‘Summer Belles’ with Campanula lactiflora
June is garden party time – are you planning anything for the coming weeks? Having a really attractive outdoor entertaining area is guaranteed to get everyone in the mood for enjoying themselves. Bring out the ‘Summer Belles’ with Campanula lactiflora (Milky bellflower) as the perfect way of beautifying patios, terraces and perennial borders – the ideal accompaniment to your special occasions.
As early summer comes in, it brings a great upsurge of growth with it in borders, beds and verges. Campanula is one of the perennials which is part of this up-welling of life and even among the star company that it shares, it stands out with its lovely bell-shaped flowers in a range of delicate colours. White, or pale blue are the most frequent colours, but violet, lavender-blue and deep violet blue are also possible. Flowers develop in clusters towards the tips of upright stems. You’ll be able to enjoy the flowers from early summer right the way through to early autumn, so these Summer Belles will party on right through the season!
Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’ produces lovely lilac-pink flowers, and can reach 1.2 to 1.5m in height. This means that if the site where you put them is exposed to wind, you will need to stake them. ‘Pouffe’ is a dwarf, mound-forming variety that produces profuse, pale lavender blue flowers and reaches only 25cm. ‘Alba’ (pure white) is medium sized at 75cm. They are easy to grow, enjoy being in normal, fertile garden soils, that are moist but well drained. It’s a good idea to cut stems back after flowering as this will encourage a second flush of flowering in the latter part of the season.
Campanula lactiflora combines well with flowering shrubs, for example Deutzia longifolia ‘Vilmoriniae’, Buddleia alternifolia or the gorgeous Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’. It also works effectively alongside a suite of other perennial species including decorative grasses, poppies and crocosmia. Campanula will also do well in pots and containers, bringing them within reach of anyone with a small plot, hard patio or even a balcony. Containers also give you the chance of creating the perfect conditions for these plants if, for example, your garden happens to be on an acid soil (Campanula lactiflora prefers neutral to alkaline conditions).
Whatever you choose to do in the way of new planting this summer, or whatever your plans are for garden parties, get out there and love your garden. From enjoying an early morning walk across the dewy lawn, breakfast on the patio, right the way through to a nightcap as the stars are coming out, your garden can be a place of magic and enjoyment. Have fun!