On 27 May 2004 17:21:35 -0700, (color_me_) wrote:

hi there... i'm planning on giving a flower as a gift, to a neighbor,
who works a lot in his yard, so i want it to be something he can
plant, that will bloom every year... also i'd like it to be blue &
preferably, relatively big tall and strong. i'm wondering about an
iris. any recommendations? many thanks, ~raine

Balloon Flowers last longer- Platycodon grandiflorum.
http://www.nargs.org/potm/potm_aug01.html has a short version. [7-10
inches] I don't know what variety I have, but they are 18-24 inches
tall.

In zone 5-6, mine start to show a little color right after my Iris are
done. . . mid-late June. They continue to blossom through August if
it doesn't dry out too much. [I never water my gardens]

I'm not sure I'd call them 'strong' though. Mine don't flop much--
but certainly more than the Iris.

Jim