Perennial garden bell: how to grow, which perennial bells should be planted in the garden. Bell flower growing from seeds planting and care in the open field photo of species and varieties

Flowers familiar to everyone since childhood owe their name to their external resemblance to miniature bells. Even in Latin they are officially called "Campanula" - a bell. We still often call them affectionately bells, chenilles, chebotkas. Like many flowers, they are sung in beautiful legends.

According to one of them, the first church bell was created in the image of this delicate, fragile gift of nature. It was after their quiet ringing was heard after a breath of wind that the priest ordered a copper mold to be cast for the temple in the image and likeness of a flower. Yes, and today there is a belief that their quiet crystal ringing is heard on Ivan Kupala. Another legend tells about the growth of bells on the site of crumbling fragments of the mirror of the goddess Venus.

For many peoples, the bell is perceived as a good talisman, capable of driving away all evil spirits with its ringing. It is considered a symbol of faith, joy, openness, increase in wisdom, harmony between Man and Heaven.

There is a sign that bells dream of good news, good changes in personal life, a warning against rash acts. And the enthusiastic chanting of this flower by poets and artists deserves a separate discussion.

The desire to get an armful of bluebells is indomitable, but the plucked bells quickly fade ... In order to admire them for a long time, it is better to grow them in nature or in your apartment. We offer you to get acquainted with the features of flowers, methods of growing it more specifically.

flower description

The bellflower family of the herbaceous genus includes more than 300 species. They grow in the temperate climate of Europe, Asia, the Caucasus, Siberia, North America. They can be seen in the steppes, meadows, mountains, on rocks, desert areas.

The shape of flowers up to 7 cm long resembles inverted goblets, bells with edges that curve outward. Their surface can be smooth or terry with a variety of colors (white, blue, purple, pink).

Along with racemose, paniculate inflorescences, there are also single-growing flowers. Their ripened fruits look like a box with slit-like holes up to 6 pieces.

Until recently, most of the bells were garden bells, with the exception of indoor equal-leaved flowers. Their varieties Alba and Mayi with white and light blue flowers are called the bride and groom.

However, today other undersized, compact terry plants have appeared, which are grown not only in open ground, but also in room conditions.

They are divided into a solid number of species and subspecies, hybrids. The main criteria for referring to a particular species, variety are the height and timing of the growth of these flowers.

Thanks to different height straight, stiff-haired stems with alternate leaves, bell-shaped flowers, the following types are distinguished:

• undersized (from 6 to 20 cm)
• medium height (up to 1 m)
• tall (more than 1 m).

Along with these features, the entire multiplicity of flowers is divided, first of all, according to the timing of their growth: one- and two-year, perennial. To choose the right option among the many varieties of Campanula, let's look at the most popular ones among our gardeners.

1. Annuals bells came to us from southern regions. In places with a cool and temperate climate, they are less common.

Among them there are plants, both low and medium height. Here, the eponymous bell, short, forked (dichotomous), Kashmiri, enjoys the greatest sympathy. Due to their small stature, the flowers look great near the borders, on rock gardens.

Doesn't get tired of winning his fans undersized California bluebell(phacelia bell-shaped) with dark shades of flowers. It is cultivated mainly for decorating slides, curbs, container groups, etc.

Very popular in our area are medium-sized summer varieties: long-column and, as if in memory of an ancient legend, the Mirror of Venus. Despite their short lifespan, their many flowers from May to early autumn delight with their various colors.

1. Biennial flowers are most common "immigrants" from the subalpine belt of the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, Asia Minor and even Siberia. Having grown up in their native climate, they take root well in our country under similar conditions. These include undersized bearded bells.

Among medium-sized ones, Campanula Medium (medium) can be called a favorite. It has been known since the end of the 16th century, it is prone to natural renewal, therefore it is sometimes grown as a perennial option.

This species has several varieties, where many flower growers enjoy special sympathy Cup with saucer.

This plant is interesting for its flowers like a cup with gracefully curved edges and the thinnest porcelain saucer. Beauty is collected in a large inflorescence, which can accommodate about 50 bells with a diameter of up to 8 cm, an extensive color palette.

Along with them, varieties of stiff-haired, Hoffman, thyrsoid, spiked bells are also popular. In many gardens, such biennials are grown as: Siberian, Moesian, laurel, spatulate, divergent, sprawling, pyramidal, Sartori, Formateka, etc.

1. perennial species are much more common than those growing for 1-2 years. They are also subdivided into subgroups depending on the height of the plant.

Among undersized species, the place of the leader in prevalence is occupied by the Carpathian bell, born in the mountains of Central Europe. It has been known in floriculture for about 250 years. The plant barely reaches 30 cm and has stems with densely arranged leaves. However, it is short-lived, because it lives in one place for no more than three years.

The most famous are its garden forms Alba and White Star with snow-white single funnel-shaped flowers. This is also Isabelle, Celestine, Blaumeise, Riversleigh, Chenton Joy, Karpatenkrone with sky blue, blue, purple flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm. And if these varieties are more adapted to open spaces, then the miniature Clip can also be grown as an indoor crop.

Popular low-growing bells also include the varieties Gargansky, spiral-leaved (spoon-leaved), birch-leaved, daisy-leaved, Ortana, Radde, three-toothed, Shamisso, Uemura and many others.

medium height perennials are represented by bells Takeshima, Komarov, dotted with numerous stems, simple and double flowers various colors and sizes. Here, the best varieties are considered to be Beauty Trust, Wedding Bells, Alba-nana, Rubra.

It is worth paying attention to the hardy platycodon, which is often called broad-leaved. It is notable for its luxurious terry large flowers with different coloration. Its best varieties are Album, Nanum, Marisil, Pleno Alba and a number of others.

Among this subgroup, one should again name the most popular medium bell with double flowers. It is very unpretentious, cold-resistant, but loves lighted places with moist soil. Its life span can be long due to self-seeding (natural renewal). In warm regions, Campanula Medium opens its buds even in the first year of seed planting.

Tall perennials in their natural environment grow along the banks of rivers, in the forests of Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, Asia Minor. Varieties have been bred in the culture, in the names of which the features of the leaves are indicated.

They differ not only in the height of the stem, but in a more intense aroma of flowers. Some names focus on the color of the flower, for example, lactiflora (Cerulea, Prichard Veraeti).

This category also includes noble-flowered, Bolognese, nettle-leaved with double flowers, crowded, rapunzel-shaped bells. Along with them, peach-leaved (Bernice, Thetam Beauty, Exmouth, Snowdrift, New Giant Highbrides) are very popular.

This one is far from full review allows you to get an idea of ​​the wide selection of bells for breeding on the site, balcony, in the room.

Growing from seed

This method is the most versatile, and the only one for annual bells. It can also be successfully used for biennials and perennials, except for varieties with double flowers. The exclusion of the latter is explained by the fact that the seedlings are not able to retain these traits, or the seeds may not be set.

Seed and soil preparation does not involve the use of complex methods of agricultural technology. Bluebell seeds do not need preliminary preparation for sowing. Regarding the soil, some varieties of plants are well adapted to calcareous, rocky places. However, most varieties of bluebells are suitable for neutral / slightly alkaline soil, well-drained loam.

The preparation of the soil chosen for planting flowers consists in deep digging. With heavy soil, sand or humus is introduced, and depleted areas are enriched with humus and fertilizers. At the same time, in order to avoid the risk of fungal diseases, do not use fresh peat, not completely rotted manure.

Using the seed method for growing seedlings allows you to see flowers in the first year after planting.

• To do this, small seeds are sown in containers with soil prepared in advance since March.
• At the same time, they are slightly pressed with the palm of your hand, and not sprinkled with earth.
• The substrate must be light, loose, permeable and pre-moistened.
• This is achieved by mixing soddy land, coarse-grained humus sand in a ratio of 6x3x1.

After sowing, the contents of the container are sprayed with water, covered with a film and placed in a warm place up to +20 ºC. Already after 15-20 days shoots appear, seedlings are transferred to a place where direct rays of the sun do not fall.

Here, without covering with a film, the traditional care of seedlings of many flowers is carried out. This is watering when the top layer of the substrate dries up, careful loosening around young shoots.

When the first true leaves appear after 20-24 days, a dive is carried out in individual containers at a distance of at least 10 cm. After that, after 2 weeks, the shoots should be fed with liquid, weakly concentrated complex fertilizer.

Sowing seeds directly into open ground is carried out before winter in the 2nd half of October or in spring (end of May). With autumn sowing, the natural selection of full-fledged seeds will take place in winter, and the strongest of them will sprout in spring. These seedlings can be used for planting in the chosen place.

May sowing requires stratification lasting 2 months. However, this somewhat lengthens the path from seed germination to plant flowering.

It should be borne in mind that the bells sown in this way are used for the first year to develop the root, leaf rosettes. Only in the second year of life do they grow shoots with an ovary of flowers.

Grown seedlings are planted in open ground from the end of May to the end of the first decade of June. When choosing a place on the site, it is worth giving preference to light or slightly shaded areas without drafts. It is advisable to settle the bells away from trees, bushes to get enough nutrition and moisture.

When planting undersized seedlings, the distance between flowers should be up to 15 cm, medium-sized - up to 30 cm, tall - up to 50 cm. Upon completion of planting, the ground near future bells is carefully compacted and well moistened.

To preserve moisture and prevent the appearance of weeds, the aisles can be mulched. Gardeners note that thanks to seedlings, you can admire flowers in the first year of their earthly life.

One of the attractive qualities of bluebells is their unpretentiousness in care. It consists in regular watering during the heat, further loosening the soil around the flowers, and removing weeds. Tall varieties will need a garter or fastening on supports.

• Top dressing is carried out in the spring nitrogen fertilizer for the growth of the vegetative mass, earlier flowering.
• During budding in early summer, phosphorus or complex additives are needed.
• are brought in in autumn potash fertilizers to improve plant hardiness.
• If a particular variety prefers an alkaline, neutral soil, it is important to reduce the existing acidity with the help of ash.
• In summer, moderate application of rotted humus is suitable.

In order to prolong the flowering time, it is imperative to remove fading inflorescences. At the same time, tall varieties cut off all faded shoots. If it is planned to collect seeds, then browned, but not yet opened boxes are left on the plant.

How to collect seeds

For long-term cultivation of your favorite bluebells, seeds are harvested from mid-August to the end of September. It is noteworthy that 1 g contains up to 5,000 small, light seeds.

Harvesting begins after the boxes turn brown and are about to be opened. Pre-cut inflorescences should be placed on thick paper or canvas in a dry, well-ventilated area.

Peel off the crumbled seeds from the remnants of boxes, dried leaves, and then use for growing seedlings or in open ground.

In case of delay with timely collection, they are allowed to shed on the soil. Due to self-seeding, the cycle of seed convergence will be repeated without additional stratification and all the processes of growing bluebells.

The mass of the advantages of bells should also include their resistance to damage by pests and diseases. These undesirable phenomena can occur when flowers are grown in one place for a long time. Indeed, in this case, the soil accumulates various harmful microorganisms.

And their constant presence in contact with plants provokes disastrous consequences for them. The treatment of flowers with a weak solution of Fundazol helps to avoid such negative phenomena.

Excessive moisture can favor the appearance of slugs. Here, an effective means of control can be spraying plants with a decoction of hot pepper or superphosphate granules sprinkled between flowers.

Along with seed seedling way There are other options, the use of which depends biological features varieties, types of plants. So, if annual bells are propagated by seeds, then two-year-olds prefer vegetative ones (by seeds and cuttings).

Perennial species with taproot, carpal root systems are considered vegetatively immobile and can reproduce by their seeds. Plants with creeping long roots, classified as vegetatively mobile species, tolerate all these methods well + dividing by a bush.

However, perennial flowers are best propagated:

• parts of rhizomes
• root cuttings,
• stolons
• dividing the bush.

Despite the possibility of seed reproduction, these species lose their generic characteristics. This is especially reflected in terry varieties, which even lose the ability to produce seeds.

With the vegetative method, cuttings are prepared in the spring. From early March to mid-April, they are cut from young basal or stem shoots. Then they are planted in a loose substrate and placed in microparnichki, under a film to maintain optimal humidity. Within a month, roots begin to grow in the cuttings, after the development of which, planting can begin.

The use of propagation by dividing the bush is permissible after 2-3 years of plant life. To do this, in May-June, a large bush is selected, dug out, and above-ground stems are cut.

The division of the bush into parts is carried out with a sterile sharp garden knife. Each of the parts must contain developed healthy roots, renewal buds. The places of cuts of each division are processed with crushed coal or ash, and then immediately planted in abundantly watered soil.

When propagating the rhizome in parts, only the creeping part is dug out, from which segments are made from the mother plant with renewal buds. Their planting in the ground is carried out with an open kidney above the soil surface.

Bluebells bloom twice: video

Due to the varieties of flowers, their growth, multicolor, these plants provide a wide field for imagination when decorating the landscape. They can be used as spectacular accents on lawns, in flower beds, and discounts. Bluebells are indispensable when creating ever-blooming compositions.

The bell is suitable for beds with perennial flowers, as well as for well-groomed green lawns. In landscape-type compositions, it perfectly coexists not only with its "brothers" - bells, but also with other colors. These are spectacular roses, colorful phlox, unique adenophora and gypsophila.

Due to the duration of preservation of decorative flowering, it looks organically with common kosmeya, mallow, calendula, carnations, Chernobrivtsy, ferns, hosta, etc.

Harmony of colors from different varieties, species with each other, other representatives of the fauna deserves separate consideration. The main thing is that the bell allows every gardener to show his talents as a landscape designer.

Garden bells, platycodon: video

Bell (from lat. Campanula) - herbaceous plant family Bellflowers. There are more than 300 types of bells. The plant prefers a temperate climate, is found in Europe, in the Front and Central Asia, in the Caucasus, Siberia and North America. Bluebells grow in the steppes, meadows, forests, desert areas and rocks. Many species are found in the alpine and subalpine mountain belts. People call the flower in different ways: bells, mobs, chenilles.

Most of the species are perennial, but bi- and annual plants are occasionally found. The bell can be low, high or medium.

The stems of the bell are thin, covered with regular green oblong leaves with smooth or serrated edges. Flower shape - bell-shaped, white, blue and various shades purple flowers collected in a racemose or paniculate inflorescence. Flowers can also be single. After flowering, seed boxes appear with 4-6 slits.

Growing bluebells from seeds When to plant

Sowing in the ground

• You can sow in open ground in April-May, but for two months before that you will need cold stratification - keeping in the refrigerator. The seeds are mixed with wet sand and placed in a plastic bag in the vegetable section.
• In addition, the bell at the end of October can be sown before winter - the seeds will undergo natural stratification in the ground and sprout together in the spring.

The planting depth should not exceed 2 cm, as the seeds are small and it will be difficult for them to break through to the surface. You need to sow less often so that the seedlings do not clog each other, it’s good if you get a 2-3 cm gap between the seeds. After the sprouts appear, they must be thinned out, leaving a distance of 4-5 cm. When the plants grow up, they are seated at a distance of 20-30 cm, depending on the variety.

Growing seedlings

To get flowering in the first year of life, it is better to grow seedlings. The seeds are very small, they need to be laid out on the surface of light, loose, permeable soil. Before sowing, the soil must be moistened. You can use the following soil mixture: humus, soddy land, and coarse sand in a ratio of 3:6:1. Crops should be covered with foil and maintained at a temperature of 18-20 ºC. Shoots will appear in a couple of weeks.

After germination, the container must be transferred to a bright place, but protected from direct sunlight. The film is removed and cared for in this way: watered when the top layer of the earth dries up, loosen the soil around the seedlings. After a month and with the appearance of real 2-4 leaves, dive the seedlings into a large container, keeping a distance of 10 cm between plants, or into separate cups.

A couple of weeks after diving, apply a low concentration liquid fertilizer complex.

Planting bells in the ground

In late May-early July, bluebells can be planted in open ground. Most cultivated species are photophilous, single shade lovers can be recognized by the dark green color of the leaves. The bell does not like drafts. Choose a place away from trees and bushes so that there is no lack of moisture and nutrients.

undersized species plant at a distance of 10-15 cm between plants, medium height - 20-30 cm, high - 40-50 cm. After planting, the soil around the flower should be trampled down and watered well.

Caring for bluebells in the garden

The bell is unpretentious in care.

• Water moderately with the establishment of dry hot weather.
• Loosen the soil regularly, remove weeds.
• Tall species may need props or a garter.
• the first time you need nitrogen fertilizer in the spring. The second top dressing is needed in the middle of summer for abundant flowering: apply complex fertilizer. Withered flowers must be removed so that new ones appear.

Reproduction of perennial bell cuttings

Annual bells seed way, biennial - seeds and cuttings. The perennial can be propagated by cuttings and division of the rhizome; with seed propagation, varietal characteristics may be lost. In addition, terry types of seeds are not tied, they can only be propagated vegetatively.

• In March-April, cut cuttings from young stems or basal shoots.
• Plant them in a loose, light substrate and place them under a cap from a plastic bottle, pinch off the lower leaves, and cut the rest by a third.
• Roots will appear within two to three weeks.
• After growing, plant the seedlings in a permanent place.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

• You can divide the bush for 3-5 years of the life of the bell, only some species are subject to division in the first year.
• Dig up a large bush in early May or late summer.
• Cut the stems, sterile sharp knife divide the rhizome into parts so that each has a developed root and growth buds.
• Sections need to be processed with crushed wood or activated carbon and immediately landed in a permanent place.

Bell pests and diseases

Flowering bluebells look beautiful, but the main advantage is ease of care and resistance to pests and diseases. At perennial cultivation soil accumulates harmful microorganisms that cause disease. To prevent this from happening, in spring and autumn it is recommended to treat the soil with a 0.2% solution of Fundazol.

Damp weather can provoke the appearance of a slobbery pennitsa, which is easy to defeat with garlic infusion. Slugs may appear on undersized bells - spray the foliage with a decoction of hot pepper, and sprinkle superphosphate granules on the soil.

Perennial bluebells after flowering

How to collect seeds?

To collect the seeds, do not wait for the opening of the seed pods. As soon as the testicle turns brown, cut off the inflorescences with seeds and leave to ripen in a dry, ventilated place.

Preparing for winter

Perennial plants need to be prepared for wintering. In late September-early October, cut the stems at the root. Many varieties can winter without shelter, but southern, heat-loving species need to be covered with natural materials: foliage, needles, branches. Tall species should be covered with humus or dry peat 15-20 cm tall.

Types and varieties of bells with photos and names

Bluebell annual Campanula erinus

Low-growing plant (up to 10 cm in height) with bright blue flowers. Homeland - the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, Asia Minor. Looks good in borders, rock gardens.

Bell dichotomous or forked Campanula dichotoma

A native of the Western Caucasus. The height of the plant is 15-20 cm, the leaves are ovoid, wide, the flowers are painted in light purple.

Campanula cashmeriana Campanula cashmeriana

It is found in the Pamirs, in the Himalayas. Undersized - only up to 8 cm in height. The flowers are small - up to 1.5 cm in length, purple in color, but there are many of them and flowering is long.

Bluebell Campanula longistyla

Bluebell long-column Isabella Campanula longistyla ‘Isabella’ photo

It grows on gravelly soil, in rock crevices in the Caucasus. Branches strongly, reaches a height of up to half a meter. The inflorescence is paniculate, consisting of fifty flowers of purple color, the diameter of the flower is up to 4 cm, it has a swollen base, and the edges of the calyx are covered with sharp, deflected teeth.

Bell Mirror of Venus

It lives in the Mediterranean mountains, in Holland and Great Britain. It got its name thanks to the legend about the broken mirror of the goddess Venus, the fragments of which turned into exquisite flowers. The height of the plant is 15-30 cm. The flowers are saucer-shaped, up to 2 cm in diameter, collected in paniculate inflorescences, the flowers are painted blue with a purple undertone, the middle of the flower is white. There are varieties with pure white flowers. Bloom all summer.

Bellflower Campanula betulifolia

Very beautiful white varieties with many flowers in racemose inflorescences hanging on climbing stems.

biennial bluebells

Bearded bell Campanula barbata

He preferred the subalpine zone of the Mediterranean. It reaches a height of up to 30 cm. The flowers are drooping, goblet-bell-shaped, up to 3 cm long, pale blue in color. Blooms for the first two summer months.

Hoffmann's bell Campanula hofmannii

Homeland are the Balkans and the Adriatic. The bell branches strongly, reaches a height of 30 cm to half a meter. There are many flowers, they are large, drooping, painted in white or cream color, they open in June-July.

Thyrsoid bell or spiky bell Campanula thyrsoides

The inflorescences are funnel-shaped, the funnel-shaped bell has a light yellow color of flowers, the thyrsoid has bright purple.

Bluebell Campanula macrostachya

Places of distribution in nature are the Balkans, Europe, Asia Minor. The flowers are tubular, collected in whorls of 6-7 pieces, the corolla is painted in a pale purple color. They bloom from early summer to August.

Bluebell medium Campanula medium

Distributed in Asia and Southeast Western Europe. Biennial, but sometimes grown as an annual plant. The stem is erect, from half a meter to a meter in height. The shape of the corolla is goblet-bell-shaped, up to 7 cm long, the flowers are simple and double, white, blue or pink in color, collected in pyramidal inflorescences.

Campanula cervicaria

Lives in Siberia and Europe. It reaches a height of 70-100 cm, the stems and leaves are densely pubescent, the flowers are small, sessile, collected from above into capitate, and from below - into whorled inflorescences.

Other biennial bells are also known: Siberian, Moesian. Pyramidal, spreading, divergent, spatulate, Formanek, Sartori and Orphanedia.

Undersized species of perennial bluebells

Bluebell Carpathian Campanula carpatica

Distributed in the Carpathian Mountains and Central Europe. It reaches a height of up to 30 cm. Ovate leaves on long petioles are collected in basal rosettes, and the stems are covered with ovate leaves on short petioles. Funnel-shaped bell-shaped flowers, up to 5 cm in diameter, solitary, painted in blue, purple or White color. They bloom in June and bloom almost until mid-August.

The most famous garden forms of the Carpathian bell are:

• Alba, White Star - have white flowers;
• Isabelle, Zeoestina - sky blue color of the corolla;
• Chenton Joy, Blaumeise, Riversleigh - blue flowers;
• Karpatenkrone - purple flowers;
• Clip - only 20 cm high, a flower with a diameter of 5 cm, grown in gardens and at home.

Bellflower gargan campanula garganica

Gargan bell campanula garganica variety dickson's gold care photo

Low (up to 15 cm) perennial, fragile stems creeping rising, rounded leaves with teeth, star-shaped flowers, about 4 cm in diameter, blue.

The best varieties of this species:

• Major - has pale blue flowers;
• W.H. Paine is a light lavender flower with a white center.

Campanula cochleariifolia

Distributed in the Alps and Carpathians. It grows up to 15 cm in height, the stems creep. The flowers are drooping, up to 1 cm in diameter, blue, blue or white, collected in small inflorescences.

Popular varieties:

• Alba - white bells;
• Loder - terry blue flowers;
• Miss Wilmott - has blue flowers;

Bell Chamisso Campanula chamissonis

Homeland is the Far East. Flowers solitary, about 3 cm in diameter, violet-blue color, white occurs, hairy corolla along the edge.

There are many other low-growing species: soddy, daisy-leaved, hairy-fruited, one-flowered, borderline, warbler, ciliated, darkish, dark, three-toothed, Ortana, Osh, Rainer, Radde, Uemura.

Perennial bluebells of medium height

Komarov's bell Campanula komarovii

Endemic to the Caucasus. Height about 45 cm, branching stems. there are many flowers, they are large, of a bright light purple hue, about 3 cm long, have sharp turned back lobes.

Bell dot or Takeshima Campanula punctata

Campanula punctata ‘Rubriflora’ photo

From Far East and Siberia. Reaches a height of up to half a meter. Stems are thin. The leaves are numerous, collected in a basal rosette on petioles of a reddish tint, the shape of the leaf is ovate, lanceolate or acute. The flowers are large, goblet-bell-shaped, mounted on a long pedicel, the corolla is painted off-white, covered with purple specks. Setble, leaves and flowers are pubescent.

• Rubra - has bright flowers;
• Alba nana - up to 20 cm high, white flowers.

It is also distributed in Korea, on the Iranian highlands. This perennial bluebell grows up to 60 cm tall. The leaves are collected in basal rosettes. There are many stems, they are creeping, creeping, rising. The flowers are double and simple, painted in white, blue, pink. Flowers bloom in early summer.

The best varieties are also:

• Beautyful Trust - white large flowers, arachnid form;
• Wedding Bells - white double bell-shaped flowers.

Bellflower Sarastro Campanula Sarastro

Hybrid dotted bell. Large flowers (up to 7 cm in length) are painted in bright purple. The bush reaches a height of 60 cm, occupies a diameter of up to 45 cm.

Other medium-sized bells: polymorphic, rhomboid, Tatra, Moravian, Spanish, flax-leaved, wonderful, perforated, round-leaved, Marchesetti, Karnika, Turchaninov, Grosseka, garlic-leaved, Sarmatian, pale ocher, Pink Octupus and Kent Bell hybrids.

Tall bellflower species

Distributed in Siberia, Southern and Central Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, European parts of Ukraine and Russia. Prefers broad-leaved, dark coniferous, mixed forests and river banks. The stem is straight, glabrous, up to 1 meter in height. The leaves are doubly serrate, 12 cm long and 6 cm wide. The flowers are large axillary, collected in a narrow, rare-flowered spiky raceme. The flowers are funnel-shaped, up to 6 cm long, painted in blue, white, blue, the flower blades are slightly bent. Bloom all summer.

• Alba - has white flowers;
• Brantwood - purple flowers; variety with purple flowers;
• Makranta - flowers are large, large purple.

Campanula persicifolia peach bell

Distributed in Western Siberia, Western Europe, the European part of Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus. Height from 50 cm to 1 meter. Stem erect, covered with leaves. The leaves are similar to peach foliage: smooth, serrated along the edges. The flowers are large, broadly bell-shaped, up to 5 cm long, collected in several pieces in a paniculate inflorescence, have a blue or lilac-blue color. There are terry and crown forms. Blooms from mid-June to mid-July.

Popular varieties:

• Bernice - flowers are blue, terry;
• Tetam Beauty - large flowers of a light blue hue;
• Exmaus - dusty blue double flowers;
• Snowdrift - white bells.
• New Giant Highbreeds - grows up to 75 cm tall, flowers are large, white and all shades of blue.

Campanula lactiflora Campanula lactiflora

They come from Asia Minor and the Caucasus. 50-150 cm high. Tap root, allowing it to grow in heavy loamy soils. The flowers are milky white, up to 4 cm in diameter, collected in racemose inflorescences. They will open in June and will delight until the end of summer.

The main varieties are:

• Cerulea - blue shade of flowers;
• Alba - white flowers;
• Prichard Veraeti - 1.5 m in height, lavender-blue flowers.

Other tall species: Bolognese, rapunzel, crowded, noble-large-flowered and nettle-leaved.

Name bell comes from the Latin word "campana" - bell. There are about 300 species of bluebell in the genus, found mainly in the northern hemisphere. Many bluebells also grow in the mountainous regions of Europe and the Mediterranean. Bellflowers are distinguished by straight, long, slightly lowered at the top, creeping or creeping stems.

The leaves of the bells are alternate, at the base of the stem sometimes collected in rosettes.

bluebells bloom from June until the onset of frost; flowers are blue, blue, purple, yellow, white. Undersized species are a must-have assortment of rock gardens.

Bluebell flowers perfectly enliven the landscape. These plants are very unpretentious (except for alpine species), unpretentious to the ground. They grow well among the cracks on the stairs, in stone walls and between tiles.

Cultivation of bluebells

They are undemanding to soils, but grow better on well-drained, treated with sufficient nutrition, slightly alkaline or neutral soils. It would be desirable that the site be drained using drainage pipes or drainage ditches, because bluebells cannot stand stagnant water during wintering, their roots rot and freeze. They cannot be planted in areas flooded with spring waters or rain.

For planting bluebells the soil must be prepared in advance by digging 30-40 cm and carefully removing weeds. In clay and loamy soils, peat and sand must be added. Such soils contain a large number of nutrients, so fertilizer should be applied in small quantities.

In loose, humus-poor sandy soils, add soddy soil, humus, peat or muddy pond soil. Manure and fresh peat should not be applied, because this can cause fungal diseases.

As for the acidity of the soil, a large number of species grow well on slightly alkaline and neutral.

bell care

In the spring, before the start of growth, the plants must be fed with nitrogen fertilizer, it is also advisable to pour rotted ash or manure under the bushes. In the first half of summer, constant weeding and loosening of the soil are needed. In the middle lane, most of the bluebells can do without watering, and during dry periods they need to be watered sparingly.

Bluebells do not like stagnant water. If you carefully remove dried flower stalks and wilted flowers, you can extend the flowering period of the bell.

Flowering shoots saved for collecting seeds should be cut off when the bolls turn brown, but only until the pores open (otherwise the seeds will end up on the ground). In early October, all stems should be cut at the root.

bell transplant

You need to repot bells in spring or autumn. After the snow melts in early spring you can transplant a bell with a powerful root system. It is better to replant bells with an undeveloped root system in May, when the soil warms up. In autumn, it is better to transplant in late August or early September, so that the plant has time to take root before frost.

With a compact, shallow root system, you can repot in any growing season, and even during flowering. The bell needs to be transplanted with a large clod of earth in order not to injure the roots, and before and after planting the plant, it is good to shed the prepared hole.

Reproduction of bluebells

Reproduction by dividing the bush, seeds, root offspring, segments of rhizomes, green cuttings. The methods of reproduction of these plants depend on the biological characteristics of the species, its life form. For example, annual types of bluebells reproduce only by seeds, biennial - spring cuttings and seeds.

Among perennial bluebells there are vegetatively motionless - these are brush-root and tap-root plants, they reproduce only by seeds. Vegetatively inactive - short rhizomatous, propagated by dividing the bush, green cuttings and seeds.

Vegetatively mobile - long-rhizome, root-shooting and stolon-forming plants, reproduce by dividing the bush, seeds, root offspring, green cuttings, segments of rhizomes.

Bellflower seed propagation

It is necessary to collect the fruits of bluebells when they turn brown, but only until the pores open. After drying the fruits, the seeds must be poured out through the opened pores. As a rule, the seeds of bluebells are very small, so they can be mixed with crushed chalk or washed sand. Seeds can be sown directly into the ground or seedlings can be grown from them in advance and planted in a flower garden with the advent of heat.

Vegetative propagation of bluebell

Allows you to get a plant that exactly repeats all the maternal properties. Bluebells are divided and transplanted, as a rule, in the 3-5th year of vegetation, yet some types of bluebells can be divided in the fall in the 1st year of flowering. Bushes should be divided in early May or late August, so that the plant has time to take root before frost.

The division of the bush: the bell is dug up, the above-ground shoots are cut off and cut into separate sections with a shovel or knife. The delenka must have a root system and renewal buds. Division of rhizomes: the rhizome is divided into segments with renewal buds and planted in grooves so that the buds are at the level of the soil.

Nature endowed bell carpathian extraordinary tenderness and unique grace, which is what landscape designers use, creating fabulous beautiful compositions(most often, the flower is used in slides). Planted in groups, these flowers form dense clumps with a scattering of large cup-shaped flowers. It would take a whole treatise to tell you all about bluebell flowers, so we will only focus on the most important points in growing them.

Site selection and soil for planting

The Carpathian bell is not whimsical by nature, so its planting and further care can be carried out both in sunny places and in partial shade. The best soil for this plant - fertile, with good drainage, neutral or slightly acidic. In heavy, poorly drained soils, where frequent stagnant water occurs, the bluebell quickly dies from excessive waterlogging. If you plant a flower in heavy loamy soils, then add sand and deoxidized peat when digging. Excessively loose sandy soils should be mixed with humus or soddy soil. By following these requirements, you will provide your plants with good conditions for overwintering.

Growing Carpathian bellflower from seeds

Sowing a plot prepared for bluebells with seeds is the most common method of growing a plant. The weight of a thousand seeds is very small and amounts to only a quarter of a gram. At good conditions, for germination, 4000 seedlings will be obtained from one gram of seeds.

Did you know? AT old times our ancestors believed that with the help of a bell you can attract a loved one. The girl was supposed to pluck the plant at dawn and attach it to the window shutter. Soon the one we love was supposed to visit.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

seeds this plant very capricious, therefore, in order for them to germinate well, a certain thermal hardening is required. Preparation of planting material and sowing should begin in February. From this point on, the seeds must be kept for one month at a temperature of + 20 ° C under diffused light, moistening them evenly. Also, fresh air must be constantly supplied to them. These microclimate requirements are very important for successful seed germination. Those shoots that appeared prematurely, before the planned date, need to be transplanted into a separate container.

Further, the heating of the planted material must be replaced by temperature hardening with a range of -4°C to +4°C. This stage should last a month and a half. At the same time, it is very important that the seedlings are affected by natural environmental factors, but it is advisable to keep the temperature in the box under control when it drops sharply outside. The seeds grow most successfully under a layer of lush snow, which protects them from freezing, and melt water provides the necessary moisture on sunny days. Hardening lasts as long as the average daily temperature is higher than the upper limit of the specified range. As soon as the first shoots appear, the container with the earthen substrate must be transferred to a room where the temperature is between +10°C and +15°C.
This method of seed hardening is very laborious, but at the same time very effective. There is another option for propagating bluebells, in which the seeds are not sown immediately into the soil, but are processed in a mixture of wet sand in a plastic bag. At the first stage, they are heated according to the type of the first method, but at the second, the hardening is transferred to the refrigerator for the same period as in the first variant. Then, the seed is placed in boxes with prepared soil mixture (without deepening) and sent to conditions with a temperature regime of +10°C...+15°C. In order not to blur the seeds, they are not watered, but sprayed with a spray bottle. The soil substrate can also be moistened by microcapillaries through a water tray.

Important! The substrate, before sowing seeds into it, must be well moistened and saturated with moisture.

After sowing, soil moisture and seed illumination should be monitored. Optimal conditions for growth come after 10-25 days from the date of planting. The seedlings will be very dense anyway, so picking should be started as soon as the first leaves appear. In order not to greatly harm the seedlings, they can be transplanted in groups of 4 plants in one seedling pot or multi-cell plates. Only ascended bluebells need to be moderately moistened and often allowed to breathe. fresh air. The first fertilizers are applied 14 days after picking.

This is the most suitable time, as the Carpathian bluebells will move away from stress and fully restore their root system. The Carpathian bell can already be planted on a permanent "place of residence" in open ground when its seedlings have reached a month of age. It must be well lit and ventilated, and not prone to severe waterlogging. In the worst case, the bells will gradually be oppressed and more likely to be exposed to various kinds of diseases.

Sowing seeds in open ground

The Carpathian bell adapts quite well to different conditions, so its planting with seeds can be carried out immediately in open ground. This event should be held in the fall in mid-October or in the spring, in May. Bell seeds should be planted in a mixture of sand, soddy soil and weathered peat. The soil should be light, loose and well ventilated. Seeds do not need organic fertilizer. Since the planting material is very small, it must be laid out directly on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a little sand. Spring shoots germinate in two weeks, and autumn shoots 10-14 days after the ground thaws.

Important! The Carpathian bell is one of the species whose seeds germinate better after hardening, so it would be more logical to plant them right before the snow falls.

When three full-fledged leaves appear on the plant, the seedlings can dive according to the 10x10 cm scheme.

How to care for bluebells on the site?

Unpretentious in care, the Carpathian bell does not impose special requirements on environment, so its cultivation will not be a burden to you.

How to water?

Watering should only be carried out during a period of prolonged heat. Then you have to use up to 10 liters of water for each mature plant. After watering, the soil in the root zone must be weeded and loosened to allow free air circulation.

Fertilization

Feeding should be done twice a season. The first is in early spring, when there is still snow, by applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers. The second - during the budding period, the bushes will respond perfectly to top dressing complex fertilizers based on minerals.

Pruning inflorescences

Transplantation of young flowers to a permanent "place of residence" is carried out in early summer. On the next year when the bell blooms, be prepared for a quick pruning of faded inflorescences. This is necessary in order to prevent spontaneous self-seeding. Otherwise, many interfering, chaotically growing flowers may appear nearby. Fruit-boxes need to be collected before they darken and open. If you want to plant bluebells, then simply plant them in the soil from August to September or next May. Regular pruning of the dried inflorescences of the Carpathian bluebell will prolong its flowering periods. And if at the end of it shortly cut all the flower stalks, then in a month the plant will bloom again.

Soil mulching

Since the Carpathian bell does not tolerate stagnant moisture, the soil for its cultivation must be loose. However, during periods of intense heat, in order to avoid rapid evaporation and retain the necessary moisture, it must be mulched on the contrary. Those plants that grow on rocky hills do not need this event. Bluebells can not stand the neighborhood with weeds, so weeds should be removed from flower beds in a timely and very careful manner.

Did you know? According to ancient beliefs, the bell brings love to the young, peace to the elderly, and generally makes people happy.

Carpathian bell in landscape design

The Carpathian bellflower is such an attractive flower that it is worth paying due attention to its description. It reaches a height of 30 cm. The leaves are heart-shaped, small, collected in a rosette and growing closer to the roots. Due to this arrangement, a neat spherical bush is formed, with a diameter of 30 cm. Single flowers in the form of funnels of white, purple and blue shades in large quantities cover the entire bush of the plant. The Carpathian bell perfectly coexists with bright daisies, cute lobelia, fragrant alyssum and lush aubrieta.

Very attractive composition of colorful plants. Among alpine slides Carpathian bell is successfully combined in garden design with saxifrage, periwinkle, juvenile and stonecrop. When making a rockery, plant bells against the background of a carnation-grass, subulate phlox, fescue and iberis. Lately in landscape design popular placement trends flowering plants in vases. Delicate Carpathian bells are planted in the beds framing the paths, as well as mixed flower beds with mostly undersized flowers.

Disease and pest resistance

For the most part, diseases and pests for the Carpathian bell are not terrible, so the plant is rarely affected by them. True, with many years of growing flowers in one place in the soil, there is an accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms - Fusarium, Sclerotinia and Botrytis. They can destroy the plant. To prevent this, twice a season (spring and autumn period s), treat the flowers with a solution of "Fundazol" at a concentration of 0.2%.
During periods high humidity a slobbering pennitsa appears on the bells, which is removed by garlic infusion. The leaves and shoots of the flower are attacked by slugs and snails. You can drive away pests with the preparations "Thunder" and "Meta". Also, the leaves of bluebells are often covered with rust, which copper-containing preparations help to fight. In order to prevent it from infecting the plant, it is necessary to carry out regular preventive spring and autumn processing soil preparations "Gumi" or "Fitosporin".

Did you know? They say that this flower served as the prototype of the bell, so it Latin name"campanula", which comes from the word "campana" - translated "bell". In Italy, they call the bell towers - campanillas.

Other methods of reproduction of the Carpathian bluebell

H Along with seed propagation of the bell, there are also vegetative methods: dividing the bush and cuttings. Their use allows you to increase the number of plants in the summer and autumn. Also, during vegetative propagation, the possibility of cross-pollination and splitting of traits is excluded, therefore, obtaining identical planting material and transferring all varietal traits is guaranteed.

cuttings

The Carpathian bell for cuttings is expelled at a temperature of + 10 ° C. Cuttings should be cut into three centimeters in size with one or two kidneys. Favorable periods for this are the spring months. During this time, you can get a lot of planting material. The cuttings root very well and root system fully formed in three weeks. Cuttings should be planted in multi-cell plates, three pieces each. The substrate is prepared as follows: take earth, sand and humus in equal proportions, and then mix them.

Plant the cuttings and cover with a layer of sand a couple of centimeters. Sand has good absorbency, so it perfectly retains moisture, while remaining loose and ventilated. This favorably affects young roots. The most suitable conditions can be created with a fine mist machine under the plastic sheet. The use of vegetative propagation methods significantly accelerates the flowering of the bell.

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In the language of florists, the bell sounds rather unusual - "Campanula". This name comes from the Latin and Italian word "campana", which means "bell". This is the shape of the rim of the bell. This explains why it is known in our country under this name, which is officially enshrined in the domestic botanical nomenclature.

Throughout history, the bell has been treated with love in Russia. Once again, this is proved by the affectionate names that were used when mentioning the campanula in different localities: pichunitsy, chebotki, bells, chenilles ... And, according to an old belief, a person can only hear the ringing of a bell once a year - on a magical night on the eve of Ivan Kupala .

Description

At perennial plant the bell is formed by a simple or branched stem small size, reaching a height of 5-150 cm. The leaves have a regular arrangement, in some species they are presented in the form of a rosette. Most types of bluebell have paniculate flowers, and in more rare cases they are racemose, there are also plants that have single inflorescences.

cultivation

Basically perennial bluebell flowers can grow in any soil, but here they have their own preferences. It is recommended to plant them on well-cultivated, well-drained soils that have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction and are provided with the necessary nutrition. Usually, drainage channels are arranged to solve the problem of drainage or drainage pipes. This must be done without fail, since moisture stagnation in winter period extremely negative effect on the plant, as there is a danger of root rot and freezing. Unsuitable for growing garden bells are areas where moisture accumulates after rains or during the period of snow melt.

When planting perennial flowers of bluebells, it must be borne in mind that a plant can grow well on them only with neutral and slightly alkaline soil reaction.

• for planting a bearded and carved bell, you will have to prepare a site where soil with a slightly acidic reaction should prevail;
• mountain wild species bluebells, whose natural habitat is limestone rocks, will do best in slightly alkaline soils. Therefore, before proceeding with planting a plant, it is necessary to add a small amount of lime to the soil.

Kinds

The genus of the bell includes many various types, which differ not only in habitat, but also in other features.

Carpathian bell

This species is most often found on limestone rocks and in the upper mountain belt of Europe. Of the morphological features, it is worth highlighting the presence of a fibrous whitish root. The plant forms many stems 20-40 cm high, usually having a straight, branched shape, due to which the bush acquires its characteristic spherical shape. Heart-shaped leaves are located on long petioles. The largest - basal leaves, reach a length of 5 cm, smaller leaves located on the stems.

Inflorescences grow solitary, have big sizes, reaching a length and width of 3 cm. The characteristic color is blue. The flowering of this type of bell begins in June-early July, but already in mid-September it begins to fade. During the entire period, the flowers retain a bright, saturated color. In the period from August to October, seeds begin to ripen, which retain high germination (up to 90%). With a delay in collection, the seeds can multiply by self-seeding.

This view prevails in shady, mixed forests. Habitual habitat is Europe, Western Siberia, North Africa. This plant is known to many as a large bell, pine forest, goose neck, throat grass and priming grass, which can be explained by its healing properties because it helps with sore throat. The leaves and roots of this bell can be used to make a salad, and the young leaves are used as an addition to cabbage soup.

Bellflower spoon-leaved

The favorite habitats of this species are the limestone mountains of Europe. It grows in the form of a low-growing creeping perennial, which produces filiform stems 10-18 cm high. Adult specimens often form a dense turf. The characteristic color of the leaves is light green. The flowers of the bell have a white and blue tint, grow drooping, not exceed 1 cm in diameter, are presented in the form of loose inflorescences. Flowering time begins in mid-June and continues until the end of August. During the entire phase, they show abundant flowering and fruiting. Easily propagated by self-seeding. Do not lose their attractiveness until late autumn.

Campanula lactiflora

Most often, this plant can be found in the upper, forest and subalpine belts of the mountains of the Caucasus and Asia Minor. It is a tall plant, reaching a height of 60-100 cm, has a large number of brushes that adorn the branched stem at the top.

The flowers are quite small and their diameter does not exceed 3 cm, they can have different colors within milky white to purple, are presented in the form of wide-pyramidal inflorescences, include up to 100 different shades. It begins to bloom in June-July, when many flowers open at the same time. Fruiting is just as plentiful in August, when many seeds begin to ripen.

This type of bluebell is most represented in the forests and forest edges of Europe, the Caucasus and Western Siberia. Until the growing season, they look like a rosette of basal leaves, from which by the middle of summer a slender, strong stem 60 cm high grows. It is decorated with miniature linear-lanceolate leaves that have a dark green color. At the very top of the stem hang brushes of blue or white flowers. A corolla is formed on the flower, which has a wide bell shape, reaches a width of 3-3.5 cm. Meet garden views, which are decorated with double flowers. The first flowers open in June and decorate the site until the end of summer.

After withering, fruits begin to set on the shoots, which look like boxes containing many seeds, which reach the stage of maturity in August-September. Some species are capable of reproduction by self-seeding. If necessary, you can extend the flowering of this species and save it decorative properties. To do this, it is important to avoid the ripening of seeds, for which it is necessary to remove faded flowers in a timely manner. To obtain seeds, it is recommended to leave separate tender specimens of the peach bell. The photo of the plant is almost indistinguishable from the original.

Pozharsky's bell

This member of the family most often lives on the limestone rocks of southern Europe and the Balkans. During the growing season forms a dense pillow 15-20 cm high, which is made up of petiolate heart-shaped leaves in combination with large quantity peduncles. The characteristic shape of the inflorescences is broadly bell-shaped, almost stellate. The flowers of the Pozharsky bell have a light plum-blue color.

Conclusion

The bell is one of those ornamental plants, in which even novice flower growers have heard a lot. This plant has nothing particularly prominent inflorescences, but this does not reduce interest in it. You can also grow a bell in a summer cottage, but it is advisable to choose suitable place to land. Although this plant is undemanding to the soil, the presence of a fertile composition benefits the bluebell. It is very important to take care of the presence of high-quality drainage, since in marshy soil conditions this plant can easily die.

bluebell flower