Spring Gentian - To become educated in a new field. (No pun intended)

[TheCroftWorkshops]

Short version-
I need to know the correct colour blue for a Spring Gentian (gentiana verna) I've found loads of images, my problem is that they all seem to be different shades of blue and I was wondering if there is a “correct” blue and how embarrassed I would be when someone who knows what they're looking at tells me I’ve got it wrong.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew

Longer version-
Hi all. I'm not sure where to start really because I know very little about plants in general never mind the specific area of the rock garden. However I should probably start by being honest and hope you will forgive my vested interests. I am a goldsmith living and working in Durham city. Don't worry I’m not going to try and plug my shop/website. You may or may not know about the County flowers scheme? Well it turns out that the Durham county flower is the Spring Gentian (gentiana verna). To cut a long story short Durham County Council have approached me to make a range of jewellery based on this flower. I've searched all over for images and found more than you would think. My problem is that they all seem to be different shades of blue and I was wondering if there is a correct blue and how embarrassed i would be when someone who knows what they're looking at tells me I’ve got it wrong. If anyone is interested I will post an image of a mock up version.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew

[Anthony Darby]

Kew should have a colour key for this flower, and this should be comprehensive enough to include the type found in North East England?

[annew]

It would probably be easiest to get yourself a plant - they will be coming into flower soon. A trip to an alpine nursery, or maybe Harrogate Spring Flower Show next week would probably do the trick.

[mark smyth]

mine have died over the winter but I would guess, using my RHS Colour Chart, that they are Blue Group 99B

[hadacekf]

Andrew, I think there is no correct colour blue for a Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna). In the wild you see many different shades of blue. Of course many colour blue are similar, but there are always brighter and darker flowers. The colour depends also on the time of day and on weather.

[Anthony Darby]

I knew Mark would come up with the goods and as Franz says, there are many shades. This is why I suggested Kew, as that which comes from Pink Panther country will be distinct and certainly different from any commercially grown clone.

[hadacekf]

Here are two pictures of presently flowering Gentiana verna in my garden. It is the correct colour blue?

[Maggi Young]

Franz, I would say that these two pix show very well the colour that we would typically recognise as Gentian Blue. There are, as you point out many shades but to the lay person, this would be the classic colour.
So this should be some help to Andrew... always supposing his monitor is giving the same reproduction to the colour of Franz' pix as mine is!!
PS... have visited your site Andrew, some interesting designs there! Perhaps you would like to show some here?

[DaveM]

Hi Andrew: I wish the county that I live in had such a magnificent species as its flower!! As you are living in that wonderful city of Durham, may I suggest that you are ideally placed to see the gentians and their colour for yourself. Take yourself up to upper Teesdale, around Cow Green. They should be in flower in about 3 weeks or so, maybe sooner if the weather remains unseasonably warm.

[Anthony Darby]

It does Dave, it does. The elusive Snow Gentian [Gentiana nivalis] has stunningly blue flowers and is found in the Lawers range and the Angus glens.

[TheCroftWorkshops]

Thank you guys, I wasn't expecting such a good response. Turns out my step-dad has one in his rock garden but it's not flowering yet. So I’m eagerly awaiting a phone call so I can see it for my self. The photos are stunning Franz thank you. I made a quick mock up of some of the pieces in the range but from what I’ve see from your pictures and the yet to flower plants in my step dads garden I have a lot of work to go before I do them justice. Here's what I've done so far.

www.croftworkshops.co.uk
hope this works i've not posted a picture befor.
I'll keep you up to date on how I’m doing over the next few weeks.

Thanks again everyone.

Andrew

[TheCroftWorkshops]

Just another quick one. Here is the design i plan to use for my next attempt. Any obvious flaws?

thanks,

andrew

[David Shaw]

The only flaw that I can see, Andrew, is that you are down in Durham!

[Lesley Cox]

These will be really attractive souvenirs of the city, for people visiting Durham. If I ever get there I'll certainly be a buyer and all alpine growers would be tempted I'd say. And we may also be in at the "birthing" of a new alpine gardener, if Andrew gets the bug!

[Lesley Cox]

Maybe they'll be available by credit card on the Internet?