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luciliae creates a blue haze under trees or naturalised in grass. If you do plant it in a lawn, don't mow too early. Give it a chance to set seed and you'll have even more to enjoy the following year. Height 15cm.Chionodoxa luciliaeLiving up to its common

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

about eryngiums in the ‘We love’ pages of the July 2011 edition. I would like, if I may, to expand on that a bit and introduce you to a few more.I love eryngiums: they are about the only plants that manage to be architectural, delicate, pretty

chrysanths. They seem to have slipped out of fashion over here. Not so in America.I was fortunate enough to be rumbling around New York a couple of weeks ago. The sun was glorious and the glimpses of azure blue sky amidst the skyscrapers were awe inspiring

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

, 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

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

', blue clouds of catmint and Russian sage.Planting companionsSome shrubs also make great companions, such as euphorbias, geums and Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing' with the warmer-coloured iris flowers, or cistus and artemisia for the cool blues