There is something so calming about the purity of blue.  Blue reminds me of floating in the warm caribbean sea while golden rays of sunlight shower down and bathe the scenery with light.  It reminds me of flying above the azure waters of the hawaiian islands where the only thing obscuring the view below are teeny tiny puffs of clouds drifting like fluffy islets over a backdrop of the purest blue.  Blue is a color of paradise.  A color of pleasurable escape.  Coming across it in nature leaves you feeling relaxed yet exhilarated.  That’s what I felt the other day when I was traipsing around the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in some of the fiercest heat and humidity I’ve experienced in a long time.  Luckily for me the trees in the garden are well established and provided some respite from the heat.  While checking out their rock garden I came across a quiet little area that was punctuated by brilliant bursts of blue.  That blue was coming from tall stems of Platycodon grandiflorus commonly known as Balloon Flower, Chinese Bellflower, or Japanese Bellflower.

The big bloom of bountiful blue that these flowers were giving turned my mood from hot and bothered to relaxed and restful.  Then the details that nature designed on the petals and within caught my eye.  Platycodon grandiflorus takes it beauty to a whole other level with rich blue striations on its petals as well as the ethereally elegant structure of its vividly stunning style and anthers.  When you get up close it almost takes your breath away.

Platycodon grandiflorus comes to us from the hillside meadows of China, Japan, Korea, and Siberia.  They are a clumping, deciduous perennial that grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. In late spring, new stems emerge and outfit themselves with rich green foliage.  From mid-summer through autumn, puffy pillowy buds form to burst open into flaring five star petaled 2 to 3 inch flowers of the most beautiful blue. Platycodon grandiflorus also come in other bloom color such as rose and ivory.

Platycodon grandiflorus like full sun to part shade conditions, rich, well-draining soil, regular water, and is hardy down to temps well below 0 degrees fahrenheit (-40 degrees fahrenheit and celsius).  Also, from first hand experience, it looks perfectly happy in heat up to 99 degrees fahrenheit/37 degrees celsius.

These flowers are really beautiful not only in the garden but also as a vivid cut flower. Just cauterize cut ends to prevent any milky sap from leaking out of stems.  When planted in the garden, just cut back stems in winter, leaving some to indicate where it’s planted, and come late spring new growth will emerge.  Super easy to care for.  Super cool to grow and know.

 

Green can be a quiet color of sorts.  It conjures feelings of restfulness and balance. Now add a dreamy, ‘draizy’, romantic burst of lilac purple color to that green and you’ll create an extravagantly restful experience.  Like lying about in a chaise lounge dappled in the warming mediterranean sun with a view of an inviting azure blue atlantic ocean.  One way to capture this experience is to know and grow Cheirolophus canariensis sometimes referred to as Centaurea canariensis.  Let me tell you, this plant is almost an exclusive to The Plant Provocateur because it is rare, endangered, and unusual to find in cultivation.  I saw this beautiful perennial herb blooming in the late afternoon sun in a garden and fell under its spell.  The 2 inch globe-like bursts of powdery purple flowers, set against the rich green fern-like foliage, look as if they would appear only in a daydream.  Something about them seems to capture the eye, calm the senses, and invite you to celebrate the sheer beauty of nature.

Cheirolophus canariensis comes to us from the island of Tenerife off the northern coast of Africa and south of Spain.  Tenerife is part of the Canary Island chain. Coming from a habitat such as this further gives Cheirolophus canariensis some glamorously exotic garden cred.  This perennial herb, as it is botanically known, grows into a shrub-like form up to 3 to 4 foot tall and wide.  It has elegantly, dissected fern-like foliage and blooms from late spring through summer.  It likes full to part sun conditions, well-draining soil, regular moisture, and is hardy down to around 20 degrees fahrenheit/-6 degrees celsius.  If you can find this verdant vision of fashionable foliage and beguiling bloom, get it, and grow it!  Check out botanical garden plant sales.  Who knows…maybe one day The Plant Provocateur will have it for the offering.  What would you think about that?

Remember Duran Duran?  Well today’s gorgeous specimen reminds me of a lyric from one of their more provocative hits.  Girls On Film.  Recently, while tripping the light plantastic I came across an exotic floral-fall of a vine.  It had lush exotic foliage and was covered with sprays of cherry and pink flowers that reminded me of falling stars.  Standing before this vine I felt as if I had been transported to the foot of a waterfall of beauty.  It was a very calgon moment.  This bountifully blooming vine is called Quisqualis indica.  It’s a woody climber that comes from faraway exotic locales like India, Malaysia, and East Africa.  It’s got cool common names like Rangoon Creeper and Drunken Sailor.  It’s also commonly referred to as Chinese Honeysuckle.  Whatever you want to call it, Quisqualis indica is all about its floral display.  Anywhere from May to September it can kick out an outrageous outpouring of narrow, 6″ long trumpet-like flower buds that first open white at night.  The following days the flower color blushes pink then turns a rich cherry red color.  The display is awesome!  Interesting thing…the flowers kind of smell like a drunken sailor.  A bit heady, tangy, with a touch of fruity funk.  Definitely unforgettable.

Quisqualis indica is not often seen but looks cool to grow.  I hear it’s a bit of a runner but if you keep it in check and direct it to cover an arbor or trellis it makes a glamorous accoutrement for a garden setting.  This evergreen vine can grow up to and beyond 40 feet.  Quisqualis indica likes full sun, well-draining, fertile soil, regular water, and thrives best in temps above 40 degrees fahrenheit/4 degrees celsius. However, it is hardy down to around 30 degrees fahrenheit/-1 degree celsius. So that makes it a tender perennial in my book.  The kind you want to bring indoors when the temps are heading below its hardiness.  One other thing to note about this vine is that it is thorny.  The thorns are hooked and can catch you if you’re not careful.  With its super sumptuous flowers, fascinating fragrance, and lux look, Quisqualis indica is yet another exotic vine worth knowing and growing.