'Glory Days' container recipe. Photo by Proven Winners.

Using color wisely is an important component of good garden design. Purple is a symbol of royalty and elegance and a favorite of avid gardeners and designers. Subdued shades of lavender evoke a sense of calm, while brighter hues such as magenta create excitement and drama.

Purple goes with most other colors and the sum effect becomes more sophisticated. Harmonious hues of blue, silver, and white cool the heat of summer, while contrasting shades of orange, yellow, and red create visual tension. By using basic principles of color theory, you can create the desired effect in your own garden. Get started with these purple garden flowers:

Photo by: Proven Winners

LAVENDER

Sweet Romance®Buy now from Proven Winners
Lavandula angustifolia

Grown for its aromatic flowers and foliage. Plant in a mixed border or massed along a driveway or pathway. This compact variety is suitable for small spaces and containers. Plant alongside other drought-tolerant summer bloomers such as yarrow, wormwood, purple coneflower, or tickseed.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 5-9
Height/Spread: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
Exposure: Full sun

Read more about growing and caring for lavender.

Photo by: Proven Winners

LILAC

Bloomerang® Dark PurpleBuy now from Proven Winners
Syringa x

This reblooming lilac first blooms in spring, then again late summer to frost, and has good powdery mildew resistance. A classic addition to foundation plantings, mixed borders, and (due to its smaller size) large containers.

Plant Type/Zones: Shrub, Zones 3-7
Height/Spread: 4 to 6 feet tall and wide
Exposure: Full sun

Read more about growing and caring for lilac bushes.

Photo by: Janet Loughrey.

BELLFLOWER

‘Birch Hybrid’
Campanula portenschlagiana

Tubular or cup-shaped flowers come in an array of colors. This trailing variety blooms with lavender-blue flowers in late spring. Allow to spill over a rock wall or trail along a slope. Combine with spring-blooming rock garden plants with contrasting colors.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-9
Height/Spread: 4 to 6 inches tall and 1to 2 feet long
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Read more about growing and caring for bellflower.

Photo by: Proven Winners

CLEMATIS

‘Sweet Summer Love’Buy now from Proven Winners
Clematis hybrid

A popular perennial vine because of its wide range of colors, forms, and bloom times. This summer-flowering variety is long-blooming, fragrant, and exceptionally vigorous. Use to cover a large arbor, shed, trellis, or fence.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-9
Height/Spread: 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Learn more about growing clematis vines.

Photo by: Proven Winners

ORNAMENTAL ONION

‘Millenium’Buy now from Proven Winners
Allium hybrid

Create long-lasting structure, with globe-shaped flowers that hold their shape even when dried. Plants come back reliably each year, providing structural contrast in rock gardens, mixed borders, and natural areas. This compact variety is suitable for small spaces, edging, and containers.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-8
Height/Spread: 15 to 20 inches tall and 10 to 15 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Photo by: Proven Winners

SALVIA

Color Spires® ‘Violet Riot’Buy now from Proven Winners
Salvia nemorosa

A large family of perennials and annuals valued for their reliability, easy care, and diversity of colors and forms. Aromatic flowers and foliage attract hummingbirds, butterflies and insect pollinators. Plant in drifts along a slope, in a bed or mixed border.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 3-8
Height/Spread: 22 inches tall and 20 to 24 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun

Find out more on how to grow and care for salvia plants.

Photo by: Proven Winners

HELIOTROPE

MarineBuy now from Proven Winners
Heliotropium arborescens

This tropical is grown for its vanilla-scented flowers in colors of purple, blue, or white. Grow in a container or mass in a bed near a seating area to enjoy the fragrance. Plant alongside other annuals with similar growing needs such as sweet potato vine, pelargonium, or angelonia. Can be toxic to pets.

Plant Type/Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 9-11
Height/Spread: 15 to 20 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Find out more on how to grow and care for heliotrope plants.

Photo by: Elizabeth Foster / Shutterstock.

IRIS

‘Caeser's Brother’
Iris sibirica

Grown for its regal flowers and attractive sword or grass-shaped foliage. Grow in a mixed border, alongside a pond, or mass in the landscape. Combine with other early-season bloomers such as daffodils and tulips for a cheerful spring display.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 3-9
Height/Spread: 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 2-1/2 feet wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

For more, see Grow Irises for Easy Elegance in Your Garden.

Photo by: Proven Winners

PETUNIA

Supertunia® Royal Velvet®Buy now from Proven Winners
Petunia hybrid

A summer workhorse, giving long-lasting color for very little effort. Use as bedding plants or in containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets. Combine with chartreuse plants for a sizzling effect, or white and silver for classic elegance.

Plant Type/Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 10-11
Height/Spread: 6 to 12 inches tall, 18 to 24 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Find out more on how to grow and care for petunias.

Photo by: Proven Winners

VERBENA

Superbena Sparkling® AmethystBuy now from Proven Winners
Verbena hybrid

Long-blooming and easy-care, versatile as a bedding plant or as edging along a pathway or border. Trailing forms are good for hanging baskets, window boxes, and for cascading over rock walls. Combine with dark purple and white flowers for a sophisticated look.

Plant Type/Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 8-11
Height/Spread: 6 to 12 inches tall and 18 to 30 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Find out more on how to grow and care for verbena.

Photo by: Proven Winners

CATMINT

‘Cat's Meow’Buy now from Proven Winners
Nepeta faassenii

Aromatic foliage and long-blooming flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and insect pollinators. Carefree, tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions, and exceptionally hardy. Plant in a mixed border, on a curbside, or along a slope. Use as part of a drought-tolerant landscape.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 3-8
Height/Spread: 17 to 20 inches tall and 24 to 36 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun

Read more about growing catmint in your garden.

Photo by: Proven Winners

CONEFLOWER

‘Purple Emperor’Buy now from Proven Winners
Echinacea hybrid

A North American native, popular for its attractive flowers and benefits to pollinators and other wildlife. Naturalize in a meadow, mass along a slope, or plant in a mixed border. The compact variety is good for small spaces and containers. Combine with other natives for a naturalistic prairie look.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-8
Height/Spread: 15 to 18 inches tall and 12 to 16 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Learn more about how to grow and care for coneflower.

Photo by: Proven Winners

GERANIUM

‘Boom Chocolatta’Buy now from Proven Winners
Geranium pratense

Popular for their reliability and carefree nature. Also known as cranesbill, these plants are grown for their cup-shaped flowers and attractive foliage that is sometimes fragrant. Grow in a mixed border, beneath rose bushes, or mass in the landscape. Not to be confused with annual geraniums (Pelargonium).

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-8
Height/Spread: Average 12 inches tall and 20 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Photo by: Proven Winners

ASTER

‘Sapphire Mist’Buy now from Proven Winners
Aster dumosus, syn. Symphyotrichum dumosus

For late-season color, daisy-like asters can’t be beat. This dwarf form is suitable for small spaces and containers, as edging along a pathway, or at the front of a mixed border. Combine with other fall bloomers with complimentary colors such as goldenrod, hyssop, rudbeckia, and mums.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-8
Height/Spread: 12 to 16 inches tall and 8 to 12 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun

Learn more about how to grow asters.

Photo by: Proven Winners

CALIBRACHOA

Superbells® Holy Smokes!®Buy now from Proven Winners
Calibrachoa hybrid

Small, trumpet-shaped flowers bloom prolifically for months in a wealth of colors. Use in containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets. Combine with lavender petunias, yellow bidens, and white verbena for a unified color scheme.

Plant Type/Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 9-11
Height/Spread: 6 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Read more about how to grow and care for calibrachoa.

Photo by: Proven Winners

SWEET ALYSSUM

Violet Knight®Buy now from Proven Winners
Lobularia hybrid

Perfect for mass plantings, along a pathway, at the front of a border, or a quick-growing groundcover. The trailing habit is suitable for containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes.

Plant Type/Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 9-11
Height/Spread: 8 to 12 inches tall, 18 to 24 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Learn more on how to grow and care for sweet alyssum.

Photo by: pjhpix / Shutterstock

SWEET PEA

'Cupani'
Lathyrus odoratus

One of the most fragrant varieties and more heat tolerant than others. They will self-sow and return year after year. Flowers bloom from spring to fall and are ideal for fragrant cut flower bouquets

Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 9-11
Height/Spread: 6 to 8 feet tall, 12 inches wide
Exposure: Partial to full sun

Photo by: Garden World Images / Alamy Stock Photo

LILY OF THE NILE

'Peter Pan'
Agapanthus africanus 'Peter Pan'

This dwarf lily of the Nile blooms mid to late summer, and its flowers attract butterflies, bees, and birds. Plant in large swathes, mixed borders, or containers. Deer and rabbit resistant.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 8-11
Height/Spread: 8 to 24 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide
Exposure: Full to partial sun

Learn more about growing agapanthus plants.

Photo by: Proven Winners

BLAZING STAR

'Floristan Violet'
Liatris spicata

Magenta-purple flower spikes up to a foot long attract pollinating insects, monarch butterflies, and bees. These sun lovers bloom mid to late summer and provide a good vertical accent to flower beds and cutting gardens. Especially tolerant of humidity and moist soil.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 3-9
Height/Spread: 3 to 4 feet tall, 12 to 18 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun

Learn more about how to grow blazing stars.

Photo by: Proven Winners

SPEEDWELL

Magic Show® ‘Purple Illusion’Buy now from Proven Winners
Veronica hybrid

Grown for its wand-like flowers, and valued for its reliability, carefree nature, and long bloom time. Add to a mixed border, natural garden, or low-maintenance landscape. Also suitable for small spaces or containers. Combine with yellow and orange flowers for a complementary color scheme.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-8
Height/Spread: 16 to 18 inches tall and wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Learn more about growing speedwell plants.

Photo by: Proven Winners

FALSE INDIGO

Decadence® ‘Dark Chocolate’Buy now from Proven Winners
Baptisia hybrid

Majestic spires with pea-like blossoms, and a graceful habit lend structure and beauty. This North American native attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and insect pollinators. Plant in a mixed border, mass planting, native garden, or as a stand-alone accent.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-9
Height/Spread: 36 to 42 inches tall and 36 inches wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Find out more on how to grow and care for false indigo.

Photo by: Proven Winners

PHLOX

Bedazzled LavenderBuy now from Proven Winners
Phlox digitalis

Grown for petite star-shaped flowers that are often fragrant. This creeping variety is useful in rock gardens, along a slope, or to soften garden walls. Grow alongside other spring bloomers such as creeping thyme, rock cress, and Dianthus) for a carpet of contrasting colors.

Plant Type/Zones: Perennial, Zones 4-8
Height/Spread: 6 to 8 inches tall and 32 to 38 inches wide
Exposure:Full sun

Read more about growing and caring for phlox.

Photo by: Proven Winners

AFRICAN DAISY

Bright Lights™ PurpleBuy now from Proven Winners
Osteospermum hybrid

Daisy-like flowers, attractive foliage, and long bloom time make African daisies a favorite. Use as a bedding plant, edging, or in containers. Combine with other annuals with contrasting colors for a sizzling summer display.

Plant Type/Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 9-11
Height/Spread: 8 to 12 inches tall and wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Read more about growing African daisies.

Photo by: Proven Winners

WISHBONE FLOWER

Summer Wave® Large VioletBuy now from Proven Winners
Torenia hybrid

Tubular flowers bloom from late spring until frost. This shade lover is a good alternative to impatiens. Mass in a bed or border, or place in hanging baskets and containers. Combine with other shade-tolerant plants to brighten up a dark corner of the yard.

Plant Type/Zones: Usually grown as an annual, may grow year-round in Zones 10-11
Height/Spread: 8 to 10 inches tall and up to 36 inches long
Exposure: Partial to full shade; protect from hot afternoon sun

Read more about growing wishbone flower.

Great plants with purple foliage include some varieties of spiderwort (Tradescantia) and coral bells (Heuchera).

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