Does it have to be a climber or can it be an herbaceous one? Several of my best shorter plants don't climb, but grow up the center of an obelisk without any assistance from me.

Fascination stays under 6' and blooms with deep purple bells.

Arabella also stays under 6' and has light purple flowers.

Star River is one of my best bloomers. It's another one that stays under 6'.

Look at Justa which is a paler blue with some mauvy overtones and climbs.

Thanks Barb for your expertise.

I often post too soon as I would have included that I have "Arabella" (probably *5* of them throughout our property). Just as a personal preference I prefer that the non-climbers just 'scrabble' about on the ground (i.e. w/o any support) and so that is how all our "Arabella" are planted.

I will check out the others you have mentioned.

(OT but I thought I had "Fascination" but the one I am thinking about isn't bell shaped nor purple! But it is definitely not a climber. It has reddish flowers. I wonder it is).

I figured it out....I have "Inspiration" not "Fascination"!

My Arabella scrambles, some near the ground and some into a shrub. Fascination scrambled up a shrub, not on the ground at all, and Star River stays relatively upright in the center of its obelisk.