Bellflowers
The campanula season is on us so now is the time to decide which, if any, I would want to take with me to a smaller garden. The standard Campanula persicifolia is almost too much of a good thing.
It gives a very cottagey look if you have space but it seeds absolutely everywhere, including right in the middle of other plants. Fortunately there are superior, if less vigorous varieties like this one, 'Chettle Charm'.
I love the blush effect round the edge of the petals. This is also seen as 'George Chiswell'; a false name! Plus, 'Chettle Charm' is named after lovely Chettle House, just up the road from here, near Blandford. I see you can now get married there! Another good variety of C. persicifolia is this double form, 'Boule de Neige'. I couldn't get a good picture of it: white seems to give too much reflection. They are ideal for a small garden as they are so narrow in habit and take up so little ground space that you can afford them to be there when they're not flowering.
I don't know why you don't see Campanula alliarifolia more often. It's a very useful and tough perennial which I have at the front of the border for its pretty heart shaped leaves. It flowers for a long time and if you can be bothered to deadhead, it will flower again.
I wouldn't bother transplanting clumps of the next one, Campanula portenschlagiana as it will probably find me. This clump is growing between garages, quite an inhospitable spot. After flowering you can just rip it all out and only the tiny leaves remain.
This is daintier and is growing in a trough. It's a form of Campanula poscharskyana and I've forgotten its name.
I've grown lots of other, different campanulas over the years, many from seed. These are the ones which have survived neglect so I rate their hardiness. I'd better get potting.
It gives a very cottagey look if you have space but it seeds absolutely everywhere, including right in the middle of other plants. Fortunately there are superior, if less vigorous varieties like this one, 'Chettle Charm'.
I love the blush effect round the edge of the petals. This is also seen as 'George Chiswell'; a false name! Plus, 'Chettle Charm' is named after lovely Chettle House, just up the road from here, near Blandford. I see you can now get married there! Another good variety of C. persicifolia is this double form, 'Boule de Neige'. I couldn't get a good picture of it: white seems to give too much reflection. They are ideal for a small garden as they are so narrow in habit and take up so little ground space that you can afford them to be there when they're not flowering.
I don't know why you don't see Campanula alliarifolia more often. It's a very useful and tough perennial which I have at the front of the border for its pretty heart shaped leaves. It flowers for a long time and if you can be bothered to deadhead, it will flower again.
I wouldn't bother transplanting clumps of the next one, Campanula portenschlagiana as it will probably find me. This clump is growing between garages, quite an inhospitable spot. After flowering you can just rip it all out and only the tiny leaves remain.
This is daintier and is growing in a trough. It's a form of Campanula poscharskyana and I've forgotten its name.
I've grown lots of other, different campanulas over the years, many from seed. These are the ones which have survived neglect so I rate their hardiness. I'd better get potting.