I've got the blues

As any regular reader of my blog knows, I have a pronounced affection for flowers.  I'm especially fond of blue flowers.  I'll grow - or at least attempt to grow - any plant known to produce blue blooms.  As spring gets started, the blues have started to accumulate.  Here's a look at what currently has me singing (about) the blues:

After failing with other bugloss species, I tried Anchusa capensis 'Blue Angel' based on a recommendation by blogger Phillip at Dirt Therapy.  I've got just one plant but it's done well enough to encourage me to plant more.

The blue Anemone coronaria are prolific this year.  I ordered 'Lord Lieutenant' bulbs but I'm not sure that's what I got; however, I'm happy with the flowers in any case.

This is Aristea major, which is much brighter when viewed in person.  I've difficulty capturing the true color of most blue flowers with my camera.

Campanula portenschlagiana is just getting started

Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt' on my back slope is a challenge to photograph because it sits on our property's border and I can't get far enough away on our side of the line to get a good shot.  The tree-sized plant is hidden behind a lemon tree on our side, backed up by a neighbor's fence on the east side, and drops off sharply into another neighbor's property on the south side.

This is a closeup of a noID Ceanothus that came with the garden.  It was grown as a hedge about one foot away from the Xylosma hedge that runs the full length of the back garden.  There were several of these same Ceanothus growing in the front garden (a foot away from another Xylosma hedge).  Those plants died back suddenly a few years after we moved in and we removed them - or thought we did.  After 2 years of good rain, I've seen signs that 2 of the shrubs are attempting a comeback.

This is one of 3 Echium handiense I've grown from cuttings

I grow several Felicia aethiopica sub-shrubs in the back garden

Ipheion uniflorum (aka spring starflower and Mexican star) is a very pale blue

I planted 5 varieties of sweet peas in my cutting garden but only one is blooming so far and I can't say with certainty which one it is.  My best guess is that it's Lathyrus odoratus 'Mermaid's Dream'.

Lavandula multifida (aka fernleaf lavender and Egyptian lavender) blooms year round

Not flowers but the berries of Mahonia x media 'Charity' put on a better show than the flowers anyway

Top row: Osteospermum '4D Pink' has a purple-blue center Middle: O. '4D Silver' Bottom: O. 'Purple Spoon' and O. '4D Violet Ice'

Pericallis hybrids (aka cineraria), grown as annuals. The true blue varieties on top were included in a mix of plugs, most of which were blue.  The one on the bottom is Pericallis hybrida 'Magic Salmon', a favorite of mine.

I've a lot of prostrate rosemary (now classified as Salvia rosmarinus), all of which is blue even if it looks white in photographs

NoID Scaevola and Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum', both best viewed in closeup

Top: Viola 'Sorbet XP Neptune' Bottom: Viola cornuta 'Penny Peach'

If my records from prior years can be relied upon, many more blue flowers can be expected to show up by the end of March.  These are likely to include some of the brightest blues: Delphiniums, Iris douglasiana, Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Blue', Limonium perezii, and Scilla pervuviana.

Before I exit for the weekend, I'll share a few of the white flowers that are currently putting on a good show as well:

My ornamental pear tree (Pyrus calleryana) finally bloomed

The white Freesias (left) are well ahead of the blue ones this year,  The Osteospermum '4D White' (right) are off to a very good start.