Name: Hydrangea macrophylla selections Growing Conditions: Morning sun and afternoon shade in moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter. Don’t let bigleaf hydrangeas get too dry. Size: To 7 feet tall and wide, depending on variety Zones: 4–9, depending on the variety Plant it with: Blue bigleaf hydrangeas look stunning when paired with white-flowering varieties such as ‘Annabelle’ or oakleaf. Buy It: Let’s Dance Rhythmic Blue Hydrangea ($40, The Home Depot) Plant Name: Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 4–8 Plant it with: Because the geranium starts flowering in early summer, pair it with spring-blooming bulbs such as grape hyacinth, crocus, and white daffodils to add color before this perennial gets going. Buy It: Rozanne Everblooming Geranium ($25, Breck’s) Plant Name: Delphinium selections Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 6 feet tall and 1 foot wide, depending on type Zones: 3–7, depending on type Plant it with: Blue-flowering dwarf delphiniums such as ‘Butterfly Blue’ or ‘Summer Nights’ look fantastic with the yellow blooms of Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ or ‘Fanfare’ blanket flower. Buy It: Cobalt Dreams Bare Root ($15, Home Depot)
Plant Name: Brunnera macrophylla Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Zones: 3–7 Plant it with: The springtime flowers look fantastic paired with white or yellow daffodils or with silvery Japanese painted fern. Buy It: Silver Heart Siberian Bugloss ($23, Breck’s) Plant Name: Muscari Growing Conditions: Sun or shade in well-drained soil Size: To 8 inches tall and 3 inches wide Zones: 4–8 Plant it with: Yellow daffodils are a classic choice, but you can extend the season by planting with late-spring-blooming perennials, such as columbine, that keep the color show going after grape hyacinth has faded. Buy It: Blue Grape Hyacinth ($12, Breck’s) Plant Name: Clematis selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: Most clematis climb to about 12 feet, but some can reach more than 25 feet. Zones: 3–9, depending on type Plant it with: A classic way to grow clematis is to combine it with climbing roses. Create contrast by planting a blue-flowering clematis with a yellow rose such as ‘Graham Thomas Climbing’ or a white type such as ‘Climbing Iceberg’. Plant Name: Amsonia tabernaemontana Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Zones: 3–9 Plant it with: Columbines are perfect companions for bluestar. Create a harmonious color scheme by planting blue- or white-flowering columbines; create contrast with yellow varieties. Buy It: Blue Ice Amsonia ($29, Nature Hills) Plant Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Growing Conditions: Sun or shade and well-drained soil Size: To 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide Zones: 5–9 Plant it with: Create a bold display at the end of the season by pairing leadwort with yellow chrysanthemums or white asters. Plant Name: Campanula selections Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, depending on type Zones: 3-9, depending on type Plant it with: Bellflowers are prefect companions for blue pincushion flowers (Scabiosa). Bonus: Both are great for cutting. Buy It: Campanula Carpatica Blue Clips Bellflower ($15, Bluestone Perennials) Plant Name: Salvia selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and wide, depending on type Zones: 3–9, depending on type Plant it with: Blue salvia look wonderful with penstemon, a native perennial which is also heat and drought resistant. Buy It: Blue Hill Salvia ($27 for five, Breck’s) Plant Name: Platycodon grandiflorus Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide Zones: 4–9 Plant it with: The lilac-pink flowers of ‘Appleblossom’ yarrow (Achillea) or gaura are a perfect complement to blue balloon flowers. Buy It: Blue Balloon Flower ($30 for two, Breck’s) Plant Name: Symphyotrichum selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 3–9, depending on type Plant it with: Goldenrod and mums are two perfect partners for blue asters. Buy It: Marie Ballard Aster ($17, Breck’s) Plant Name: Ipomoea tricolor Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: Climbs to 12 feet tall or more Zones: Annual in 2–8, Perennial in 9–11 Buy It: Flying Saucer Morning Glory Vine Seeds ($4, Etsy) Plant Name: Scilla siberica Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: 4-6 inches tall Zones: 2–8 Plant it with: Contrast blue scilla with pink, yellow, or orange early-flowering species tulips. It also mixes well with other small early bulbs, such as snowdrops. Buy It: Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’ bulbs ($15 for 50, Bluestone Perennials) Plant Name: Nigella damascena Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: up to 2 feet tall Zones: annual Plant it with: Try love-in-a-mist with other colorful annuals with contrasting flower shapes, such as celosia and globe amaranth. Buy It: Jewels Indigo Nigella seeds ($3, Etsy) Plant Name: Baptisia australis Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 4 feet tall Zones: 3–8 Plant it with: For a prairie effect, plant baptisia with other natives, such as purple coneflower, milkweed, and switchgrass. Plant Name: Iris Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall, depending on variety Zones: 4–9 Buy It: Forever Blue Dwarf Reblooming Bearded Iris ($19, Home Depot ) Plant Name: Echinops ritro Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 1-3 feet tall Zones: 3–9 Buy It: Globe Thistle Seeds ($11, Etsy)
