Singing the summer blues
Summer is the time to sing the blues.
Not sad blues, but praise for the color blue. In summer, the
best of the blue-flowering trees, shrubs and plants present a
wonderful show of color, and that what we are seeing right now.
During the hottest days of summer, blue is a cool color in the
garden.
Singing the summer blues
Summer is the time to sing the blues.
Not sad blues, but praise for the color blue. In summer, the best of the blue-flowering trees, shrubs and plants present a wonderful show of color, and that what we are seeing right now. During the hottest days of summer, blue is a cool color in the garden.
It’s hard to miss the fabulous jacaranda trees with their blue-hued blooms. Jacaranda mimosifolia is a Brazilian native that has found a welcome home in the warmth of California. These deciduous shade trees can be used as street trees or accent trees in yards. Some time in June the clusters of blue flowers start appearing. The tubular flowers hang on the tree well into summer.
Homeowners who have the jacaranda say it is a somewhat messy tree once the flowers start to fall. But right now, it looks like a cloud of foamy blue flowers, a treat that offsets the job of raking up the petals later on.
Right on the heels of the jacaranda is the summer-blooming Lily of the Nile. There are a number of varieties, but the one most commonly planted – the one in bloom now – is Agapanthus orientalis. What makes this South African native so desirable is that it is an evergreen that needs little water and less care. The clump of broad leaves stays green year round. But, in late spring, long flower stalks pop up from the clump, and then open with striking round clusters of blue flowers.
I have mixed feelings about Lily of the Nile. It is so widely used as a landscape plant that I find myself thinking, “Oh, no, couldn’t they find something more original?” But on the other hand, the plant is a carefree grower that will not fail. The flowers are as reliable as anything can be in the garden.
The blue Lily of the Nile does best in full sun, but I have seen them growing in full shade – and flowering. Not as many flowers as those in the sun, but enough to make them worth the effort. There is also Lily of the Nile that produces white flowers, but the blues are more common and readily found in garden centers.
Does blue have a fragrance? Yes, indeed, if that blue happens to be lavender. Lavendula is the herb garden hero that does double duty as a landscape plant. . It grows beautifully as an evergreen shrub with highly fragrant leaves, and then puts up sought-after spikes of blue flowers.
Lavender flowers are at their peak fragrance in July in our area, and that is when it’s best to harvest the flower spikes. I like to gather them in little bunches and hang them to dry to enjoy their fragrance. The flowers also can be stripped of their buds, which in turn can be used in sachets and potpourri. Or, you can just leave the blue flower spikes on the shrubs and enjoy the color in the garden. When the flowers are finished, cut the shrub mounds back about one-third. That is basically all the care lavender shrubs require.
Lavender is a Mediterranean native, and there are many named varieties. English lavender is the one most commonly used in the landscape, but French lavender and Spanish lavender offer their own special benefits. Check Sunset Western Garden Book under “Lavendula” to sort through the various lavenders. Also, not all lavender is blue. There are purple varieties and the harder-to-find white lavenders.
My personal favorite of the summer blues is the blue-flowering hydrangea. The blue hydrangea was somewhat rare in earlier days. But gardeners have learned the simple trick of manipulating the hydrangea’s color, so blues are more widely available in garden centers and florist shops.
The hydrangea responds to soil pH. An alkaline soil with a pH of 6 to 7 results in pink flowers. But lowering the pH to a more acidic soil of 5 to 5.8 turns the flower blue. My dad, who had a hedge or blue hydrangeas, assured the color by regularly tossing a handful of iron nails into the soil. Nails are no longer made of iron, so that isn’t the answer. But iron sulfate does the job of lowering the soil pH. Be careful here: Don’t overdo it. Read the directions on the box and use just the amount recommended.
A walk through the nursery or garden center will turn up many other blues such as delphinium, larkspur, penstemon, campanula, baby blue eyes, bachelor button, morning glory, ageratum and blue marguerite.
A Reader Wants to Know: There is something wrong with my 2-year-old Gala apple tree. On certain branches, the tip shrivels and the leaves die. I’ve cut off the sick branches. I wonder if there is a spray I could use to stop this problem.
Joan Says: The symptons you describe are typical of fireblight. Apple, pear and pyracantha are targets of fireblight, and Gala is one of the apple varieties that is highly susceptible to this bacteria. There is no spray to cure fireblight. The best control is to prune off diseased branches, cutting 12 inches below the evidence of the disease. This is going to be hard on a small apple tree, but it is your only chance to save the tree.
