Blue Themed Garden?
Whether you’re tempted to create a blue colour themed garden, or wish to provide continuity of colour through the seasons, choosing plants and shrubs by colour alone is sometimes a necessary requirement. The coolness of blue flowering shrubs can be a foil, for hot contrasting colours such as yellow or orange, or will create an elegant understated design, when used with white and silver leaved plants and shrubs. Here, we’ve chosen some of our absolute favourite blue flowering shrubs, for their depth of colour and fragrance and it’s therefore no co-incidence that these shrubs will attract many pollinators into your garden.
Blue Flowering Shrubs Attract Pollinators
Shrubs For Wildlife
At Paramount Plants we view it as an absolute necessity to help our wildlife wherever possible, to provide them with the sustenance they need to thrive in our gardens whether in the countryside or in an urban setting. Many of our blue flowering shrubs are also found in our Shrubs For Wildlife section.
Blue Flowers – A Rarity
Blue flowers have historically (because of their relative rarity) been given special status in garden designs, here we’re suggesting a range of perennials, evergreen shubs and climbers that can be used to create the most sumptuous blue gardens or selectively chosen to complement your current garden scheme.
Agapanthus – African Lily
The tall imposing flowerheads of Agapanthus or African lily (despite their origins from South Africa), absolute thrive here in the UK. We have both blue and white varieties of Agapanthus Africanus and Agapanthus Africanus Albus plus the slightly smaller Agapanthus Blue Storm these perennials are particularly beautiful when planted en masse in a bed or border. They will also work very well in pots on the terrace.
Blue Flowering Agapanthus
Ceanothus – California Lilac
Many varieties of Californian Lilac – Ceanothus produce clouds of the palest to the deepest blue blossoms, these evergreen shrubs are fairly fast growing and will happily grow in a coastal or windy area. We stock Yankee Point as a frame trained shrub for growing against a wall or fence. Other varieties include Ceanothus Skylark – bright blue flowers, bushy shaped shrub, Ceanothus Concha – bush or trellis grown – vibrant blue flowers and Ceanothus Impressus Victoria – large cone shaped bush with masses of blue flowers.
Ceanothus Yankee Point
Ceonothus trained with a clear stem – as an above wall hedge
Buddleia – Blue Chip
Buddleia is commonly referred to as the Butterfly bush, this variety, Buddleia Blue Chip has the most delicate deep blue flower that is prolifically produced during the summer months – they can be very useful as cut flowers and have a light delicate fragrance.
Left – Syringa Vulgaris Nadezhda, Russian blue flowering Lilac | Right – Buddleia Blue Chip
Blue Flowering Lilac
This variety of Lilac, Syringa Vulgaris Nadezhda is one of the Russian hybrids – it is a beautifully fragrant blue flowering shrub that can also be grown as a small tree – the flowers are perfect for cutting, the entire house will fill with the scent of lilacs.
Hibiscus Syriacus Oiseau Bleu
Late flowering – these beautiful exotic looking Hibiscus will flower profusely just at a time when the rest of the garden is looking a little tired – Hibiscus Syriacus Oiseau Bleu is a beautiful deep blue lilac colour and the central stamens will have bees just buzzing around them, another RHS Award of Garden Merit shrub. Plant in a sunny spot in humus rich soil and admire!
Blue Flowering Hibiscus Syriacus Oiseau Bleu
Clematis – Climbers
A woodland climber, clematis will tumble over most structures and can look very pretty when grown through the branches of a tree or shrub, these two blue varieties are at opposite ends of the colour spectrum, Clematis Dutch Sky is the palest of blues – almost white with large flowers that will brighten up a shady corner. Clematis prefers to have its roots in the shade while climbing upwards towards the light.
Clematis Fukuzono, is a rare Japanese variety, which has the most opulent blue – purple flowers and is a prolific flowerer. A lovely contrast when you grow these two together – the intertwined flowers look simply stunning.
Blue Flowering Clematis climbers: Left – Dutch Sky Clematis | Right – Clematis Fukuzono – rare blue variety
Passiflora – Blue Passion Flower, Climber
Very exotic flowers are produced en masse on this glossy semi-evergreen climber, relatively fast growing this vine-like climber likes full sun and will cover walls and fences, can also be allowed to roam freely as ground cover if there is enough sun. The flowers are followed by orange plum shaped fruits which are adored by birds.
Blue Flowering Passiflora – Passion Flower Climber
Rosemary
These evergreen shrubs are known for their herbal and culinary uses but we would like to introduce the concept of using Rosemary as a low growing hedge. These evergreen shrubs can be planted in the border, as a low-growing boundary hedge to soften a building or as part of a three tiered hedging design. Rosemary is easy to keep trimmed to shape and will reward you with beautiful blue flowers that are loved by bees and all pollinators.
Rosemary Hedge to soften a boundary – the blue flowers are loved by pollinators
Lavender Angustifolia
Highly fragrant Lavender Angustifolia is a perennial with beautiful bright blue flowers, our plants are a good size and are especially useful for low-growing hedges – plant at regular intervals and trim after blooming to keep in shape. The flowers are loved by bees and other pollinators
Blue Flowering Lavender – Highly Fragrant and perfect for low growing hedges
Blue Flowering Wisteria – Climber
One of the most beautiful and fragrant of the climbers, a vigorous grower Wisteria looks stunning above an entrance, trained along a sunny wall or clambouring up into a tree. The bright blue / lilac racemes are produced on last years growth in early Spring, trim to around 3-4 buds in the autumn to encourage Spring flowering. We have a range of sizes in stock – up to 11 feet tall specimens of Wisteria Prolific. Wisteria Sinensis Domino is a paler blue colour and has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit
Blue Flowering Wisteria Climbers – Two Varieties
Blue / Lilac Flowering Wisteria Climber, trained against a sunny wall
