"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Monday, November 16, 2009

The Blues in my Garden.

Kiki from Awake with Charm and Spirit has invited bloggers to share the essence of blue in their home and garden and to share what it means to them. I was surprised as I went through my pictures of the past year at just how much blue I have in my garden. Not only in flowers, but in planters, birdhouses, birdbath and even the color of our house. Since I was very young I always remember my favorite color being blue. The first time my parents let me choose the color of my bedroom I asked for a light blue. My first car was blue, as a matter of fact the next few were blue as well. As I got older green found it's way into the top along with blue as my favorite colors.

Spanish Bluebells

Blue is supposed to be a calm color. I think that it does go with my personality most of the time.

Navelwort 'Starry Eyes' (Omphalodes cappadocica)

I love how blue flowers pop out against the green leaves on plants around them.

Blue star on the gate to the backyard.

Stellar's Jays are anything but calm. They are one of the noisiest birds in our garden.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virnginica) were a surprise return for me this year.

Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' grows well without any special treatment.

I know some people use the word blue to describe feeling sad. To me it doesn't feel like a sad color. There are so many shades of it and I think the paler the blue the calmer it feels to me.

Bachelor Buttons 'Blue Boy' (Cenataurea cyanus) are very close to true blue.

A blue birdbath in the middle of a flower bed seems to make everything standout around it. Even in winter when the plants are gone it adds a nice bright spot on a gray day.

Veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue'

Hydrangea 'Endless Summer' was new for me this year.

Hydrangea 'Nikko Blue' one of my favorite old fashioned shrubs. Hydrangeas are definitely one of my favorites.

Blueberries are so delicious right off the bush. Blue apparently rarely appears naturally in foods other than blueberries and plums.

This was such a fun post to do, and it could've easily been three times longer if I didn't stop myself. Maybe later this winter I'll do a part two.
I hope you will also join in and do an "Essence of Blue" post and visit Kiki and see what she and others see and feel about the color of blue!
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41 comments:

  1. I've certainly enjoyed my visit, Catherine ... an impressive blue post and fun Kiki challenge :)

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  2. Very cool challenge here! Love everyone of these photos...okay, the Starry Eyes won my heart though!

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  3. Catherine..oh my gosh..that was Epic-ly Awesome!!!I am in Blue awe!! What fun...I love your blue birdbath..the beautiful rustic pale blue star..how charming!!..and the stellar jay stole my heart...what a creative post..you rock! I loved hearing your insights and thoughts about blues..yay! Lovely! Your photos are super inspiring..I am so glad you created a blue post..FANTASTIC!Wow!!
    Kiki~

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  4. Catherine, oh how beautiful. i've never seen Virginia bluebells, a stellar jay bird or navelwort! i'm smitten! i just bought my first barn star and hope it gets the patina your star has.

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  5. Hi Catherine,

    I know you are probably tired of my exclaiming over your hydrangeas all the time, so I will rave about your navelwort instead. I love the beautiful blue/white coloration!

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  6. Good morning Catherine. What a beautiful array of blues you have. The birdbath really catches my eye in that bed.

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  7. You do take the most magnificent photos! Your blues make me smile. I too have a cobalt blue birdbath. Just stands out like a beacon, doesn't it, telling all the birds where to find water.
    Brenda

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  8. Beautiful photos, they almost make me a fan of blue. I can take it or leave it in the garden, my fave is red. Although I do like that cobalt blue birdbath. And the hydrangeas. I had never seen a Stellar's Jay till I moved here to the PNW. They have blue jays back East.

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  9. This was a beautiful post for a day with dismal, rainy weather. (I did enjoy the company of four friends this morning!) Blue is a beautiful color and, I think, especially nice in the garden! You have a bounty of beauty! :-)

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  10. Pretty, pretty! You have some really true blues in your garden, not just the blue-violets. They're all lovely.

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  11. Green and blue would have to be among my top colors too but green edges it a bit. Do you think it is because we like outside and the greens and blues predominate? Funny note, my house mimics the outside and I'm betting yours does too-done in greens and blues and one room is a sunny faux orange. Anyhow, love your blues. Especially that birdbath. It is simply gorgeous!

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  12. It is a nice series of blues. I need to keep a notebook next to me write these down. I really liked the one bellflower. Some of them probably won't grow here but I still could check them out. My blue gates belong in your garden.

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  13. Love all your blue Catherine - I hope you will do a part 2. Those Spanish blue bells are my favorite!

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  14. All so lovely, especially the little birdy - so cute!

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  15. Oh my God, Catherine, this is just a so, so lovely post... blue looks so amazing in your pictures. You have very pretty stuff in blue in your garden.
    Hugs
    María Cecilia

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  16. Very striking and beautiful shots. I love the jay and the starry eyes.

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  17. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!
    Those macro shots were wonderful!

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  18. I wouldn't mind being "blue" if everything looked like this. Your 'Starry Eyes' are just about the prettiest flowers ever. And I''ve always admired your blue birdbath.....so much nicer than my green plastic one.

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  19. Pretty blues Catherine! Love your blue birdbath!

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  20. Love all your blue flowers - Nikko Blue sure is a pale silvery blue color. Also love the cobalt birdbath.
    I've noticed our houses looked like similar blues and I painted my living room a pale blue because I had read it was a calming color too.

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  21. So many blue flowers! I love blue flowers and they areso rare in my part of the world. I liked all your flowers. Eagerly waiting for your Part 2!

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  22. You have a really wonderful collection of blues. I love all of it, especially the Navelwort and the Va. Bluebells.

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  23. "Don't it make my brown eyes blue"...love the "blue" post. I definitely didn't leave feeling blue, but uplifted! Beautiful photos. Blue is one of my fave colors.

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  24. Wonderful post, I'm really enjoying all of the lovely blue flowers being posted. Your navelwort is gorgeous. What are your soil conditions like? I'm thinking of trying endless summer, but my alkaline soil makes me hesitate.

    Your header & footer are stunning, you have a beautiful garden. :) Rebecca

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  25. I love those blues and I can not say enough how much I love those blues. I do hope you do another blue post again. Perhaps in the spring when I can go out and purchase all the blue plants. I have a "blue" garden that is no where near the blue it needs to be. Must... work ...harder... on focus. LOL

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  26. I adore all blues and purples, so I loved this post and all those glorious shades of blue .... although I prefer English bluebells to the Spanish invaders!
    (well, I have to say that don't I?!)

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  27. Catherine what gorgeous blues you have girl !! I think you have convinced me to hunt down Johnson's Blue geranium .. I have been sitting on the fence about that one for some reason (lack of space probably ?? LOL)
    Joy : )

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  28. I love all your Blues! I like that Starry one, very interesting. I thought it was going to be a Lithodora, but, no! Will have to check out whether it is hardy in my area.

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  29. Catherine, I like your Spanish bluebell photo. And the navelwort flower is so distinctive. Blue is such a great color in the garden.

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  30. Fun post topic! Even tho I'm starved for flowers this time of year, I have to say I really enjoyed your non-floral photos. The star, the Stellar's Jay, the birdbath. The Spanish Bluebells got me excited too. I planted some of those this fall and now I'm doubly excited to see them bloom. Lots of beautiful blues Catherine!

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  31. Rebecca - Our soil is on the acidic side. We have lots of evergreen trees around here. Lots of plants that like acidic soil do very well here. I wonder if Endless Summer would just start pink for you instead of changing from blue to pink?

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  32. Good night Catherine, looking at your blues again is a wonderful experience. Regarding the name of my roses I´m so sorry but have no idea what the name is. I bought them about 6 years ago.... sorry.
    Have nice dreams.
    María Cecilia

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  33. I'm so glad I stumbled upon your beautiful blog! And what a photographer you are!! - lovely, lovely photos. Thanks for the garden tour.... I especially love your Stellar Jay - they remind me of Lake Tahoe, where I spent my childhood listening to their cries through the forest....

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  34. What wonderful blues you have! It's my favorite color too, and I've grown to love green as well :)
    Pink is also right up there with the blue in my favorites list.
    I must plant Veronica again. I lost mine when it was overtaken by Monarda. I should've saved it while I could, but sadly, I didn't.
    Your photos are beautiful. This is such a lovely post.

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  35. I have never heard of Navelwort. It is beautiful. This was a great post.

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  36. What tremendous variety in all these blues! They do all have a calm and happy feel, in different ways. What a wonderful post!

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  37. Lovely blues more impressive for being presented as a collection.

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  38. Oh,how I love blue flowers! I'm longing for a blue hydrangea just like yours, but I've yet to see a blue hydrangea growing in nw Ohio. I've never heard of navalwort, but it's so charming! Can it be grown in a container? Lovely blue post, I enjoyed it so much.

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  39. All the flowers are lovely. Your pictures are perfectly splendid. You are certainly a great photographer.

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