Feeling Blue, How About You?

The colors of spring are vibrant against the newness of green that abounds about the landscape. As all the newly purposed, revived, and flushed plants, trees and grasses reflect their chartreuses, kellies, jades, and emerald hues onto the garden scene, the florally cascade of the pinks and reds, pastels and bolds, yellows and whites, salmons and corals all make for an orchestral delight of color.

As these colors and blossoms fade, a color takes shape in the garden that will lead us into summer and accent the garden and home in a way few others do so – blue. Azure, aqua, cobalt, indigo, baby, cerulean, and turquoise find their way onto petals, foliages, skies and seas, pots, and garden accessories. These shades are visually cooling against the heat now creeping in for a long haul, and douse the garden with a pop of that coolness only blue can boast.



I use blue in my garden and interior design as my “go to” accent. From pottery, to china, lamps, garden stools, and urns, I trust in blue for that “something something”  the room or garden needs. A sucker for blue and white porcelain, I rely on its traditional and always fabulous nature for collections and boasting trappings from the garden.


As an architectural accent, blue shutters, doors, and even mullions can splash some luscious shades, hints, and hues of this color range. A buff, mild honey hued home with aqua/gray/ blue green shutters is fabo! Pennsylvania blue stone carries the hue onto the ground plane and what a delightful combination it is!

One feeling I have with blue is the color’s ability to pair striking well with just about every over color – including itself! When it comes to fashion, a sharp shirt, top, jacket or sweater always comes across sharp with dark denim jeans. Mr. Levi Strauss knew what he was doing! From boots to loafers, plaids to solids, checks, stripes, and piqué, blue jeans may certainly suit the ensemble. Same is true in the garden and interior!



A bouquet of blue hued blossoms in a blue and white vase, jardinière, cachepot, or urn is strikingly lovely, serene, and fresh. Blue and white mixed with books, silver, or other china such as majolica or Imari, is classically at home in many homes. Sparking off fantastically with magenta, coral, red, white and chartreuse, cobalt and azure glazed pots allow this marvelous color to become a garden feature and worthy accent to said colors. Yet, in the horticultural realm, true blue is actually a rarity for flower color, thus maybe why I cherish it so.

Thus, as the hydrangeas are starting to color up and bloom here in Dixie, mounds and mounds of the rare shade florets are popping onto the garden stage and can be carried through the garden with blue pots, garden stools, and other blue flowers. Besides hydrangea, this Farmer relies on salvias such as ‘Victoria Blue,’ ‘May Knight,’ ‘Sapphire,’ ‘Black and Blue’ and the lavender hued Mexican and Russian sages for spring, summer and fall blues. Plumbago, euvolvus, ageratum, and agapanthus spike shades of blue into the garden beds and pots alike throughout the spring and summer - and what lovely spikes they are!

So this Farmer is feeling blue, et tu? I sure hope so! From my garden to yours, all the best for a blue filled season.