Now why would you want to run out and buy blue lobelia, red geraniums and white petunias when you can have something like this?

One example is the popular cardinal flower and its close cousin, the great blue lobelia.

This same sort of logic follows for one of the relatives, the great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), which often disappears from the garden after one season.

Our sitting room opened onto a sunny private patio, sunk into a hilly lawn and edged by orange geraniums, nasturtiums and blue lobelia.

When I began growing plants in containers, I kept religiously to the tried and true ultrapatriotic mix of cherry-red geraniums, white alyssum and blue lobelia.

There's great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), and all the wonderful, intense purples of monkshood (Aconitum).

Already I have a collection of assorted crocks that will look fine with blue lobelia trailing over the sides.

Many gardeners have learned to know one of its close cousins, the great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) that is equally tall and handsome with bright blue flowers.

L. syphilitica, commonly known as great blue lobelia, is a bit shorter than cardinal flower, growing to three feet or less, and not quite as hardy.

Cardinal flower and great blue lobelia are easily started indoors from seed, as is annual lobelia.