BellFlowers – All You Need to Know
BellFlowers are hardy plants, with most types growing in Zones 3 to 8 with reliable snow cover to provide insulation, but they’ll sulk in the heat of the Deep South or Southwest.
Peak bloom is in early to midsummer for most, but with deadheading you may get sporadic bloom throughout the summer and a second flush of flowers in fall. Bell flowers look lovely in many garden settings; their showy flowers and informal habit are the perfect fit in a cottage garden.
With their happy, star-like flowers, the variety of Bell flowers available can fit any gardener’s needs. Ranging from short to tall, and featuring almost every color of the rainbow, these cheery flowers are a great fit for your garden or cut to display in your home.
Bell Flowers requires a Full Sun / PartialShade and A Well-drained soil with a Height of about 0.25 – 4 feet, it Blooms in from Early Summer till Early Fall and it is Good for cut flowers.
Therefore when next you want a flower, I suggest that you give Bell Flower a try.
Choosing a site to grow BellFlowers
Most bell flowers do best if planted in full sun, but will also thrive in light shade. Plant in moist, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter. Some are spreaders, especially clustered bell flower and Serbian bell flower, so plant these where they will have some room to roam. But steer clear of the aggressive Korean bell flower (C. rapunculoides) which spreads so readily, it can become invasive.
Planting Instructions
Container plants can be set out any time during the growing season. Space most plants about a foot apart; the tall milky bell flower should have 24 inch spacing.
Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the pot the plant is in.
Carefully remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Carefully fill in around the root ball and firm the soil gently. Water thoroughly.
Care for BellFlowers
Apply a complete organic fertilizer and a thin layer of compost each spring, followed by a 2-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture and control weeds. Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
Dead head flowers to neaten plants and prevent self-sowing. On taller types, remove faded flowers individually, then cut back the flowering stalks to the base when all bloom is finished.
With low growers, wait until the first flush of bloom is past, then shear back plants by half. Peachleaf bellflower can self-sow to the point of weediness if not deadheaded. Most bellflowers benefit from division every 3 to 5 years to keep them growing vigorously.
Invasive Potential
Many of the campanula species spread not only by seed, but also underground rhizomes. In many cases, these plants can be extremely vigorous growers and have the potential to become invasive.
There are some species already that are classified as such, and caution should be taken before planting them. Check with local agencies, and research specific varieties if you do have any concerns. Once established, these plants can prove to be very difficult to eradicate.
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More Varieties of BellFlower
‘Birch Hybrid’ Campanula
Campanula‘Birch Hybrid’ is a ground cover that bears 1-inch-long fluted lavender-blue flowers from late spring through late summer if deadheaded. It makes a great rock garden plant. Zones 4-7
Blue Canterbury Bells
Campanula medium ‘Caerulea’ is an old-fashioned cottage-garden biennial that sends up towering spikes of clear blue flowers. Zones 5-8
Campanula Raddeana
Campanula raddeana grows 1 foot tall and produces 1-inch-diameter bell-shape flowers midsummer. Zones 5-8
Clustered Bellflower
Campanula glomerata sports tight clusters of purple blooms on 2-foot-tall stalks in early summer. It quickly spreads to form a large mat. Zones 3-8
Dalmation Bellflower
Campanula portenschlagiana is a tidy little ground cover or rock-garden plant that grows 4-8 inches tall and 2 feet wide. Violet-blue blooms adorn the plant in late spring to early summer. Zones 4-7
‘Elizabeth’ Hybrid Bellflower
Campanula ‘Elizabeth’, sometimes called Korean bellflower (Campanula takesimana), is an upright clump-former that grows 2 feet tall. It produces drooping pale pink flowers in summer. Zones 5-8
Peach-leaf Bellflower
Campanula persicifolia grows a foot tall and wide with fine foliage. In early summer it sends up wiry stems with violet, blue-violet, pink, or white flowers. Zones 3-8.
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‘Pearl Light Blue’ Carpathian Bellflower
Campanula carpatica ‘Pearl Light Blue’ has 2-inch-wide, cup-shape flowers that are light blue with a white center. It reblooms all summer if deadheaded regularly. Zones 4-7
‘Pink Octopus’ Campanula
Campanula ‘Pink Octopus’ has unique flowers that look like a creature from the depths of the sea or outer space. Flowers with straplike pink petals rise a foot above the foliage on plants that spread to 18 inches wide. Zones 5-8
‘Sarastro’ Bellflower
Campanula ‘Sarastro’ is completely covered in long, bell-shape, deep purple flowers on 18-inch-tall stems in early summer. It reblooms throughout the summer if faded flowers stalks are removed. It spreads to form a large clump. Zones 4-8
Serbian Bellflower
Campanula poscharskyana grows 4-8 inches tall and produces flaring lilac-blue flowers in late spring and early summer. It’s perfect for growing in walls or between flagstones. Zones 4-7
White Canterbury Bells
Campanula medium ‘Alba’ is a biennial that produces dramatic 3-foot-tall white flower spires. Zones 5-8
White Peach-Leaf BellFlower
Campanula persicifolia ‘Alba’ bears pure-white flowers in summer. It grows 3 feet tall and wide. Zones 3-8.
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