June is the month of blue flowers, or so it seems in our garden. Sadly, we are missing one of my favorites, Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), which was lost to sewer repair. I planted a replacement, but it won’t bloom this year.
Even so, there’s the Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). Unfortunately, its flowers always close by mid-afternoon. I love the bright golden anthers, they make me think of gold buttons on a blue cape.
Ohio Spiderwort doesn’t run like some other Spiderworts I can name. It just gradually builds sizable clumps. I would like it better if it were a bit shorter and more upright. As it is, I try to give it something to lean on to prevent flopping.
We have a mature Bluestar in the front garden. It grows to the size of a small shrub, much bigger than the hybrid ‘Blue Ice’ in the back. The star-shaped flowers are sky blue.
‘Six Hills Giant’ Catmint (Nepeta x faasenii) is another June bloomer, seen above with Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea).
Hardy Geraniums often come in shades of blue. We have ‘Rozanne’ (above) in a couple of spots. Plus I just planted some ‘Brookside’, which still needs to fill out, along the sunny side of the Driveway Border.
When I call a flower blue I often deploy a bit of gardener’s license. Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’ is clearly purple, but it’s my garden and I have declared it to be an honorary blue.
Clematis ‘Betty Corning’ is just starting to flower.
I’ll say again that if someone would make a hat in the color and shape of a ‘Betty Corning’ flower, and in the right size, I would wear that hat. Though I warn you, I have quite a big head.
Clematis ‘Multi-Blue’ grows on the same tuteur with ‘Guernsey Cream’, and starts to bloom just as ‘Guernsey Cream’ starts fading away.
And speaking of Clematis, I’m pleased to report that ‘Jackmanii’ is coming back strong after sustaining some damage during the sewer/driveway construction. It’s just about reached the top of its new trellis.
So I’m expecting a big display of purple ‘Jackmanii’ blooms in a few weeks, though I may choose to call them blue.
gardeninacity 
“Honorary blue,” eh? Not sure about the botanical ethics in that, but I am sure that I will borrow it. What a useful gardener’s idea! I trust we will see a photo of you in the Betty Corning hat should it ever come to be.
I solemnly so promise.
What a great idea for a theme. Gotta love those blues!
And I do.
On my computer, all your flowers look purple. However, I know there are relatively few real blue flowers so I’m glad to hear you have several! I tried germinating seeds of blue poppy – a gorgeous blue – it didn’t work and knowing they are notorious for this didn’t make me feel any better!
I don’t even try with the blue poppy. I choose to ignore your comment about everything looking purple.
So glad that you are highlighting blue flowers in the garden, my eye is always drawn to blue flower, lovely against green foliage. Lovely first photo of the Ohio spiderworts..and of course the Clematis…gorgeous!
Blue is a very soothing color, I think.
So many lovely blues. I love the little clematis such a pretty shape
And eventually it is hung with dozens of those flowers, like little bells.
It is often a fine line between blue and purple and depending on the light and my mood I see them differently every day! I tried growing Spiderwort once and was so disappointed as the flowers faded by lunchtime and the leaves flopped in the heat. It went on the compost heap that autumn. Your blue clematis is lovely… if anyone makes that hat you must show us a picture of it! 😉
The Spiderwort flowers do fold in the afternoon, that is one of their limitations.
Love your blue flowers. It is difficult to have favourites but my preferred flowers always seem to be blue or white. Amelia
Mine are usually blue (sort of) or orange.
Do you trim your Catmint?
After they finish blooming, yes.
The trellis looks great. It will be fun to see the flowers blooming on it. As for the spiderwort, I’ll never forget the day I found a vacant lot in the next town down the road filled with a mix of blue and white flowers! I’d never seen a white spiderwort; they were entrancing. I need to dig out those photos and post a couple.
Looking forward to that.
Jack would be in the blue family in my mind. 🙂 You have beautiful blue blooms. I will have to look around to see if all of mine are blooming blue at this time. Jack is already blooming here.
I can see the flower buds, still small, but no flowers yet on mine.
The new trellis looks splendid!! A beautiful choice. Can hardly wait to see it with the clem in bloom.
Me too!
Beautiful. Blues are the best. I’ve certainly bought lots of plants labeled blue that turned out purple. That’s acceptable but I don’t like for plants labeled purple to bloom pink. That’s taking it too far. Have a good week.
Blue, blue, blue! My favorite color.
And one of mine as well.
Blue is not an easy color. Most blue flowers are somewhat purplish. Agapanthus happens to be one of the most common flowers here, and is quite blue. Otherwise, there is not much more. Even the jacarandas in Southern California are slightly purplish. My colleague had been wanting to get blue ginger since he was a kid. Now that he finally got a few, he found that they are not ginger at all, but are actually related to the spiderwort.
Flower color requires a certain amount of willful interpretation.
I know white when I see it though.
Many years ago I bought a Rozanne from the landscaper where I worked and gradually it was crowded and shaded to a shadow of itself. So last summer I dug it up and put it in a more open spot that I can see from my window, and now it participates in a call and response with my ohio spiderwort from across the terrace. Alright, the spiderwort actually grow in the terrace, between the bricks. Not great, I know, but I can’t get it established anywhere else so I let it get by with it.
I’m with you~I’d wear that hat, too! Maybe I should look into creating that!
So glad your clematis is surging back so enthusiastically.
Right now my ‘Rozanne’ is suffering from a fair amount of insect damage – FLPB, I think.
FLPB? I feel I should know what that is but am drawing a blank. I’m sorry to hear that. I did notice one of my plants was sustaining some heaving damage.
Four Lined Plant Bug
Ah, ok thanks.
Ha ha, a ‘Betty Corning’ hat is only befitting a garden fairy… and I’d leave it at that 😀
Wow, clematis ‘Jackmanii’ is a fast grower! The trellis look so good now, well done!
Thank you. So you’re saying I would make a poor garden fairy? I suppose I would be a very large fairy.
I like the Multi-Blue clematis. I’ve never seen it.
I’m glad the Jackmanii made it through. That was a beautiful plant!
I’m hoping it will be so again this year!
Oh….the blues and golds certainly float my boat. my favourite combination. Jackmanii is looking good, can’t wait for the wall of flowers, good to know it’s made a comeback. It loves it’s new trellis! xxx
Yes, blue and gold is a great combination.
You have some very lovely blues.
Thank you!
good watching
I love blues! Re: the amsonia, I’m currently dithering between ‘Blue Ice’ and ‘Storm Cloud’. Blue Ice is supposed to be more compact, but I do have room…although not so much room that I’d want a “full size” amsonia. My #1 favorite blue flower is a tender (for me) sort-of-vine, Tweedia caerulea. It’s on my list of “try it again one of these days” plants!
Not familiar with ‘Storm Cloud’. The straight species do take up a lot of space, though worth it if you have the space to fill. I like the name Tweedia. Seems there should be a variety T. carulea v. ‘Tweediadee’ and another v. ‘Tweediadum’.
Hello Jason, I like the “honorary blue” title to some plants that are really pushing the definition of blue. I’m glad to see your Jackmanii clematis is doing well. Ours is perhaps doing too well, it’s stretched through a few shrubs, over a rose arch and into a tree. It’s just starting to flower and that’s the only way I can tell how far it has scrambled. I’m looking forward to seeing your wall in flower.
Sounds like you will have quite a ‘Jackmanii’ display as well.
I would love to see you in that hat. Some of these are my favourites too, Betty Corning Salvia ‘Caradonna’ and Geranium ‘Rozanne’. I don’t have Clematis ‘Multiblue’ but clearly I need to get one, it’s fabulous.
I haven’t found a single blue Clematis that I haven’t loved.