Blue Flowers 06-17-08

I've always been fond of blue and blue-violet flowers and there seem to be quite a few that bloom this time of year in SCalifornia.

My neighbor to the south has Plumbago auriculata growing on his side of the wood fence on our property line. It grows through the cracks to my side and I don't trim it until it is finished blooming. In our area it is sometimes planted on hillsides with gazanias or coreopsis. The blue/yellow combination is so 'crisp' just looking at it cools me off. The origin of this plant is South Africa.

Lily-of-the-Nile (agapanthus africanus) blossoms are more blue violet, but also come in a darker shade and in white. They start blooming about the same time as the Jacarandas giving us three levels of blue - the trees, the plants and the fallen petals from both. This is also a South African native.

Here is a detail of a Lily-of-the-Nile blossom.

Lobelia erinus "Crystal Palace" is just one variety of lobelia and just one of many colors. This has always been my favorite color and when I was gardening I always had it growing in planters and in the ground. This picture was taken on my friend Mary's back deck where she grows it in boxes with pansies, marigolds and other colorful flowers.