I absolutely love spending time in my outdoor space, especially when the weather is nice.

Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) is an attractive plant, but unfortunately it is an invasive species in many areas of the US. This specimen was along scenic HWY 150 in West Virginia where it occurred along the road banks with oxeye daisies, which is another European invasive.

Awash with colors and shapes, this fabulous perennial planting brilliantly associates the bold, steel blue globe-shaped flowers of Echinops ritro (Globe Thistle) with the vertical purple spires of Anise Hyssop (Agastache). Created by world acclaimed designer, Piet Oudolf, at RHS Wisley Garden, Surrey, this naturalized perennial combination enjoys a long season of interest, is drought tolerant, deer resistant, low maintenance and a real magnet to butterflies and bees!

The Salvia River is at its peak, flooding the Light Plate with shades of violet. This area of the garden is so named because it cuts a boomerang-shaped swathe through the Light Plate from the Shoulder Hedge to the Meadow. Plantsman Piet Oudolf chose four varieties of Salvia for this area: Salvia x sylvestris 'Rugen' (medium blue-violet), S. x sylvestris 'Wesuwe' (deep violet), S. x sylvestris 'May Night' ( dark blue-violet) and S. x sylvestris 'Blue Hill' (true blue). The Salvias are planted in wide bands, crosswise to the channel. When you stand on the north path of the Light Plate and look south over the Salvia, the bands of color seem to ripple and undulate toward you - like a river. The common name for these Salvias is Meadow Sage. The stems are square, indicating they are from the mint family. A closer look at the leaves show a similarity to the Mediterranean herb used in cooking, S. officinalis.

An excellent border idea for the sunny landscape. Easy to grow, most plants are drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant and virtually pest and disease free. Enjoy!

Ajuga is a flowering groundcover that can form a rich carpet in your garden. Learn how to care for this plant with our growing guide.

Drömparken i Enköping har jag aldrig besökt så här tidigt på säsongen förut, så jag kände inte riktigt igen mig. Nu visade den upp sig i en helt annan skepnad än tidigare. Först imponerades jag av denna fantastiska blomning av hundratals martagonliljor (det är ändå bara en bråkdel som syns på fotot). Lilium 'Mrs. R. O. Backhouse' Inte en enda liljebagge i sikte och inte ett enda ätet blad, hur kan sådant gå till? Drömparkens gräs, som i vanliga fall nästan tar andan ur en, hade inte riktigt kommit I SVING, som dansken säger, utan det var Eremurus 'Cleopatras Needle' som stal showen. Polygonum polymorphum, bländande vit i bakgrunden, fröställningar av allium i förgrunden. An den schönen blauen Donau? Nej inte riktigt, men med dessa salvior har det skapats en annan typ av vattendrag som rinner ner mot enköpingsån. Plomis tuberosum med sina lila blommor i etage. Varför är inte min kattmynta så här fin? Jag har troligen fel sort, den här heter Nepeta subsessilis. En härligt grafisk vy med rejäla grupper av blomster. En Babtisia med en lite ljusare färg än den man vanligtvis ser.

Amsonia 'Blue Ice' in my garden late April next to Nepeta 'Walker's Low' & Phlomis Who needs a compact, attractive, tough-as-nails perennial that--by the way--is gorgeous in two seasons? Yes, everyone. Then let me enthusiastically endorse Amsonia tabernaemontana 'Blue Ice.' The horticultural world is still rightfully swooning over its feathery cousin, Arkansas Amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii), recent winner of the Perennial Plant of the Year. I will make the claim, however, that Amsonia 'Blue Ice' may be the more versatile and durable plant. Amsonia 'Blue Ice' was discovered in a seedling block of Amsonia tabernaemontana at White Flower Farm in Connecticut. It sports the same broad leaves of the species, giving it a handsome texture to contrast with finer-foliaged plants. But it seems to be more compact (12-15 inches in height), longer blooming (three weeks + in my garden), and has this incredibly dark blue color of the bud of the flower. Dark blue is incredibly rare in perennials. The dark blue buds have this incredible shadowing effect underneath the lighter blue periwinkle-like flowers. In the mid-Atlantic, it bloomed late April through early May.  Dark blue buds shadow the lighter blue open flowers of Amsonia 'Blue Ice' Amsonia tabernaemontana is a member of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). Like other members of the dogbane family, it has a white, milky sap that is toxic to mammaliam herbivores--perhaps making this a deer-resistant plant? (Have others of you grown this plant in deer country? I'd be curious to know how it fares.) It grows natively in rich open woods, rocky woodlands, limestone glades, and moist sandy meadows. 'Blue Ice' is a hybrid, but the exact parentage of this cultivar is still unknown. Tony Advent of Plant Delights Nursery guesses it is a cross with the taxonomically-debated dwarf Amsonia montana (which most nurseries seem to categorize as Amsonia tabernaemontana 'Montanta'). Others have wondered whether it is a cross with the Asian Rhaza orientale, which after looking at images of Rhaza, seems highly plausible. Whoever the papa is, Amsonia 'Blue Ice' has proven to be incredibly tough. I planted it where it spills over a public sidewalk. The heat off this sidewalk regularly tops 95 degrees for weeks in the summer. And yet the foliage remains steadfast and handsome. Based on my two year trial, I'd recommend it as a replacement for groundcovers. The foliage of Amsonia 'Blue Ice' in the midsummer heat near the U.S. Senate office In the fall, this Bluestar turns a golden yellow, though not quite as brilliant as its Threadleaf-cousin (A. hubrichtii). Fall color was ok the first year, and much better the second year. The warm yellow autumnal foliage is nice in combination with low grasses and native deciduous shrubs.  The fall foliage of Amsonia 'Blue Ice' is good, though not as strong as A. hubrichtii  The success of two U.S. native Amsonias (A. tabernaemontana and A. hubrichtii) should convince plant breeders to explore more of this wonderful genus. Piet Oudolf has used Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia to great effect on projects such as The Highline and the Lurie Garden. This variety differs from the species in that is has narrower more lanceolate leaves that makes it more willowy in texture. There are at least 22 known species of Amsonias--most native to North America--and many of them have horticultural potential. Southeastern natives Amsonia illustris and Amsonia ludoviciana are two others worth noting. I'm particulalry interested in the Louisiana native A. ludoviciana for its compact habit, heat tolerance, and whitish, whooly undersides. Could be a great native groundcover that might have some deer tolerance. Plant hunters and breeders, get to it! Amsonia hubrichtii in fall is incredibly dramatic

With its vivid silver-blue foliage, Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' is a standout among Blue Fescue varieties. This dwarf ornamental grass forms a compact mound of finely-textured needles, topped with upright flower plumes in summer.

Discover the beauty of blue plants through 40+ blue flowers, fruit, and foliage. Design a true blue garden for a spectacular show of colour.

The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England and Wales, and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.

Groundcovers are great for covering large areas and is low maintenance. Check out our informative post on ground covers for shade & more!

Vinca minor (Lesser Periwinkle) is a vigorous, evergreen mat-forming perennial with glossy dark green leaves and large lavender blue flowers from mid-spring to early summer. Borne over a long period, they continue to flower intermittently throughout summer into fall and are valuable for enlivening dark areas. The long, trailing stems root at the nodes as they go along the ground to form a dense carpet of rich foliage. Excellent for suppressing weeds, this vigorous periwinkle is one of the most popular and widely used groundcovers.

One of the bridges over the lake in Regents Park, taken from another one.