A couple more small and minis opened yesterday. One I'd forgotten about and it bloomed for the first time and blew me away. It was a bonus from James Hall, and is one of his, called 'Buddy's Angel Baby.' It is a cute little 3" flower out of Lavender Blue Baby. I hope to get a better picture that more accurately captures the colors, but this was dark purple with a very black eye. This picture had too much sunlight but it is another uniquely colored small one. This is from Hilton Anderson in Region 14- 'Coffee to Go.' At 3", it is a small flower. Those who don't grow small or mini blooms should try them! They're addictive.

Speaking of primadonnas, I have had CATNAP BLUES now for three years, ZERO blooms. :o( I thought it was placement in the garden, so last fall I moved it, along with a few other poorly placed daylilies to the best spot in the garden beds. All the others responded well, blooming and increasing in size. But still zilch from CB. Next year is its last chance - I figure two years in one spot should be long enough for it to grow and aclimate. Little Devil. Another one that refuses to bloom for me is CLOUDS OF KISSES. I put it in March 08, but no blooms last year, no blooms this year. I think I may try to move it in fall, and give it another spring. Grrr... I WANT to see this bloom! CRINTONIC SHADOWLANDS went in last March also, and didn't bloom last year or this year, but it was one in the batch of smallest daylilies I have ever gotten. I am pleasantly suprised that finally, one of that same group, SINGS THE BLUES has a scape. I'd say that is one late scape! But I am happy to see it. SILOAM TINY TIM was the third of the teenie weenie club, but it is a little mini anyway, but I got one scape and about 4 flowers from him this year. FORSYTH FROSTBOUND has just really struggled here. I got a few blooms last year, but then it almost died. I replanted it in a prime spot and it came around this spring with a very healthy looking fan, but no flowers. LIZZIE'S LEGACY gave me nothing this year. MOKAN BUTTERFLY was MIA this season, and almost croaked again, for the third time. Now it is in a pot. SEA OF CORTEZ gave me nothing this year. Looks like I am going to have to blast "Your the One That I Want" from the patio stereo, and they better shape up!

Yes, I have been gardening more years than I will admit to, Babka! And we are both right. A garden is non-stop change, some you choose and some find you, like the herd of deer I battle. But there are some plants that genuinely are "plant and forget". I have many hostas that fit that description. They are such monsters to move or divide that I try to plant them in a permanent home. Of course, I fertilize, water, mulch as needed but they are virtually carefree for me, knock on wood. I also have astilbes, maidenhair ferns, balloon flowers and some others that have been in the same place with no dividing etc. for 25 years plus. Admittedly, most of my perennials want a lot more attention than that so I love the "plant and forget" (except for admiring them) all the more. And Caliloo, that Baby Blue Eyes is really appealing. I may have to try more than one of these but Blue Mouse Ears seems to have the vote.

Well I'm NOT a blue person. Indoors I have NO blue. My husband doesn't understand this. I have no idea why I feel this way. Outdoors things are different! I have a blue/yellow/white garden bed which I love. Yes, delphineums, catananche, campanulas, baptisia and more, are mixed with trollius, coreopsis moonbeam, peony Claire de Lune and low growing white clematis and aquilegia. It is a big mix and wouldn't be any fun at all without the blue! There are loads of clematis that are purple or blue/purple, but also some very nice blues I think. You do get into the question of "what is blue?" My husband and I think this could well be a male/female issue! Also, by saying a flower is blue, perhaps a catalogue gains more sales? * Posted by: coolbeans (My Page) on Sat, Feb 2, 02 at 13:12 This is my VERY favorite thread, and I totally agree with all those who feel that there is just "something" about blue flowers; they ARE magical, they ARE very special; and they make me happier than any other color flower. Don't know why...I just started a flat full of Bluebird delphinium seeds I saved from my one lonely plant last year. A bunch of them germinated, so now I can't wait to have a huge stand of them! Maybe they won't bloom this year, but maybe they will. And also "true blue" penstemons, I'm trying for the first time. I can't get enough of this precious color. * Posted by: Anne_Marie_Alb (My Page) on Tue, Feb 5, 02 at 17:47 WOW....... Did anyone realize that this thread started almost 5 years ago... on Feb. 15, 1997!!!!! I am amazed it has survived that long. Probably, the oldest thread still on the top page! I wonder if "Clare B" (who started the thread) is still an active member of the Garden Web!!! I personally love blue flowers (I mean blue, and not purple, which I also like). I can't believe how many blue flowers I am starting from seeds this year... and that was just a pure coincidence! I also love RED flowers.. Maybe, I should start a "red flower" thread! I will first check the archives! * Posted by: Clare (My Page) on Thu, Feb 7, 02 at 20:34 Yes, Ann_Marie, I am still here! I will be a bit sad to see this thread fade away when it hits the 100 posts mark. After that, the threads are closed. I don't think I have any true blue flowers still. "Victoria Blue" Salvia is the closest thing. I use it a lot. It is such a heavy, long bloomer, and about one in twenty of them will survive winter here. Just wish I could predict which would survive so that I could save seed from those alone and perhaps work up a more hardy strain. By the way, the Hydrangeas in Memphis, Tennessee are incredible. Some are so saturated blue that I'd have to call them navy. * Posted by: Dswan (My Page) on Sat, Feb 9, 02 at 22:37 I'm going to add to this extremely long thread only because there really is something to true blue. I grow from seed a very difficult plant to propagate called Penstemon cyananthus or Wasatch Penstemon. I cold stratify and plant these every year in hopes of gettting one or two in my garden every year. Absolutely gorgeous. * Posted by: Rosa (My Page) on Mon, Mar 11, 02 at 10:24 Did no one mention Gentians-now those are blue! (along with my favorite penstemson of course-some are indeed blue). * Posted by: pineshade7b ) on Mon, Apr 15, 02 at 11:02 i agree with gloria mc coy. i love blue and green , they are my favorite colors in anything. just look in my house and closets. blue..ocean, blue jeans, my own eyes are blue and my husband's are green. many reasons to answer -why blue. although i do not "hyperventilate" , if i should go into a nursery and ask for a blue -flowering plant and the staff looks down their nose at me, i'll know now that they are only doing it because they think I'M a snob. until i adopted gardening as a serious hobby i had no idea that blue was a "snob" color. i just naturally began to look into flowers in the colors i liked personally. you learn something new everyday. i would have been hurt and confused to walk into a nursery and be looked at like a pariah, what did i say? now i know, thanks clare. * Posted by: DesertGardner (My Page) on Fri, Apr 19, 02 at 12:38 Wow - I never knew there was such a controversy over the color blue in the garden. After reading all the posts, I now understand why some gardeners prefer the color. And I have to say that I've never met any gardeners whom I would consider snobbish. Most of them are really quite down to earth! (if you pardon the expression...) I recently tried planting a red, white and blue flower bed, with 'Victoria Blue' Salvia being my blue color. It's a little too purple and doesn't look right as a "patriotic" design. I will probably tear out the red and white and keep the "blue" (purple) since it seems to like this desert heat. Someone mentioned black flowers, and I remembered seeing black pansies in the most recent Burpee catalog. They're a beautiful velvety black with a spot of yellow in the center. I think I'll plant some this winter, and start an obsession with black flowers! (just kidding Clare...) -Kara [* Posted by: yeona_sky (My Page) on Mon, Jun 24, 02 at 0:37 I just bought a blue poppy and am nervously watching its progress. My success with blues has been an up hill battle, but that hasn't changed my desire to spotlight it in my garden. Why blue?, again it's a passion with me. Clare, I hope you get the last word on this thread, and I hope you understand Why blue, a little better. * Posted by: Duster (My Page) on Wed, Jun 26, 02 at 23:56 I agree with the many others about getting annoyed when purple is referred to as blue. Maybe that's why I take up the cause of truly blue flowers! 99% of my Delphiniums are the true electric blue ones. I'd love one of the Himalayan Poppies but just not right for my little yard. I like the blue flowers, rather than the blue foliage plants. And no, blue is NOT my favorite color - I have nothing blue in my home decor. I just like the uniqueness of the TRUE blue and my stubbornness to get people to stop calling it purple!!!!