Flowers for a Patriotic Garden
For a garden in semi-sun or semi-shade, one of my favorite blue plants is Hydrangea macrophylla Nikko Blue. Under acidic conditions, this hydrangea becomes a beautiful sky blue. The young blooms are light blue with a creamy green suffusion. Use the acidifier Holly Tone to get these beautiful blooms.
My Nikko Blue has sprawled over the years. I like to put red bee balm, Monarda didyma, a native plant, in the spots between the hydrangeas, as they bloom at the same time and both like moist soil. Two bee balms work well: Cambridge Scarlet and Jacob Cline. The bee balm flowers look like exploding fireworks in between the hydrangeas. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds find these flowers irresistible.
Another noteworthy hydrangea that has beautiful blue flowers in acidic soil is Endless Summer, which blooms on old and new wood throughout the season. Bloomstruck also blooms on old and new wood. Twist-n-Shout is a lacecap hydrangea that reblooms with periwinkle-blue flowers in acidic soil.
Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle is a native hydrangea that loves shade and moist soil but blooms with beautiful white puffs of flowers that eventually turn pale green.
Another showy spreading perennial for a red, white and blue garden is gooseneck flower, Lysimachia clethroides, with flower spikes that look like a shooting star and have a slight curve to the flower. The flowers are white and like partial sun as they complement bee balm and hydrangeas.
Lobelia cardinalis, red cardinal flower, likes partial sun and lots of moisture if you have a wet area in your garden. This native has brilliant red spikes that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
All of these can grow in a sunnier area as long as enough moisture is provided.
Some real sun-loving annuals for your Independence Day garden are Benary red zinnias, which draw hummingbirds and butterflies. Chinese forget-me-nots have a beautiful sky-blue cluster of tiny flowers. Even this close to the holiday, you could make a potted Independence Day garden if you find them blooming in a garden center.
Maria Price-Nowakowski runs Beaver Creek Cottage Gardens, a small native plant nursery in Severn.