Bellflowers are one of nature’s best gifts for the garden. Beautiful but tough, these long-lived perennials are vigorous, hardy (many to Zone 3 or 2) and easy to grow in any soil except wet or strongly acidic ones. They bloom all summer long, thrive in sun or partial shade — even dry shade — and need little or no maintenance. Best of all, they provide those lovely shades of blue or mauve that are so welcome in our summer gardens.
Companionability is one of their best features. Their bell-shaped flowers never demand center stage, but prefer mingling and blending in. The world campanula is Latin for “little bell”. Bellflowers are native to mainly mountainous regions where there is plenty of competition for good soil. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep these Bellflowers away from small delicate plants. In rich garden soil, some species can grow too vigorously, spreading by seed or creeping underground stems.
Most bellflowers can survive in poor or dry soil and defend and hold their own when they grow amongst other vigorous perennials. This strength trait can go as far as surviving under dense surface tree roots, shrubs and greedy hedges.
Bellflowers can become vulnerable during the heavy rain seasons when they are growing new stems and leaves.
Variations
- Canterbury Bells (C. medium) – the largest and most bell-like flowers
- Campanula x haylodgensis ‘Plena’ – Double-flowered forms of fairy thimbles
- Peach-leaved Bellflower (Campunla persicifolia, Zone 3) – a classy, well-behaved plant with refined good looks with China blue flowers (it can rebloom until September) Self seeds
- Milky Bellflower (C. Lactiflora)