How to Design a Blue Garden

Color in the garden is a dynamic design tool and the first thing our eyes process when we take in a space. It creates the aesthetic, unifies the landscape, and supports the overall mood or “feel” of a garden room.

Color-themed gardens are Victorian-era creations, where distinct spaces revolve around hues of a particular color palette. The Gilded Age revived the concept, and it’s never gone out of style. Blue, pink, and white gardens became the central, dominant themes of a garden room, vast or intimate.

Blue gardens evoke tranquility in tones that cool down the display. The stuff of Monet and Van Gogh, the rich tones are unique in nature and stunning as an overarching design theme. Originally designed for mass plantings of all shades of blue, blue gardens offer sweeping compositions that create an unbeatable sea of pleasing shades. 

Choose a Motif

Blue gardens are monochromatic designs that rely on a single color in a variety of hues, shades, and tints. Repeating the same color is an easy way to harmonize the landscape, unifying the look while adding interest through varying light and dark shades. A mix of foliage, form, and texture makes the design dynamic.

Repeat your color scheme throughout the yard in sweeps or patches for impact. This repetition unifies the landscape, regardless of garden size or whether a driveway, path, or specimen tree divides it.

Decide if you’ll bring in other colors for added interest, keeping blue as the dominant motif. White blooms with cool blues make a peaceful scheme that also helps a space appear larger. The soft hues recede in the landscape, making the area bigger to our eyes.

Blues also contrast beautifully with dark green, lime, and silvery foliage. Analogous shades like purple span the blue spectrum to broaden the range of hues and available selection. Complementary (opposite) shades like orange, yellows, and reds energize the display with hot hues.

Plant en Masse

To get our own Gatsby garden, the illusion of a sea of blue evokes the theme. Whether working with a single bed, a grouping of pots, or a vast landscape area, it’s possible to create a soothing blue garden using repetition.

For small spaces, choose a few plants with blue blooms and overtones to repeat. For larger areas, planting in drifts unifies the scheme. The repetition and planting en masse are pleasing to the eye as we process the space. The design is readable and conveys the tranquility we’re aiming for.

Layer the Landscape

Think dimensionally when it comes to blanketing the garden in blue. Incorporate plants of varying heights and textures for a layered landscape of trees, shrubs, and perennials, and embellish with annuals for extra color. Play off of existing trees and shrubs with low-growing perennials and groundcovers.

If you have the room, incorporate shrubs with blue-purple attributes (blooms, berries, foliage) and trees, too. Evergreens anchor the landscape all year, and with trees like blue spruce and Arizona cypress, icy blue tones shine through winter. Low-growing juniper softens the edges with chalky, needled foliage.

Aim for Multiseason Interest

Layering the landscape goes hand-in-hand with crafting multiseason appeal. For all-season interest, include plants with color at varying times of year. Spring and summer abound with blue options. In fall, look to foliage color and late-season blooms for interest. In winter, foliage, berries, and flowers support the theme during the quieter months.

Rely on Perennials

Perennials are the workhorses of the blue garden. With staggered bloom times, or for those with long flowering seasons, the recurrent color carries the display. Bank them with dark shrubs to stand out in the arrangement. Perennials are a great return on investment for years of color.

Opt for perennials that begin in spring and early summer (hyacinths, bluebells, ornamental alliums) and incorporate fall-blooming specimens (asters, plectranthus, salvia) for a flurry of blue to complement autumnal hues.

There are tons of warm-season options across climate zones, even if not necessarily true blue. A blend of shades evokes blue bliss. Incorporate white selections, too (depending on your motif), to bulk up the look.

Bring in Bulbs

Bulbs produce easy waves of cool blues. Their tones are some of the bluest there are, and with adaptability to a range of conditions and climates, they fit many gardens. Small and easy to plant, they go a long way in the landscape (especially those that naturalize in your growing zone). 

Bulbs also offer an economical way to plant in numbers. Spring-flowering selections make way for a blue garden as a seasonal theme to usher in warm weather. The color scheme can last for the season with a change-up as summer blooms emerge, or carry through to summer and fall.

Incorporate Accents and Elements

While blue-green foliage, berries, and blooms are the heart of a blue garden design, bringing in complementary elements and objects supports the peaceful theme.

Ceramic azure pots, indigo chair accents, or any other analogous accessories repeat the scheme to unify a space. Use accents as focal points to draw the eye, giving our gaze a spot to rest in a sweep of the garden.

Water, too, is a reflective element of a blue garden with intrinsic cooling properties that fit right in. Water brings tranquility and benefits diversity, too, with a place for birds and pollinators to drink. It also cools a space, at least visually and audibly, in the heat of summer.

Use pools and ponds to your advantage by building a blue garden around them, or add water features as a soothing element that appeals to the senses.

Our Favorite Blue Garden Plants

There’s a delicious depth of blue shades to enchant the classically styled blue garden design. Annuals like pansies, violas, petunia, lobelia, bachelor’s button, scaevola, and verbena in their true blue and denim shades are the perfect seasonal pairing to a leafy green backdrop.

For lasting selections, we’ll explore top perennials, shrubs, and trees to incorporate for a hint of blue or an all-in motif.

Aster

	botanical name Symphiotrichum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-8’
	hardiness zones 4-8

In jewel tones of the season, asters light up the fall garden with deep blue-purple ray flowers with contrasting yellow centers. They bloom in late summer with a blanket of color that extends well into fall.

Look to aster varieties like ‘Purple Dome’ New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) for masses of semi-double purple ray petals. ‘October Skies’ is a top-performing aromatic aster with deep sky blue flowers. Both rate high for pollinator attraction with nectar-rich blooms ahead of winter.

Asters are low-maintenance in the landscape. To stave off foliar diseases, allow plenty of air circulation through proper spacing and by thinning crowded stems in summer. Well-draining soils are essential.

Hydrangea

	botanical name Hydrangea spp.
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 2-8’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Hydrangeas bring big, blooming color to the border, foundation, hedges, and containers. The epitome of blue garden shrubs, numerous varieties boast the color we crave. Blue hydrangeas need acidic soils with a pH of less than 6.0 to retain their rich hue.

For a blue-themed garden, opt for a gorgeous bigleaf hydrangea cultivar like ‘Bloomstruck,’ ‘Nikko Blue,’ or ‘Blue Wave,’ among others. ‘Bloomstruck’ is part of the popular Endless Summer series, the first hydrangeas to bloom on both old and new wood. These cold-hardy, repeat bloomers begin blooming in late spring and early summer and continue throughout the warm season.

‘Pop Star’ is a dwarf hybrid that grows only a few feet tall and wide but produces loads of flower clusters in dark blue, depending on soil pH. As part of the Endless Summer series, it brings repeat lacecap blooms.

Agapanthus

	botanical name Agapanthus africanus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-5’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Agapanthus is a classic border perennial in sky blue and periwinkle. It produces rounded clusters of bell blooms on tall stems above deep green, strappy leaves. The evergreen, arching leaves are thick and glossy, attractive even when the plants aren’t in flower. Use agapanthus to line a bed edge or walkway, or in pots as a featured specimen.

Agapanthus is an adaptable warm-climate perennial native to southern Africa, where it tolerates drought and heat. In areas with cold winters, overwinter agapanthus indoors in a bright location.

Columbine

	botanical name Aquilegia coerulea
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Rocky Mountain blue columbine is an heirloom North American native wildflower with graceful violet and white flowers that spring to life after long winters. Attractive compound leaves emerge quickly as temperatures warm, followed by the nodding blooms. Hummingbirds and other pollinators visit the tubular blooms for nectar, and birds feed on the seeds in the fall.

Aquilegia corulea boasts the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit status for its performance and ornament. For another award-winning periwinkle columbine, look to ‘Bluebird’ with a distinct open-faced petal arrangement in watercolor hues. Part of the Songbird series, large flowers face upward to show off their pinwheel of petals atop a compact form.

‘Deep Blue and White’ brings bright blooms in indigo and white with yellow centers. In the Krigami series, upfacing flowers emerge early and in the first year of growth.

Globe Thistle

	botanical name Echinops bannaticus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Echinops, or globe thistle, sparkles in the landscape with stiff, structural, round blooms in purple-blue. Each nearly perfect one-and-a-half-inch globe captivates in the border as well as in fresh and dried florals. The tiny florets attract bees, moths, and butterflies in mid-summer through fall. 

Dissected, silvery green leaves add to the interest. Flowers range from lavender to deep blue; look for ‘Blue Glow’ with deep blue centers and slightly lighter edges.

Globe thistle prefers lean soils but adapts to various types, as long as they have good drainage. To promote continued flowering and prevent reseeding, deadhead spent blooms.

Rosemary

	botanical name Salvia rosmarinus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Rosemary brings the herb appeal to the blue garden design to delight the senses. Its evergreen form, aromatic foliage, and blue blooms in the summer make it a fit. The Mediterranean native bridges the edible and ornamental landscape in the ground and in containers.

Drought-tolerant, rosemary thrives with little care in fast-draining soil. Upright varieties like ‘Barbecue’ or ‘Arp’ lend a stiff texture, while cascading forms like ‘Huntington Carpet’ trail and spill to soften garden edges.

Penstemon

	botanical name Penstemon spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 4-9

North American native Penstemon species have showy blooms and attractive dark green leaves. Rocky Mountain blue penstemon (Penstemon strictus) is a long-lived, reliable heirloom with striking violet-blue bloom spikes in early summer. The tubular flowers are beacons for pollinating insects and birds.

The rugged wildflower tolerates varying soil conditions and dry spells. Penstemon grows best in dry, light soils with good drainage. Seeds benefit from fall or winter sowing to allow exposure to cold temperatures and moisture for spring germination.

Woodland Phlox

	botanical name Phlox divaricata
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Woodland phlox is an eastern North American native and a sweet addition to the woodland blue garden design. The RHS Award of Garden Merit recipient grows in open woodlands, dappled meadows, and along streams. Slender leaves are dark green along slightly arching, spreading stems.

Periwinkle blossoms emerge in April and May. ‘Blue Moon’ is a reliable variety with strong flower coverage and a dense habit. ‘May Breeze’ brings pale blue, nearly white flowers to lighten the shade arrangement.

Cut woodland phlox back after it finishes flowering to promote reblooming. It prefers moist, organic soil, but it grows in a wide range of soils. P. divaricata is drought-tolerant once established.

Brunnera

	botanical name Brunnera macrophylla
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-1.5’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Brunnera is another shade-loving groundcover, this one with heart-shaped foliage and blue springtime flowers. The Siberian perennial has silver, gray, and dark green foliage with heavy venation and patterning.

Cold-hardy brunnera is easy to grow and has good pest and disease resistance. ‘Jack Frost’ is a Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial of the Year winner and a top performer. It features large, silvery leaves with rich veins and blue flowers for visual interest in texture and color.

Blue Flax

	botanical name Linum lewisii
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Blue flax is a North American native wildflower that grows across a range of climates with cheerful sky blue flowers in summer. Each stem produces multiple five-petaled blossoms, favorites of native bees and honeybees.

L. lewisii is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis, who collected the plants on his westward journey. The low-maintenance perennials thrive in dry, disturbed sites and work well on slopes and as erosion control. 

Delphinium

	botanical name Delphinium spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Elegant and stately, Delphinium boasts large, deep blue bell-shaped flowers on tall stems, with cultivars in a range of hues. The glorious bloom spikes bring a range of shades, from royal to powder blue.

Delphinium grows best in cool climates. Larkspur dies back in the summer heat, performing as a cool-season annual in warm growing areas. 

Delphinium prefers moist soils and relies on excellent drainage to prevent crown rot and mildew. Full sun and ample air circulation help minimize fungal problems. They benefit from deadheading spent blooms, and tall varieties may require staking to keep the hefty spires upright.

Hosta

	botanical name Hosta spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4”-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Blue hostas bring lush foliage to infill the display or act as specimen plantings. Blue selections tolerate more shade than bright or variegated varieties, but also handle morning sun. From large to miniature, the glaucous perennials charm in the design.

‘Above the Clouds’ is a billowy cultivar with chalky blue, cupped, textural leaves. The large variety has a spread of up to five feet with a high presence. In midsummer, pale lavender flower scapes rise above the cloudy foliage.

‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is an adorable miniature hosta with rounded, three-inch leaves that spread horizontally. The Award of Garden Merit recipient and a Hosta of the Year winner has a long season of interest and reliable performance.

Sea Holly

	botanical name Eryngium planum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Sea holly is a spectacle in silver-blue with papery, spiky blooms. The starry spray of color and texture delights throughout summer and is long-lasting in fresh and dried florals.

Eryngium is tough and undaunted by heat, drought, and salty conditions. The more sun, the better for sea holly, in sandy or loamy well-draining soils. 

‘Blue Glitter’ is a hardy variety loaded with deep blue blooms on silver stems. Plants mature quickly and produce more flowers than other selections. ‘Steel Blue,’ an heirloom selection, features white-silver and blue tones.

Caryopteris

	botanical name Caryopteris spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Caryopteris, also called bluebeard or blue mist, is a shrubby perennial with abundant tiny blue flowers that rise in clusters above mounding foliage. In late summer and fall, the purple-blues contrast with bright, full foliage.

Caryopteris x clandodensis creates a misty spray of blooms. ‘Blue Mist’ produces powder blue flowers, while ‘Dark Knight’ has royal purple petals above silver-blue leaves.

Caryopteris prefers loose, light loams and sandy conditions and tolerates short dry spells. The mounding plants take shearing and shaping well, and divide easily.

Russian Sage

	botanical name Salvia yangii
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Russian sage shines with silver-flocked leaves and sprays of blue-purple tubular blooms in summer until frost. The bright foliage lends a fine texture and contrast, and is durable to boot. Russian sage thrives in dry situations with reliable flowering.

‘Blue Spires’ is a compact variety with dense blooms and Award of Garden Merit status. ‘Denim in Lace’ and ‘Crazy Blue’ are disease-resistant options for warm, rainy, and humid climates to defend against potential fungal problems.

Colorado Blue Spruce ‘Fat Albert’

	botanical name Picea pungens ‘Fat Albert’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-15’
	hardiness zones 2-8

It’s hard to pick just one blue-toned conifer, so add several to layer the landscape if your space allows. From pyramidal to dwarf, weeping, or spreading, the evergreens offer textural interest all year.