Lavender, lilac, and violet all merge into purple and can carry over into blue, bringing calm and serenity. Again and again I’ll see purple as a focal point in gardens - it’s a very popular color choice and these hues mix well with everything .
Above: Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’
Below: Everyone loves alliums (commonly called flowering onion). Easy to grow and fun for kids too.
Allium bulbs come in a variety of flower sizes and heights - plant them in the fall before frost. Most are purple but there are white ones too.
They make a good cut flower, draw in loads of bees, and bring a dash of whimsy. Keep in mind that after the flowers fade you’ll have strappy foliage which will need to slowly die back - if this is an issue you can treat them as annuals and dig up or locate the bulbs among hosta or other large leaved plants (which can effectively hide the yellowing leaves).
Above: Phlox subulata (moss phlox or creeping phlox) is useful along pathways or in rock gardens - one of the first perennials to bloom each spring. I adore the violet one which is native to Eastern and Central U.S., USDA Hardiness Zone 3-9.
Pansies come in the most luscious purples imaginable.
Above: Clematis vines also offer a wide range of purples and look great rambling up a white gate.
Clematis vines are fairly indestructible once you give them something to grow on (and shade at the root zone supposedly helps keep them happy). Do a Google image search with the words PURPLE CLEMATIS and look at all the wonderful choices. A friend swears by C. ‘Polish Spirit’ and so I’ve added one.
Above: Delphiniums are great verticals for the garden - tall spikes with multiple flowers ranging from lilac to deepest blue. The purples are simply irresistible and make a real statement - for many gardeners they’re the ultimate flower.
Below: Another great spike - butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a magnet for monarchs and other insects. Look for ‘Dark Knight’ which is deep purple and give it winter protection if you garden in colder zones.
Below: Mexican verbena (Verbena bonariensis) is a self-sowing tender annual for us Northeast gardeners but what a beauty to weave through plantings. Tall airy wands pick up any wind and give a wonderful see-through quality to mixed borders.
