I'm not a big Anchusa fan either...

Some other suggestions:

Agastache 'Blue Fortune'
Aster 'Monch' (short-lived)
Campanula 'Kent Belle' or 'Sarastro' or 'Summertime Blues'
Delphinium !?!
Geranium 'Rozanne' or 'Jolly Bee' (but would be shorter than 2')
Geranium 'Orion' (would be taller, but not as long-blooming as the above two)
Nepeta subsessilis (the species which 3-4' or 'Blue Dreams' which is 2')
Perovskia (Russian Sage)
Salvia (many varieties to choose from; most bloom early summer, but re-bloom a little)

Please note that the definition/expectation of true "blue" is somewhat ambiguous in the above! ;)

Salvia sounds like a good idea. I've heard good things about Salvia Blue Hill.

Agree about the color thing. I'm new to gardening and I often wonder how catalogs can get away with such blatant misrepresentations. Also many photos appear to be enhanced.

that go blue thing for MI???

been there.. done that... bsically failed.. lol ...

blue is real hard in the flower world.. at least the blue i am specualting you are looking for ...

check out Caryopteris à clandonensis .. which for years i have called blue beards mist ... late flowering shrub... which is a bit out of the ordinary ... well within your size.. nearly dies back in winter ....

the only caution is if you have any fear of bees.. because it is much like sedum autumn joy in its attractions of bees in august ...

otherwise a very nice airy blue ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

If I understand the requirements, it will probably be hard to beat balloonflower.

How about Veronica? "Blue Charm" is an outstanding cultivar (though might be paler than you'd like - it's a soft lilac color). Also, ditto the salvia rec above.

If you want color *all season*, stick with an annual. Heliotrope would look great with black-eyed susan, and there are taller cultivars of heliotrope available, if you don't want the commonly-available shorter variety (check out Select Seeds - they have a 1.5-2' heliotrope cultivar that is mid-dark purple in color).

The complimentary color for blue is orange. The complimentary color for yellow is purple so you might look at some mauve flowers too. There are not too many true blue flowers though--most are a deep purple so you would be all right with blue.

In my previous garden, I had a border that was devoted to the blue/yellow/white palette. It provided a very "country French" feel :-)

For yellows, I included Helianthus 'Lemon Queen', Solidago 'Fireworks', Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm', Alstroemeria lutea, and Euphorbia polychroma. There were also yellow flowered bulbs - narcissus and tulips in spring and 'Golden Stargazer' lilies.

For the blues, I included Agapanthus 'Storm Cloud', Aster x frikartii 'Monch', Nepeta 'Little Titch', 'Hidcote' lavender, Caryopteris 'Dark Knight', Salvia 'Black and Blue', Clematis 'Harlow Carr' and hardy plumbago, Ceratostigma. Muscari and 'Delft Blue' hyacinths for spring.

I also threw in whatever annuals that appealed to me - for sure pansies along the edge.

ballon flower sounds like a great idea!

You would have to grow as an annual (take cuttings for overwintering) up there, but salvia guaraniticia 'Black & Blue' and salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue' or 'Indigo Spires' bloom all summer here. They are great with yellow (or just about any other color).

Cameron

You have some great ideas already. If you want an annual, I would also recommend Salvia farinacea, Rhea. It's a true blue. Sf, Victoria would be beautiful too, though a bit more lavender. If think you would enjoy the spikes of a salvia (or veronica) with the daisy form of the rudbeckia. I sure wish I could get more than 2-3 weeks of bloom out of a rudbeckia..,,

Black eyed susan flowers for months for us. Love it.

Thanks for the great ideas guys. I think I will stick with the balloon flowers though.

Follow up question. Looking for a red flowering plant to add to the mix. Again 2-3 feet tall and long flowering in summer wanted. What would you prefer, centranthus ruber or miniature brilliant hollyhock (sidalcea?)

What about echinops (globe thistle)?

Great blue lobelia looks great with black-eyed susans. I also like the annual, Salvia Farinacea (mealy cup sage) because it blooms a long time and into the fall.

How about Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'?

Kevin : )

You might want to try Veronica. I bought 3 Royal Candles in the fall, now they're saying they're violet blue but said "gentian" when I purchased them last year.

That Crater Lake is supposed to be true blue, also might want to look at Sunny Border Blue and Georgia Blue. Also Blue Reflection, got and set out 3 of those in the fall, too.

Somebody here posted some yellow daylilies with a Rozanne geranium. I went bonkers and ordered one to scramble through my yellow daylilies. They're not true blue, got to see one bloom B4 frost, but they're very intense and have mixed blue in them.

My nepeta is almost true blue, and I've ordered 3 Salvia black and blue from Burpee only available as plants, pricey. It looks purplish in their photo, but people posted photos here, and they were very intense blue, may be salvia guaranitica. They have to be grown as annuals in my zone but are jawdroppers. Odd looking blossoms with black at the base.

We had a looooong discussion last year on a thread in this forum titled "Favorite Blue Perennials, really blue". Might want to take a look at it, most photos still up.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/peren/msg0619253917103.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Veronica at Bluestone

Ultima Morpho Pansy, true blue with yellow faces, charming. They revert to different splotch patterns and some go all blue, supposed to reseed well but annuals.

I found some seed I'm sowing this spring at Swallowtail, was hard to find in the US.

miclino, for your red. Dahlia, Bishop of Llandaff is an incredibly pure blue/red bloom with a yellow eye. It has dark purple foliage. It would look great with your rudbeckia/balloon flower composition. There are also some red amaranthus or celosia cultivars that you might like too. You may have to search for one with the right height, but they are out there.

I don't think Dahlias would winter well in my zone though. Celosia is an annual correct? I could try that though, they are fairly short if I recall and would get hidden by the boxwood hedge (about a foot high)

Another vote for Hidcote lavender. I got a lot last year and I love it. I watered it too much (it's with the roses) have it in clay soil and it looks great!

The color is a lot more of a blue/purple color, not grayish like french lavender. I think it would be pretty with your black eyed susans :)

That's why I don't grow dahlias. They are not winter hardy in z5, and you have to dig them up and store them and do it right. Some might be. I only grew some once. They are pretty though, enough other things to choose from.

I would second the suggestion of Salvia 'Rhea'. This is an annual for me, and probably for you too. Very long-blooming spires to contrast with the daisy shape of Rudbeckia and likes the same growing conditions. I grow three types of balloon flowers, but find them all to be rather short-blooming. They need dead-heading too, or you get those ugly brown finished blooms. I pinch mine off daily. I have a mildew resistant phlox paniculata 'Katherine' that is a two-tone lavender blue that you might consider combining with the rudbeckia, again the same growing conditions, height, and very long-blooming.

Sidalcea hybrida 'Brilliant' is the plant advertised as "miniature hollyhock brilliant" by a few nurseries. It is a cross of candida and malviflora. Mail-order catalogues always exaggerate, but it looks interesting enough to try. I have grown centranthus ruber, but wasn't very impressed with it.

Thanks for the suggestions.
Hmm, I don't have much space and Hidcote looks like it needs some space, am I wrong? So what I have been contemplating is

Blue:
Balloon flower (bit disappointed if it is short flowering)
Salvia nemorosa or Friesland
What about campanula pritchard's variety??

Red:
Centranthus ruber (do others like it?)
Sidalcea hybrida (I have since heard this is pink so might drop it.)
Other suggestions for red?

Keep in mind the spot is not very large, is part sun and gets about 4-5 hours of morning sun.

I had three royal candles last summer, looked great but they all got mildew.

Balloon flower would work perfect. I have mine on the east side of the house so it only gets morning sun. It is long flowering if you remove the spent blooms.
Campanula Pritchard's Variety is very tall and will need support. I have C. lactiflora on the east side of my house also.I have it growing up through a climbing rose, and I still need to tie it to the rose because it grows out of bounds.
Salvia would be good, but I've not grow the varieties you suggested.
Centranthus ruber blooms earlier in the summer for me so the bloom time would be off for what you want.
Hope this helps some,
Remy

Thanks Remy, that is helpful. I think that rules out C. lactiflora and will stick with balloon flower because I don't want anything too tall. So that leaves me with the question of red blooming summer perennial ~3ft tall to add to this mix.
I had heard that centranthus ruber would rebloom if deadheaded, is that not true then?

My experience with centranthus ruber was that it was more of a biennial/very short lived perennial. It bloomed like crazy while I had it, but I only had it a couple of years. In a different garden, it might seed around. That I know nothing about since I tend to keep a heavy mulch down. I also wouldn't call it anywhere near a real red, but those are rare in hardy plants.

If your not much of a color snob, I'd chose Veronica over any Saliva.

Also I'd go with something that is more mounded in habit to provide contrast to the upright habit of BES.

Lastly make sure your chosing something that is going to flower during the same period (I think thats what your after).

In the end I'd recommend Jolly Bee Geranium (more purple than blue..which IMHO is better with yellow). Mounded habit will reach about half the height of the BES and will flower at the same time.

I wanted to recommend Campanula 'Blue Chips' but may be too small in front of BES.

I do have campanula blue chips and it would be too small for that spot. I could go with either purple or blue. I had a Geranium Rozanne in the backyard in a more sunny location, was not too impressed to be honest. Didn't flower enough but maybe it was a bad location. However from what you say sounds like Jolly bee is different.

Interesting how different people have different experiences with Centranthus.

What about Lobelia fan scarlet for the red. I read that it flowers earlier than the other lobelia....question is how much earlier?

From what I've observed in my area, Rozanne and Jolly Bee bloom wonderfully with late afternoon shade. They are very similar except the habit...Rozanne more spreading/sprawling, Jolly Bee more compact and upright.

I've read sources that say Jolly Bee may be a heavier bloomer...no way to back this up.

I grew red Lobelia fan scarlet this past summer and it is beautiful and blooms over a very long time. I rooted a piece of stem that broke off during a heavy hail storm and it is also doing well. The three I planted last summer have developed nice clumps so I'm hoping to have a real show this coming summer. No pests bothered mine, nor desease; seems to be quite sturdy and truly one of the most vivid, striking reds I've seen in a flower.

Mary

When did the lobelia start blooming for you?