Blue Gentian

This is truly one of my favourite flowers and the best of the gentians. It took me 3 years to find it after seeing it in another garden and well worth the wait. I have this small patch in my rock garden - very slow growing. This shade of blue isn't very common in flowers.

gentiana acaulis

I also have one of its cousins, crested gentian, which doesn't bloom till September. While more prolific, it's not nearly as striking.