I’ve Got The Summertime Blues… by Martin Blow

Blue is such a valuable colour in the garden: it mixes well with other colours, it’s a relaxing, cooling colour in the hot sun and it shows up well at dusk, just when we want to sit out and enjoy the warm evenings. There are many shades of blue to choose from, from the palest sky blue through to deep, intense, inky blues reflecting the blues found in the sky. Blue also has the effect of making small spaces seem bigger so blue planting schemes are ideal for smaller gardens.

There are plenty of easy to grow blue perennial plants to enjoy. Here are some of my favourites.

For a good choice of blues look no further than irises. The easiest to grow are the Siberian iris, these flower in early summer and can do well in most soil types, in full sun or light shade. My personal favourite is the old variety Perry’s Blue which grows to about 2ft 6in tall and has masses of mid-blue flowers. Bearded Irises require sun and free-draining soils, and the lovely Jane Phillips has the palest blue flowers with a sweet scent. Always be sure to check the growing conditions for iris because some are quite fussy.

The royal blue spire of flower on the tall speedwell, Veronica longifolia, make a great combination with gold and orange flowers in mid-summer and blue is an ideal contrast with orange dahlias or day lilies. Veronicas are great bee plants and blue is one of the easiest colours for bees to find.

Talking of spires of flowers, there can be no more impressive sight than well grown Delphiniums in full flower early in summer and again in the autumn. Delphiniums come in all shades of blue. They can be grown from seed, but the best plants come from specialists who raise named varieties from cuttings each year. They need a good soil and should be planted very firmly.

Another excellent bee plant is the blue globe thistle, or Echinops. These are covered with balls of electric blue flowers in late summer, and the flowers are usually covered in bees and butterflies.

One of my absolute favourite flowers are Scabious and there are plenty of blue flowered varieties to choose from, from the pale blue Clive Greaves to the deep blue of Fama. These are best in sun, and they don’t like really acidic soils, but mildly acid (like mine) or limy soils are fine.

The Sleeping Beauty (Commelina) looks tropical with her mass of intense blue flowers. She gets her name because the flowers close in the late afternoon and overnight, opening again in the morning. She is related to the Spider plant, a common house plant but is hardy outdoors in winter with us. She is easy to grow from seed or cuttings.

There are so many more to mention if I had space: cornflowers, salvias, geraniums and asters to name but a few. So, if blue is your colour, there’s nothing stopping you getting the summertime blues for your garden.

Janet & I organise Plant Hunters’ Fairs, specialist plant fairs at wonderful locations. Please see www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk for a full list of our plant fairs. Please check website for all the latest updates before travelling.

Plant Fair Dates for your 2026 diary: Sunday 16^th August, Middleton Hall, Nr Tamworth, B78 2AE, entry to Gardens & Plant Fair only £4 (special low entry price). Ticket required. Saturday 5^th September, Bodenham Arboretum, Nr Kidderminster, DY11 5TB, free entry to Plant Fair. Sunday 13^th September, Weston Park, Shifnal, TF11 8LE, Special Offer for Garden & Plant Fair entry, advance online ticket purchase only £5 (£13 on the day, pay on gate).