I love spring. It has arrived late this year here in Seattle. Normally by mid-April we should be into the prime tulip blooming time. But it has been cold and everything is two weeks late.

I had an opportunity to take a walk around the garden and several different colors jumped out at me. The first was lovely blue.

Pulmonaria – this lovely plant from the same family as borage loves to naturalize and seed itself throughout the garden. We had several named varieties but they have since crossed and naturalized throughout the garden. The spotted leaves also make a nice accent around the garden.

We also have several several patches of Scilla tubergeniana. They are not as invasive as the traditional English bluebell which can be quite a pest here in the Northwest. They definitely have seemed to taken over several gardens in Ballard. This light blue variety has behaved itself in my garden. I’ve also called it Puschkinia scilloides but I think it is Scilla.

Another blue bulb which seems to take over is Muscari – Grape Hyacinth. I love it so I don’t mind that it pop up here and there in the garden. I love dense patches of the bulbs. I love to cut a dozen and pop them into a small vase. The scent is heavenly. Not cloying like regular hyacinths.

The other two blue plants I found in bloom today are more tender Mediterranean plants. Rosemary which was in my herb pot was in bloom – lovely light blue flowers. And Echium fastuosum or Pride of Maderia. This is a stunning plant if grown in the right conditions. It is a little too cold here in the Pacific NW. We winter it over in the greenhouse and then move it to our south facing warm door enclosure. But in California – especially the Bay Area and along Big Sur – it can grow into brilliant blue mounts. It is a native of the island of Maderia.

Related posts:

• Favorite Spring Plants
• Blue in the Garden