Echium

[Avocado]

In my quest for blue flowers for the garden, I have introduced the delightful Echium which produces an inflorescence of several blue-violet flowers on a stalk and the dainty  blue or kingfisher daisy - Felicia ameloides.

I would like to add the Blue poppy and  cornflower as well as the Echium blue bedder variety.

These remain unobtainable so far....

[MG]

For blue, you could also try simple Linseed - buy this from any pet shop by the kilo... Think it's a bit late to sow now though, but if watered, you may get a Summer display.

MG

[officer]

Hi Avocado,

Re your quest for blue flowers. I would definitely include Lobelia erinus, which is an annual, cool weather plant and comes in different colours and shades. I have personally grew about 6 different shades of blue Lobelia. A word of caution though, Lobelia is so easy to grow that it self-seeds and can also become an unwanted weed. Hope this helps.

Regards

Officer

P.S. Another cool weather, blue plant would be Larkspur (delphinium)

[Avocado]

Thanks, I'll try the plants you have suggested. Today I bought 2 lovely New Genea plants - Impatiens - busy lizzie....

and a mauve coloured daisy with larger flowers than the white Marguerite (Argyranthemum frutescens) with leaves resembling those of the yellow annual which grows in the countryside (lellux). I suspect that the latter plant may have culinary properties before it flowers, but please note I'm certainly not recommending it as a vegetable!

[MG]

Mentioning blue, edible - Borage, plentiful in "widien" at the moment.

MG

[Avocado]

Echium and Borage are in the same family.

There is also a native Maltese Echium plant. I think it's called ilsien il-fart -I've seen both a red and a blue variety of Maltese Echium at Chadwick lakes close to exit to the road between Rabat and Mosta. Very small straggling plants at that, but pretty flowers all the same.

[MG]

Yup, there are wild Echium sp in Malta too. One notable, E. italicum, is responsible for the white (when dry) mini (up to 1m appx) Christmas trees found in the countryside.

MG

[ladybird]

I like blue flowers too, as they provide a nice foil for all the white, yellows, pinks, reds etc.  In my garden I have lots of delphiniums which also grow very tall and are great for the back of the border.  They die back at the end of spring and come back on their own around February.  I use periwinkles in clumps as ground cover and also grow them as climbers against walls.  These also last from year to year - in fact they spread nicely and put out new ground shoots that you could divide and replant in other areas, to start off new colonies.  I have lots of lavender, rosemary and sage too, and use these as companion plants to keep my roses healthy.  If you have the space, a buddleia is also an elegant way to introduce blue tones

[Avocado]

Now the flowers are drying. The leaves are worn and falling, however there are new buds at the the nodes of the old leaves.

I read I should cut the flowering stalk - pruning back hard. Before I put shears to the plant how much do you suggest should be cut. Its height is about 1m and the flowering part about 20cm long.

I think I should cut it down to 70cm.

What do you recommend?
 
Thanks,
Avo

[officer]

Hi Avocado,  Re: Echium

Are we talking about E.fastuosum? This shrub will NOT tolerate hard pruning! Hard pruning would uncover the old wood which will be scorched by the sun. Under no circumstances should old wood be cut back or uncovered. I suggest that you remove just the faded flower spikes to the level where they "emerged" from the rest of the vegetation. Hope this helps.

Regards, Officer 

[Avocado]

I agree.

Once cut, the disadvantages of hard pruning cannot be undone.

I suppose I could also let nature dehisce the dry infloresence too.

Thanks.

[Avocado]

A few weeks later and the plant has grown new rosettes from its stalk. The end of the inflorescence is only dry and withered 2 or 3 cm from the tip.

Apart from watering and a little fertilizer it appears that its best left to nature, when dealing with the withered flowers of the Echium plant.