I have been a little quiet of late and that’s for three reasons. The first is work, which has been abnormally busy. The second and third are garden related. In London we have been building raised beds in which we intend to cultivate vegetables. I am ridiculously excited at the prospect of growing my own, having not had the opportunity since being a teenager. I will not be revealing how long ago that was, but sufficient to forget everything but the basics. The construction part was quick and easy; the filling with soil and compost has been a labour of love and is still ongoing. In Broadstairs we are preparing for our NGS open day (more on which tomorrow), which is going well, apart from the excessive amount of watering needed to keep everything from withering.
Neither of our gardens is capacious enough for leggy lovelies such as Campanula lactiflora, but it doesn’t stop me admiring them in other people’s gardens. Campanula lactiflora is a lax, romantic perennial designed for life on the big stage. It is happiest rampaging among roses and darting around delphiniums, a shining star in the early summer show. The profusion of flowers in blue, white or pale pink is simply beautiful swaying in a summer breeze, but may require surreptitious support. Grow in fertile, moist, neutral or alkaline soil for best results and cut back after flowering to encourage a second flush of bloom.
Varieties with the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM)
- Campanula lactiflora ‘Alba’ – pure white flowers
- Campanula lactiflora ‘Prichard’s Variety’ – violet blue flowers
- Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’ – soft, rose-pink flowers
Categories: Daily Flower Candy, Flowers, Perennials
I love all the types of Campanula there are, that bloom at different times. I only have tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, dill and parsley this year. Last fall after I cleaned up the raised beds, I sprinkled all my leftover seeds; lettuce, parsley, and dill. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of it came up this spring. Now I hope the dill lasts until the pickling cucumbers are ripe. I’ve been making my homemade refrigerator pickles with those little Persian cucumbers. I felt obligated to use up the dill. Some I picked and put in a vase. It looks great but makes a huge mess. I have some Early Girls just turning pink!
The thrill of growing your own and producing a meal from the bottom of your garden never ceases to be a buzz for me. Good luck with your open day! 🙂
Thanks Julie. We’ve ben blessed with nice steady rain overnight which is a great help!
[…] The top image, via HGTV Gardens, also shows the David Austin rose ‘Golden Celebration’. Bottom two images via the Frustrated Gardener. […]