I love blues too, but don't have too many of them. I do have myosotis sylvatica (forget-me-not) that blooms all summer for me. I have it in early morning sun and keep it well watered. I deadhead them every so often and they just keep blooming. I also have brunnera 'Jack Frost' (false forget-me-not)which blooms like crazy early spring to early summer. The leaves are great without flowers too. Those are my most true blue flowers. I plant the annual salvia 'Blue Victoria' which is a beauty too.

Kat

periwinkle- I didn't know 'black and blue' salvia worked here- well that's good to know!

I've been trying to get true blue color plants but many are more lavendar then blue even when they have "blue' in teh title. like geranium 'johnson blue'

In addition to the blue ones mentioned above:
Larkspur
cerastium plumbago (leadwart)
veronica 'sunny border blue'
columbine

and these are purple -blue:

salvia 'may night'
salvia 'blue queen'
salivia transylvanica (does anyone have the blue variety?)
geranium 'johnson blue' and 'brookside'
balloon flowers
veronica 'royal candles'

My fav would be the delphinium:)
karen

Kat: You've named 2 plants that I'd like to add. And to have Myotosis all summer, that's awesome! After 2 tries, I was able to get it to grow and thrive here. I think I just hadn't kept it moist enough.

Karen: Hi, yes I got Salvia Guarnica at the Farmers Market in Madison--Capitol Square and will definitely add it next year. The pretty blues but also the leaves are very attractive. I also saw some containers at a mall in Illinois planted with them and they looked wonderful.
The thought of the plants you listed just makes my mouth water.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I have perennial bachelor button's(cornflower) and I think my persian cornflower is blue also. There are some nice blue asters - summer and fall.

Here's a decent plant reference site. I have their catalog.
Al

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant reference/WG

True blue flowers are my fav--it annoys me when folks call purple flowers 'blue'. This year I'm planting anagallis 'Monelli', and amsonia tabernaemontana, to name a couple of blues I'm really looking forward to :)

For true blues now, I have F-M-K's, Rocky Mt. columbine (deep blue w/white center), and I can't think what else right now (I'm at work).

My fav blue~

Another fav ~

Copper: Who can resist Heavenly Blues?
In our cold zone, we don't see much action with morning glories until late August.

I really must try seeding them indoors to get a head start but haven't because of the cats.

Off topic: Since the change, These new ads/videos are so annoying!

Periwinkle, I first saw forget-me-nots on a lake in Boulder Junction when we were on vacation. They were so beautiful and blooming galore in late July. So I looked them up in a plant book and found out what they were. I had them in another garden but it just wasn't moist enough. But now that I moved them they are doing great. This soil holds water better and with the mulch it stays moist.
About those flash ads and such, I use Mozilla for my browser. I don't have any problems with ads. I do get the ones on the side, but they're no bother.

Kat

periwinkle said "Off topic: Since the change, These new ads/videos are so annoying!"

I agree completely. I've got adds popping up and playing all over the place and that's with the pop up blocker on.

Oh well. ;)

Funny, I only get the side ads, and I just ignore them. Wonder why? Back on topic: Copper, that blue iris is to die for--does it have a name?

Constance.

I quite like the forget-me-not-like flowers of Brunnera in the spring, esp. considering the beautiful foliage that ensues.

Another blue I've always liked is the common roadside weed chicory.

In bedding plants, the Felicia.....+oM

Oops! Didn't see Katushas mention of Brunnera up there. 'Jack Frost' is the one I've got. What a great plant!
.....+oM

Constance said - Copper, that blue iris is to die for--does it have a name?

Don't know...I got it as a mixed lot of Iris on Ebay.
Copper

Wow, Copper! What a good deal.

Tom, if you really like chicory, I've got seed. I pulled over and yanked a couple out, and I've had it in my gardens since. It is a lovely shade of blue, tolerates shade and drought, and is very cold hardy.

From across the Big River in Minnesota, I'm Rick, and I hope you don't mind me taking part here.

I planted chicory with seed I gathered in Iowa once. Not native to my area, I began to find a few in the roadside ditch and the neighbor's field. That was too scary for me, and I instigated a 5 year eradication program, and I am proud to say I caught it early enough. Fifteen years later I still find none. I must say I really do like the plant, but I don't need any invaders taking over like this one was threatening.

For true blue, no one has mentioned gentians (unless I missed it). Gentiana septemfida is a really easy garden perennial. Also some pulmonarias, like 'Blaus Meer' have intense blue flowers.

Rick, you are very welcome here.
Do you have a photo of Gentiana septemfida?

Denise, go to NARGS.org/plants/gentiana septemfida. It's lovely, and the site says it's good to Z2. I must have it. Rick, do you have any seed for it? Maybe there's something on my list you can use?

Constance.

Gentiana septemfida var. lagodechiana

I have one in part shade and one in full hot sun. The latter grows slower and protests, while the former is much happier and blooms on schedule. The photo is of the part shade one. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn't get Elvis's NARGS site to go. I think she meant this. My plants are more symetrical that that photo. I didn't gather any seed from mine this year, so I'm sorry to say I have none. I don't know where that zone 2 on the NARGS site came from. It may have been a typo since the photo was contributed, and not part of an official article. Most rate it as zone 5. But that wouldn't stop me from trying in in zon 3. It's very hardy in zone 4a with me, and at the edge of a raised bed at that. So many perennials are underrated simply because few people have tried them in colder zones.

Rick

Thanks Rick: That looks like a blue I would like to try, particularly if it's very hardy for you. I'll look for this one!

I love blue flowers. Its beginning to be a problem to space them apart.

Pulmonaria is one that is also very nice in early summer and I enjoy the spotted silver on the foliage. I have another one that I call globe campanula.

Shirley

I am always looking for blues ... I like scilla, Chinese delphinium, Chinese forget-me-nots, pulmonarias, chicory, Virginia bluebells, borage, flax, echinops, amsonia, centaura montana and Blue Paradise phlox. Blue Paradise phlox is only blue in the cool of the morning and evening but just glows.

Ah Shirley and Heartsease--just the descriptions of the blues you like sound extra-special during the winter.

I'd like to see Blue Paradise phlox.

heartsease--send me your addy and I'll send you fresh chickory; easy to grow but be careful where you put it; it's very tall. It does spread, but I wouldn't consider it invasive. The foliage looks similar to dandelions--very similar. I may have some Virginia bluebells from a trade; I'll take a look.

Con.

A jacobs ladder, polemonium reptans Blue Pearl, that is out front with morning and early afternoon sun gets great reviews from the neighbors each year. Probably needs dividing as the number of blooms have slowed down as of late.

John

Hi,
I wanted to bump this list up because I want to get the info from it and I'm too tired right now. I love blues especially in the moon garden with the white and silver leaves, but of course they also go with red for the patriotic effect. I agree, copper, your Iris is to die for. I have tried to grow the blue poppy for years without success and this iris is exactly the same color. Another day I'll post my blue ideas.
Catrina

Hi again,
Thanks for all the great information.
Okay Denise, which delphinium is that? Do you know?
Linda, is that phlox a tall phlox or a creeping one. I have a creeping one called emerald blue.
Okay here's my list of blues in the garden: Already mentioned: anagallis 'Monelli', borage, chicory, Columbine alpine blue, flax, forget-me-nots, morning glory Heavenly Blues, scilla, Siberian Iris 'Caesar's Brother', Virginia bluebells.
Some others that I have are nigelia, bugloss-anchusa, blue bedder salvia, and Salvia frainacea (this one is really just electric blue and the foliage turns burgundy when it gets cold and looks really cool and...I just found out it comes in white too.)
Some that I have had and lost are: lobelia blue, Blue eyed grass, certain pansy's
And what about stuff with bluish or silver foliage. They look really good with the blue flowers: seedum blue spruce and blue fescue to name a few but this is almost a whole new topic.
Last but not least there was a great thread on the moon garden forum about this a while back. Maybe I'll try and look it up on my next surf, but here's something I copied from that thread back then:
In the first pic there is Rooguchi (left) and Perle D'Azur (right). Rooguchi is smaller vine that David has growing within a wire clematis cage.
In the second pic David has Perle D'Azur (left) and Betty Corning (right). Both are classic blue clematis that come highly recommended for the novice. They are tall climbers. Of particular interest is Betty Corning. Why? Because she is fragrant and for that reason is my top pick among the trio
I'll be adding a lot of the things mentioned here to my wish list :) which is allready way too long, more like a dream on list :)
Catrina

Hi Catrina:

The Delphinium I posted is "New Milennium" from New Zealand. It is my favorite and I added another clump for last year's bloom.
(I also started Betty Corning last summer.) I know that clematis growers recommend that you pot up a new clematis in a gallon pot until the roots get big but I didn't last year. I'll be sure and do that with the next clematis I buy. And I have a feeling that I won't stop with those. Already I have 7 kinds.

Blue Paradise phlox is the tall garden variety, paniculata, I think. I bought it because it was raved about from an article of a garden tour of the American Hemerocallis Society. Of course, I had to run out and get one. Now I have three ... lots of nurseries sell it. I don't know what the change in color due to temperature is called but since in Wisconsin we often have cool temps in the morning and evening this phlox is wonderful. If you look online I haven't found a photo yet that does it justice.
I planted the clematis, Betty Corning a couple of years ago as a companion to my William Baffin rose. It is a nice medium blue and the clematis has a charming form, like bells. That's a great tip, Denise, about growing clematis in a gallon pot first. They can be so hard to start. I forgot another blue that I enjoy is ajuga ... I have the cultivar Metallica Crispa. Catrina, is the salvia you like called Victoria? I have seed for that and also the white if you like. That is a wonderful plant for the spike form and it's constant bloom.
Linda

Hi,
One of my new favorite blues that I haven't seen mentioned is Blue Angel Salvia (salvia patens). It's listed in most seed catalogs as a perennial to zone 6, but it blooms the first year from seed, and I discovered by accident that it has tubers which I have stored in our basement. Last summer the plants in their second year were 3 feet tall and full of blooms. A beautiful blue. Also among my favorites is Chinense 'Gentian Blue' Larkspur. Listed as an annual, but willingly self seeds in my gardens.
Colleen

Hi, Colleen,
I know a couple other gardeners up your way! I have salvia pratensis seed that I just bought this year from T&M, I will have to try the patens. I grew Chinese "Gentian Blue" Larkspur from seed last year but only had three wimpy plants. One of them did bloom and I am going to try to sow them in situ this spring where I think I will have a much better plant. That would be great if they self seed. One other blue I love is nolana but the rabbits like it even more than me. I am going to grow it in a pot on a pedestal above their heads this year. For new blues I have nemesia caerulea and Baby Blue Eyes nemophila. Does anyone have any experience with these?
Linda

Hi Denise,
I'm interested in knowing more about the clematis in the pot for the first year. What do you do with it over the first winter? Bring it in? Garage or indoors? Water over the winter or not? I only have 1 clematis. It's 3 years old and still not real big and I started it from a plant not from seed. Think how long it would take that way.
Linda it's Salvia frainacea the speces. As far as I know it was not a named variety. Not sure but I think victoria is a bigger one about the size of the coccnias(sp) I have the red and white of those. This one is smaller. the leafy part only about 6" with flower spikes only about 4". I don't know much about the white one yet; if it as hybrid or op. I do love the coccnias (sp) too. Only problem is if you grow red and white together you get pink from the seed. :(
Catrina