Summertime blues
Cool colors recede in the landscape. They drop back visually, giving your eyes a rest. They meld gracefully with the natural dark greens of summertime foliage for a great and colorful final product. Here are three great options.
• Blue Daze evolvulus (Evolvulus glomeratus) was introduced to us all by Proven Winners in 1995. It’s even been named a Texas SuperStar® plant by Texas A&M, yet you still don’t see it as often as you should.
It grows to 10 to 18 inches tall and 24 to 36 inches wide. It presents its bright blue flowers against gray-green foliage all summer long. Best of all, the sunnier it gets, the happier it is. It’s tolerant of salty conditions so plant it along the Texas Gulf Coast. It’s winter-hardy to Zones 9-11. Otherwise, plant it out of 4-inch pots in late spring and use it as an annual in beds or patio pots.
• Tropical plumbago (Plumbago auriculata, formerly known as cape plumbago, P. capensis) came to us from South Africa. South Texans grow as a perennial in well-draining but moist soils. In colder climates of North Central and North Texas it is usually grown as an annual in large patio pots or commercial containers where it can be the featured main plant on display. It tolerates full sun to some mid-afternoon shade. It is hardy to Zones 9-11.
It displays its shows of blue (or white) flower clusters on stems that stand above the waving foliage. Mature height: 15-30 inches. Sprawl: 30-36 inches.
• ‘Victoria Blue Sage’ (Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’) is a shrubby tender perennial salvia that grows to 18 to 30 inches tall and 12 to 15 inches wide. Its somewhat drooping gray-green leaves are produced on erect stems week after week through late spring and summer. It’s the perfect “thriller” plant for patio pots.
Salvia farinacea as a species is native to the Southwest, notably Texas and Oklahoma, as well as Mexico. The cultivar ‘Victoria Blue’ was introduced into commerce by Syngenta Flowers, leaders in creative introductions of new crops worldwide, in 1999, and look how far it has come.
The sum of it all…
Blue, least common color in the floral world, is also one of the most psychologically cooling. Even in hot old Texas we have plants we can count on. You now know three of the best.