The Agapanthus or Blue African Lily is one of the aristocrats of the late summer garden. Requiring only the minimum of care, the exotic combination of graceful foliage and stunning flowers is equally impressive in the border or large planter. This is a lovely plant to grow and they are very easy from seed.

For most of the year Ajuga is a pleasant, quiet achiever, a very versatile low growing ground cover, with evergreen, rosette-like foliage that hugs the ground like an evergreen carpet but those weeks in spring when the blue flowers appear are simply quite magical.

Anchusa arvensis is an annual wildflower that produces compact sprays of blue flowers from April to September. Rich in nectar and pollen, they are much loved by almost all bee species. Characterised as a companion of old culture it can be added to wildflower gardens to bring its own brand of natural diversity.

Aquilegia alpina is a species-columbine that rivals the fanciest cultivars and has been grown in gardens for as long as the idea of gardening has existed. It is a clump-forming perennial with deep blue-green, downy foliage and vibrant violet blue nodding flowers in late spring and early summer.

Originating from the mountains of Japan, Aquilegia yabeana is a most amazing species. From May to July it carries long spurred, nodding flowers of the deepest inky blue. It can withstand temperatures down to minus 40°C (40°F) and will reliably return each spring, no matter how cold our winters are!

The 'Star' series was bred to have “upward facing” flowers; it is similar to the Mckana varieties but in single colours. With violet-blue petals with a pure white corolla, this early summer cottage garden favourite produces striking, long spurred blooms year after year.

This pretty little wildflower is a slow growing, long-lived plant with attractive spikes of rich pink-mauve flowers that are very attractive to bees and butterflies as a nectar source. The flowers, which rise from dark green crinkly leaves, keep their colour throughout summer and look stunning when growing en-masse.

Borage is one of the most reliable sources of blue flowers, often flowering lavishly for weeks after sowing. The beautiful blue star-shaped flowers are edible and very important for bees, providing pollen and nectar in prodigious amounts.

Campanula persicifolia is an old-fashioned cottage garden flower of great charm. From late spring to early summer the tall stems of wide-open blue bell flowers appear regularly. With tall, straight stems they are ideal for cutting.