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of gritty, well-drained compost and keep in a cold greenhouse. Height 10cm.Tecophilaea cyanocrocusAs a species, Ipheion uniflorum can look a bit wishy-washy, but 'Wisley Blue' is very pretty. Its flowers are like big, upward-facing blue stars. Plant it among

flowering)Florist anemones don't need to be pre-chilled. Soak them for a few hours before planting to rehydrate and plump up the wrinkled corms.Plant in 9cm pots or plastic cups, making a few holes in the base first. Once they flower, place in decorative

changing from pink to blue...a clear illustration of the affect of pH on plants.My garden soil must have got more alkaline, possibly through watering with 'hard' tap water during hot weather last summer, hence the pink flowers this year. I'll need to change

is that the colour of the flower leaches down the stems so the whole thing is suffused with blueEryngium bourgattii - the best blue of them all. A sort of steely azure as cold (yet devastatingly alluring) as the eyes of a mermaid. The best is probably one called

Korean chrysanthemums. (Moderation was not an abiding principle in the design of this garden.) Some in full flower, some in bud and in every colour you can think of except blue. At the entrance chrysanthemums blended beautifully with cannas, plectranthus

iris). The flowers vary in colour from pale blue to deep violet, with yellow-spotted splashes down each petal.Some of them share names with the engines of Rev. Wilbert Awdry, so we have I. reticulata 'Edward' and I. reticulata 'Gordon' although, sadly

tiny clusters of creamy white flowers in early summer that attract a range of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.CarawayBorago officinalis is an attractive plant with hairy leaves that have a slight cucumber flavour. Its delicate blue flowers

, mauves or white are held on strong, medium-tall wiry stems that don't need supporting.Japanese anemoneThis must-have plant has short stems of large bell-shaped flowers in purples, pinks and blues. It's drought tolerant and pretty hardy, although it

. The rhizomes should be divided every two years, after the plant has flowered in June.Iris pseudacorus 'Berlin Tiger'From May to July, Myositis scorpioides produces blue forget-me-not flowers. It can be planted in water, to a depth of 7.5cm (3in) or in wet mud

woad body paint terrorising Romans. The plant from which this comes is Isatis tinctoria and, oddly, it is not even faintly blue, but very yellow.I was reminded of this by a quick preview visit to Jekka McVicar's stand at this year's Chelsea Flower Show