The Blue Flower in Romanticism

I’m going back in my memory banks with this one for at one time I had a great interest in the “ sturm und drang” movement which caused the demise of the “ age of reason” and popularized the Romantic Era. Goethe’s writings of unrequited love caught fire in the youth of that time to such an extent that there was an epidemic of suicides in the young adolescent culture of that time. A German author and poet whose pen name was “Novalis” was the one who initially attributed the blue flower to mean the deepest desire and yearning that one could have and that now, one could express freely and no longer hide and repress. As Cicero would say.. Oh Tempora, Oh Mores!

Lovely blog and feedback from Julia and Loosestrife.
I, too, love blue flowers.

There is a quest in the daylily world for an all blue and a pure white flower. Someone once said that by the time there is an all blue one, all the names for a blue one will have been used to describe the partial ones.

What lovely feedback everyone. Loosestrife, that is amazing to read about the spate of suicides. I have sung a lot of songs with Goethe lyrics and yes….so deep and emotional.

Wylie..that is like the roses too…so many with blue in the name and none of them blue!

Better late than never … I love blue flowers, particularly Cornflowers and Penstemon “heavenly blue”. But my favourite is Phlox Chattahoochee which is a very pretty ‘wedgewood’ blue 🙂.
Interesting blog Karen!

Hi Karen, I do hope you are feeling much better now. Just reading your blog and Sheila's favourite blue flowers and remembered in the summer being astonished by Salvia African Skies. I admit I was transfixed by the mass of beautiful blue, surrounding me.

Yes Janey, I think Salvia African Skies is the bluest of the blue flowers - absolutely fantastic 🙂.

It is gorgeous Sheila, but the salvia in question was huge! Too large for my garden. Would look great in a couple of large pots though, what a statement!
I shall look for seeds and try to grow it.

Sounds wonderful, but too big for my new garden. You have reminded me though, about the beautiful shrubby salvia collection I had that was destroyed in Scotland by the weather. Maybe I’ll grow some here in Dorset! :)

Yes you must Karen … the shrubby ones just flower non-stop. Cerri Potosi is my favourite, such a vivid deep pink!

Thanks Sheila! X My neighbour has one in her very shady courtyard and it really does flower almost all year round.

My favourite too Sheila. Pops of vivid pink in the summer and highly scented leaves too.

I must look this one up! Scented leaves…yum!

Oh! That is lovely! And in the Sarah Raven catalogue! :)

Really, great news then..:)
I was hoping to get some seeds from African Skies but the gardener at Normanby Hall wouldn't allow me! What a meanie! He said they would be growing some for the shop, be ready in a couple of months, haha, best to check then..:((

I guess if he lets one take them he’d have to let anyone. Hope you get some seedlings!

Is the interest there because there is an absence of true blue flowers?

I guess so Angela. It’s a bit like the holy grail of horticulture isn’t it. But I’m glad they gave up on the blue rose!