Borage Borage Lavender Lavendula Catmint Nepeta Hostas with Blue Foliage Big Daddy Blue Angel Blue Cadet Blue Giant Blue Moon Blue Umbrellas Bressingham Blue Candy Hearts Dorset Blue Frances Williams Krossa Regal Love Pat Pizzazz seiboldiana elegans tokudama In addition to hosta varieties with blue foliage, Bachman's offers over 30 varieties with lavender or purple blooms. Roses *Angel Face - mauve floribunda *Blueberry Hill - mauve floribunda *Shocking Blue - mauve floribunda *Intrigue - mauve floribunda *Blue Girl - mauve hybrid tea *Heirloom - mauve hybrid tea *Lady X - mauve hybrid tea *Moon Shadow - mauve hybrid tea *Stainless Steel - mauve hybrid tea *Sterling Silver - mauve hybrid tea Miscellaneous Lily of the Nile Agapanthus Butterfly Bush Buddleia Some Varieties of Clematis Nikko Blue Hydrangea Hydrangea Some Varieties of Water Lilies Ornamental Grasses Blue Fescue (blue) Festuca glauca Blue Stem Grass (blue gray) Andropogon Black Flowering Sedge (blue-green) Carex nigra Blue Lyme Grass (blue) Elymus Blue Oat Grass (blue-gray) Helictotrichon Heavy Metal Switchgrass (metalic blue) Panicum =)

Hi Justin:I am sure i traded with you something for your,black Mission. I would like to know if your Black Mission fruitted and if they are good Tasting or not. Also if it is the same shape as Black Mission fruits coming from California. Mine did not fruit yet but is alive and curious it does not show any Fig Mosaic for what the Mission fig is faimous for. Thanks Anticipated VS

PrairieMoon, In my opinion, raised beds are the best way to make the right habitat for plants that don't like our natural soil. I have a bunch of them, made from granite cobble blocks from Home Depot, as well as some that were made using rocks from my property (a bumper crop of rocks every time I stick a spade in the ground) against a wall. You excavate out a foot or more of clay soil and replace it with your special blend, which has to be refreshed once a year with new compost but otherwise is carefree. I use planters and containers for hardy plants (I only use plants that are hardy to at least one zone colder than the local climate). The lavender I have is a Goodwin Creek variety that is only zone 7 hardy, so is marginal in my 6b garden. I bought it last winter and kept it next to a sunny window, then put it outside this year and refreshed the soil. It will come back in before the frost. With the hardy L. angustifoliums that will overwinter outside in our climate, I've found it's not enough to add gravel to existing soil; you really do have to remove the soil and totally replace it with that "Mediterranean" soil. I've had luck with my alpines and other dry-loving plants using a soil made from 2 parts bagged topsoil, 1 part coarse/builder's sand, 1 part turkey grit or small gravel, and 1 part compost (veg or manure).