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I want to establish a bed of blue flowers; as many low maintenance perennials as possible although annual lobelia at the front would be a must. Suggestions welcome.

As viewed, the 'front' will be about 6 feet wide and the depth maybe 4 feet. Basically level ground, & so far not raised. It gets full sun from mid morning to sunset (when there is any; we have often-hot summers but cool wet winters; Canadian zone 7b) . Behind the bed the background is is a wild lilac and other dark shrubs/trees. Until now I've been more of a veggie grower and don't know much about flowers.

As yet I have few blue plants except lobelia, sage and some Johnson's blue geraniums. Also another, pale blue, true geranium but it spreads widely and shows more foliage than flowers. I have some Oregon grape and bluebell bulbs. I like bluebells (oops I mis-spelled that!) but if I let them take hold would they take over? I also have a neglected low, intense blue rockery plant that might be recoverable. Can't recall its name

Plants I have in mind:

Anemone
Delphineum
Lupin(e)s
Petunia
Pansies
Violets

Maybe a Hibiscus at the very back?

Oh, and extending longways adjoining this bed are two established red plants, notably a low wide-spreading red laceleaf Maple and a Kalmia - an opportunity for some interesting red-to-blue transition plants?

Some white would look nice with the blue - white would enhance the blue. I have some blue Forget-Me-Nots. They have small yellow centers but are primarily blue.

Pacific “Northwest” so you HAVE to have some camassia bulbs, no? They are good for low, wet spots. I’m planning to get some this fall for my new gardenbed.

- What is the soil condition like?
- Are you looking for horticultural “blue” which is mostly purply violet colors or sky blue? (so right there — Viola odorata - sweet violet)

* … you mentioned bluebells— that would be Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginia)?

* Grape hyacinths are available in both the purple and sky blue (Azure)

* Hosta can be “blue” in foliage color (blue green) or lilac blue in bloom

* Colorado blue spruce if you want year-round blue foliage

* Iris - Japanese or Siberian if dry conditions or Flag iris in wet

* Himalayan poppy (sky blue)

* Salvia in indigo blue

* rosemary

* hydrangea

* Nepeta

* Russian sage

* baptista - blue false indigo

* blue flax flower (annual not perennial I think?)

* bachelor button or cornflowers

… might be able to think of more …

sky blue aster
blue daisy
blue dahlia

Thanks, HB & Apple, for those good suggestions. Some I'd already considered but forgot to put on my list. Hydrangea for sure, and Iris.

The soil is in a spot neither particularly dry nor wet. It's not very deep I think, with many rounded 'cobbles' (I'm removing those ) over a hardpan of clay or packed silt.

It's the sky blue that grabs me - lobelia, Johnson's blue etc plus the paler shades; but for transitioning to the adjacent 'red bed' graduated purples could be classy (a word few would apply to my gardening!) And how about the gorgeous 'Bordeaux' anemome?

Blue dahlia? Sounds good - I didn't know there were any.
Aster I might steer clear of. Very nice flowers but I think hard to control?
Camassia I don't know; have to look it up.

"You mentioned bluebells — that would be Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginia)?" ... Well, Virginia although these are growing in Canada I've been calling them Scots Bluebells (Campanula Rotundifolia, as I now discover) but I'm not sure about that anymore.

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outd ... ing-314712

The blossoms on mine are gone now, but I don't think they drooped from a bent-over stem like the Scottish ones I see on the web.
I'll have to research some of the other suggestions but I'd skip the blue spruce - a big tree! - and Himalayan poppy as I think it's 'challenging' and I want 'dependables'. The anemone 'Blue Poppy' would be an easier(?) near-identical substitute.

Here's a full frontal of the proposed bed; long neglected and taken over by geranium, mint, oregano, etc. - all of which I've started digging up.
The white planters will be gone. Intruding high on the right is butterfly bush, overdue for severe pruning. Front center blue spikes are sage; to their right the Kalmia flowers are fading. further right is the weeping red maple. Camera doesn't do colors justice; especially the maple. The rusty firepit (heavy truck wheel) will be moved leftward, then half-buried and enclosed in low brickwork.

Now, if the weather would cool off I could get a lot more done. These past few days it's unbearable by 9.30 - 10.00 am.