The new 2010 Plant of the Year is Baptisia australis. A wonderful, blue-flowering, sun-loving perennial native to the Central and Eastern United States it’s hardy in USDA zones 3-9. Blue false indigo grows three to four feet tall by four feet wide. Low maintenance, drought tolerant once established, great in a mixed perennial and shrub border are some of the features as to why this plant was selected. Be sure to look it up when you’re shopping for something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue in your garden this Spring.
I have to have it! Blue is the signature color of my garden.
If you need blue in the garden then I also recommend Meconopsis betonicifolia (Himalayan Blue Poppy) as well.
There is nothing quite as intense on this annual flower. The bloom trick is to make sure the site is half shady during the afternoon and more importantly there is no wind.