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danoman312

Seattle area blue flower suggestions

19 years ago

I'm a senior in high school (North Seattle) and want to pull off a non-destructive and intelligent senior prank, and one idea I had was to create a giant "08" of flowers on the hill opposite the school (still school property) across the dip that our track resides in.

I don't know very much about gardening, but the general idea is to be able to plant flowers, say, now or some time soon and have them come up in the spring. That way we could be done with it soon and watch everyone's amazement come spring. They would also have to be fairly hardy plants, since it would be hard to water them consistently.

Currently the (very steep) hill is covered in brush, which some friends and I were going to cut the tops off of so the flowers will be more visible come spring. We thought about pulling everything out, but a friend mentioned landslide protection.

The little bit I remember about gardening told me that bulbs are planted in fall to come up in spring. How much does this time frame differ between different bulbs?

Our school colors are blue and white, so I was thinking white tulips or daffodils or something (I think daffodils would be cheaper, but that was pulled out of thin air). A friend said he didn't think there are any blue bulbed plants, but swore there were blue poppies, so I looked them up and Himalayans actually led me to this forum. He also thought he remembered that poppies are notoriously invasive, which would be nice I suppose, sort of leaving our legacy; coming back in 5 years and still seeing blue poppies on the hill.

I realize poppies aren't bulbs, but I think it would be ok with my group to plant white bulbs in fall/winter and then the poppies at a point where they should bloom around the same time.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Comments (8)

  • 19 years ago

    Oops, erm, sorry everyone about the double post...
    There were more new posts than I thought and I thought mine had been deleted.

  • 19 years ago

    Blue's an uncommon color for flowers. You'd have a much easier time if your school colors were red and white!

    Poppies aren't blub plants. They're seeds, like in the muffin. They bloom later than spring bulb plants.

    I've never seen blue poppies. Sounds like they're pretty much the province of professional gardeners:

    "Meconopsis betonicifolia  Himalayan blue poppy Patience is required to germinate this graceful poppy, but it is well worth it to keep trying until successful. The ragged sky blue flowers bloom in June and July on stems from 90cm to 1m. A peaty, moist soil is required, in a sheltered location and sterile soil. (NOTE: Meconopsis species are especially susceptible to damping off so use a "No ÂDamp" solution and sterile soil. After germination, wait until the true leaves appear before pricking out the seedlings as the roots do not like to be disturbed. Grow seedlings at 8  10 oC until they are well developed.)"

    I don't think they are any truly white daffodils -- they usually have some pale yellow in the center, I think. Daffodils bloom in early March and tulips in early April.

    Maybe you could try planting alliums, which bloom around May? Allium azureum is a blue one; Allium Mount Everest is a white one. Do some research and look for varieties that will grow to be about the same height (some alliums are crazy big/tall). Even if they don't bloom at the exact same time, it should be close enough.

    Be aware that this could be a fairly pricy undertaking. Bulbs aren't cheap, and you'll need a whole lot of them to achieve the desired effect.

    If your plan works out, you must post a photo next spring. Good luck!

  • 19 years ago

    Blue & white varieties of grape hyacinth (Muscari Spp.) It'll take a lot of em to make it work. You might want to enlist the Principal's help on this one.

  • 19 years ago

    Meconopsis are very difficult plants. Best choose something else.

    There are pure white daffodils. They have yellow stamens but that would not be noticeable.
    Mt. Hood and Thalia are two off the top of my head.

  • 19 years ago

    Bluebells also come in white. Just make sure you get a blue and a white that bloom at the same time.

    Here is a link to a bulb grower that sells in large quantities.

    Here is a link that might be useful: bluebells

  • 19 years ago

    Here are a couple of choices of blue flowered spring blooming annuals that would look great. They are both very easy to grow from seed. You can buy it in bulk online. Here is a link to a good seed supplier. The Forget Me Nots will bloom first and then the Bachelor Buttons will take over. If you want a big splash for a reasonable amount of money seeds in bulk are the way to go. You can even plant them this fall. The seed sellerÂs web site should have some instructions on how to plant them. It sounds like a great project/prank that will make a big impact and look beautiful.
    Botanical Name : Cynoglossum amabile
    Common Name : Chinese Forget-me-Not
    Type : Annual. Lives just one year. Grows quickly, blooms heavily, dies with first frost. Can regrow following spring if seed falls on bare ground.
    Color : Sprays of small blue flowers
    Height : Up to 1 1/2 ft.
    Bloom Time : Early and mid-season
    Flower : Clusters of tiny simple flowers
    Sun/Shade : Full sun to light shade.
    Soil Preferences : Adaptable
    Moisture Requirments : Average moisture, well-drained.


    Botanical Name : Centaurea cyanus (blue)
    Common Name : Cornflower/Bachelor's Button (blue)
    Type : Annual. Lives just one year. Grows quickly, blooms heavily, dies with first frost. Can regrow following spring if seed falls on bare ground.
    Color : "Cornflower Blue", the bluest blue in the flower kingdom.
    Height : Under 2 ft.
    Bloom Time : Early mid and late season
    Flower : Fluffy button-like flower
    Sun/Shade : Full sun to light shade.
    Soil Preferences : Adaptable
    Moisture Requirments : Average moisture, well-drained

    Here is a link that might be useful: American Meadows

  • 19 years ago

    It might be a good idea to, say, bring a lot of string or garden hose and lay it out on the hill. Check that it looks the way you want it, then mix the seed with sand and scatter it along the hose.

    Then, if you can, I'd take a weed-whacker to the weeds. The tops of the weeds will cover the seeds and hide them from the birds until they germinate, plus hopefully that'll keep the weeds from totally overwhelming the flowers.

    The forget-me-nots are a good idea, the seeds are pretty cheap and germinate easily, and they're pretty darn tenacious. In fact, they'll almost certainly go to seed after they bloom and keep coming back year after year. A nice graduation gift to a weedy hill.

  • 18 years ago

    I'd go with grape hyacinth (or maybe Iris Sibirica) but they would certainly cost quite a bit..... but you would get a strong effect and early in the season. Maybe you could pass the hat around for a few donations..... you'll need help to plant them as well. Good luck!