Gardening blues not a common theme
Gardening blues is not a common theme
We all like warm, sunny and bright conditions and with it comes that feel good factor.
Now that we are in September and gradually heading into winter, we have to change with the seasons but, we still hope for an Indian summer to prolong the good times.
We would not be human if we did not have some mood swings from time to time, and it is only natural that this would include a period of the blues or bit of sadness or feeling low but, hopefully this does not last long. The position we and many other northern countries are in does not help during the winter months with the lack of light and heat for a number of months but our ancestors got around this by having a number of festivals, feast days and other activities to help cheer themselves up.
The medical and other experts have it all sorted out in keeping up our spirits, and their messages are continually being given out in the various media outlets but, while we hear and agree with the sentiments, I sometimes wonder if it is getting inside our brain and, do we do something about it.
The nice thing is that all those elements recommended for well being are there in abundance when you spend time gardening.
If anyone gets a bit tired, stressed or unsettled and heads outside to the garden, it is not long before those conditions disappear after spending some time interacting with nature. Just getting outside and pottering around is being active and that changes the dynamics straightaway and then the stress levels gradually drop as you interact with some gardening. Gardeners might have some disappointments in their garden but rarely get down, and if they do, they know how to beat it and that might be by digging over a plot of ground or heavier work depending on the mood!
Plants with blue flowers are not that common in the colour spectrum. If you think about it the vast majority of flowers are white, yellow, pink, red and variations in between but, there is a place for the blues and other similar shades like lilac and burgundy and for this you might have to search more widely as they are not that plentiful. I will group a few of these into the following two categories of shrubs and perennials for ease of choosing some for your garden.
Climbing plants Clematis, Passion flower, Solanum & Wisteria –there are many varieties to choose from, and now for shrubs such as Buddleia, Caryopteris, Ceanothus, Cistus, Fuchsia, Hebe, Hibiscus, Hydrangea (depends on soil), Lavender, Lilac, Rhododendron and Rosemary.
Blue perennials Aconitum (monkshood), Agapanthus (African Lily),Ajuga (bugle), Aster(Michaelmas Daisy), Brunnera, Campanula (Bellflower), Centaurea (Knapweed), Delphinium, Echinops (Globe Thistle), Eryngium (Sea Holly), Geranium, Hosta, Iris, Liriope (Lily Turf), Nepeta (Catmint),Phlox, Prunella (Self Heal), Pulmonaria (Lung Wort),Salvia, Scabious, Tradescanthia and Veronica.
