Blue Blooms for the End of May
The garden seems quieter now that the Tulips and Daffodils are gone. It’s starting to transition from spring to summer, and for some reason blue flowers become more prominent at this time.
There’s a large, well established Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) in the Sidewalk Border.
Here’s a close up of the flowers. The long petals are a bit unruly, like a person with uncombed hair.
In the back garden there’s a cultivar of the same species, ‘Blue Ice’. ‘Blue Ice’ is more compact and the flowers are more tidy and a darker shade of blue.
I’ve put a fair number of ‘Blue Ice’ into the back garden’s raised bed. The more mature plants bloom earlier than the newcomers. I hope with time they will bloom together to create a greater impact.
The Catmint (mostly Nepeta x faasennii ‘Kit Kat’) has been blooming for a while. The much larger Catmint ‘Six Hills Giant’ will come into its own later in June.
I haven’t noticed a lot of bees until recently, but now they are all over the Catmint.
Clematis ‘Multi-Blue’ is looking pretty good after that earlier Clematis wilt scare, don’t you think?
I still haven’t found a companion vine to grow with ‘Multi-Blue’, but maybe I’ll just plant two of the same variety.
The month of June will feature many more blue flowers. I’m especially looking forward to the Wild Blue Indigo (Baptisia australis). Then July will arrive with its hot temperatures and hot colors in red, yellow, and orange. The gardening year is moving much too fast.
gardeninacity 
The Clematis Multi-Blue looks stunning! I’m glad it didn’t wilt… It is surely one of the most vivid blue flowers I have seen.
It really does have a nice color.
I’ve noticed many more bees this past week. I’m highly allergic so I keep an eye out for them. Love blue flowers.
I love blue flowers and bees. Not a big fan of getting stung, but it happens very rarely.
Yes, the gardening year does seem to be zipping along. Here it is the last day of May. I like the way that Amsonia keeps blooms for so long. I have only one type
Amsonia bubrectii ‘Narrow Leaf Blue Star’. It grows in an amazing tight wad. I have tried to divide it but can’t get a shovel into it. I should purchase more but I never think to do it at the right time. I saw more bees early in the spring. Maybe I am just not out as much or there are more blooms they can choose from now and are not here so much, or are more spread out.
I tried to grow A. hubrectii but it didn’t do well for me. I think it wants lots of sun and dryish soil.
Blue, blue, blue! My favorite color. And your garden is abloom with it.
Something about this time of year … and, er, I hate to say this, but I think I’m getting stuck in your spam folder again.
Yes, you are, but no worries. I always “unspam” you. Wish I knew why this is happening.
Ditto! It happens on other blogs, also (but not all).
Beautiful blue – not too much blue in my garden right now except for the forget-me-nots, which I do always enjoy. Wild Blue Indigo is one plant have wanted to incorporate into the garden ever since I saw it all over the place at the Minneapolis fling – such a gorgeous plant and I’m surprised that it’s not more prevalent where we are.
I have one big Wild Blue Indigo just starting to bloom, and I just bought the hybrid ‘Solar Flare’ which has yellow flowers.
Your garden sings the blues beautifully. Yea for the clematis rallying after the wilt scare!
My vitex is about to bloom with lots of blue anticipated. Will be sharing that when it happens.
Looking forward to it!
Love the Amsonia. My catmint is blooming like crazy but no bees. My catmint has always been smothered with bees, but I noticed last year that the bees had dropped off dramatically.
Not nearly as many as there used to be. It’s rather concerning.
My ‘Six Hills Giant’ (planted last year) is in full bloom, as is the blue false indigo. And the prairie smoke is just about ready to start smokin’.
Oh, how I love blue flowers! That clematis and Blue Ice are such vibrant shades of blue, gorgeous.xxx
That really is a beautiful clematis. I wouldn’t plant anything with it that would hide its blooms.
I agree: It’s happening too fast! Yes, your Clematis looks healthy and beautiful! I added a small patch of Amsonia hubrichtii last summer, but I think I might have to move it–it’s surrounded by Hostas and I think it would be happier in a different space. The Amsonias sport such pleasant shades of blue!
The hubrichtii has better fall color, so that’s a good choice.
Everything looks great. I love the ‘Blue Ice’ and the clematis. They’re so rich in color.
I cannot complain that the gardening year is moving much too fast here in Maine. We are still chilly and sloooowwwlllyyy growing. That clematis is a keeper!
Sounds like your season is even shorter than ours.
Multi Blue is my current favorite Clematis. That’s saying something, with the bevy of beauties surrounding us at work.
I remember!!!
The garden year is whizzing by here, too. Glad your clematis has recovered and is looking in peak health.