Growing the blues for a gorgeous cool-colored palette for containers or garden nook.

Do you like blue? If you like the color blue this article is for you. On the color spectrum of flowers blue is considered a cool-color. Do you have a white house trimmed with blue shutters or a blue door or maybe blue is your favorite color. Try something new this year. Yes, with all the dire predictions of the economy we all may have to cut back on buying this year but that does not mean no flowers it just means , be smart.

If you have steps leading to the front door or have a special little space that can be seen from the front make your spending count. Look through your old pots, wood boxes or tins that are sitting in a dark, dusty space in the garage or basement dust them off and bring them out for a good cleaning. A one part bleach to ten parts water is considered a way of sterilizing your containers. I always put a piece of screen or even a coffee filter in the bottom of the pot. It helps to get rid of the creepy, crawly bugs that can invade your container from the bottom.

Remember that one of the basic rules of thumb is to use a good potting soil,, have good drainage and the location. Seed and plant catalogues are arriving everyday, make use of them and pick out plants that will suit the area you want to hi-light. Blue flowers can range from a purple blue to violet to bluish burgundy. Delphiniums are wonderful plants with blue color. Did you remember when I wrote about bulbs? If you have a large container make sure to leave a space for a smaller pot to insert into the middle of the new container. I hope you planted yellow daffodils and possibly some purple grape hyacinths together. Think of purple pansies surrounding yellow daffodils and the shorter blue hyacinths. When the daffodils are done flowering usually by the middle of May take that pot out and insert another one leaving the pansies in and adding some lamium either White Nancy, Orchid Frost or Purple Dragon and plant around the big pot. Now think tall blue for the center pot. There are so many varieties to pick from it is mind boggling. salvias, iris, delphiniums: Blue Lace, Purple Passion, or Sunny Skies just to name a few, penstemon or a tall purple grass. The possibilities are endless. I like to place my pots about three or four inches into the ground or set them on bricks, pieces of cement etc. You can do anything that suits your area. Now for the kicker, if you have enough room, plant several white flowers: geraniums, petunias, nemesia just to name a few around where ever you set the container. Or mix and match several different heights: petunias will spread nicely as will nemesia or shasta daises for in back of the container. It is even better if you have a variety of containers square, vase like, round or any size you want to use. Remember plants spread and will fill a area in a short time period.

Group pots together so they look unified. Remember the threes and fives rule of thumb. Maybe you will want to put containers on the edge of the steps going up. Do you have a favorite piece of yard art you would like to showcase. A special bird house, a special flower pot that has a crack in it, just put it upside down and set a container on it. Double the pleasure. Any of these ideas can be planted in the soil if you have room. Use your imagination or ask one of your kids or grandkids what they think. At least you will probably get a honest answer. I have one grandson who knows I like unique things. When he was just four he brought me a large old board and a wonderful small piece of driftwood to start a project. I have that board hanging by my door and it now has seashells, feathers, stones and other unique little things that I glued on over the years as my grandkids collected them. It is one of my favorite decorations.

So, plan and above all have fun!. It doesn’t mater if you have a lot or a little but you can make it the best look possible.

Look for more ideas from me next week. My mind is going wild after I visited a nursery and got energized.

Carol - your Garden Lady