I've been looking at these plants in catalogs since they were introduced a few years ago. Last summer, while filling in my brother's memorial garden, I decided to try a few. She told me Blue Panda likes very well-drained soil and light shade. Dry and well-drained can be quite a challenge in our soils and climate. I decided to tuck the Blue Panda into the root zone on an inkberry bush.
Inkberries love moisture - in fact, they're greedy for it.
I thought the inkberry would shade my Blue Pandas during the hottest part of the day and hopefully suck up all excess moisture and fertilizer, since plants that like it dry usually prefer lean soils, too. Back to the e-mail from Barry. It was all about Corydalis China Blue, a close relative of Blue Panda. Its glaucous, finely dissected foliage speedily carpets a moist, shady area in early spring. By the end of spring, the indescribably blue flowers have the most indescribable fragrance.