Bellflowers, commonly known as bluebells, conjure up images of lush garden borders, but they are actually a much more diverse group of plants, ranging from tall perennials to tiny, jewel-like alpine plants.
While most prefer full sun, there are varieties that can tolerate some shade, brightening up a spot under a tree. Flowers can be bell-shaped or star-shaped, some facing upwards and others hanging downwards. They are generally single-flowered and these attract bees and other pollinators, but there are also varieties with double, frilly flowers. Colors range from sparkling white and pretty pink to various shades of blue and purple.
These charming plants are native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, where they grow in a wide range of habitats, from open fields and grasslands to rocky alpine sites. Most are hardy perennials, and in the UK we have a number of species that can be found growing as wildflowers: including rabbit bellflower, Campanula rotundifoliagrows on mountain tops and coastal cliffs, where it blooms from late spring to early fall; the bellflowers grow in clusters, C. glomeratalove chalk meadow; bluebells, nettles, C. tracheliumgrow on heavy soil; and broadleaf bluebells, C. latifoliathrives in wet conditions Forest.
In the garden, dwarf bellflowers, with their low-growing mounds of leaves dotted with countless flowers, are suitable for rock gardenRaised beds and troughs. The more vigorous beds can also be used to line borders, where their foliage softens the edges and covers weeds.
Taller bell plants, with their majestic flower spikes, can be used to add height and structure to borders; especially biennials. C. averageAlso known as Canterbury bells, can also be picked and used as a cut flower.
A variety of bell trees can be seen at Burton Agnes Hall in East Yorkshire, home to the Cunliffe-Lister family for more than 400 years. The collection of bluebells in the Elizabethan walled garden was started in 1990 by Lady Susan Cunliffe-Lister, who has now handed over the reins to her son Simon and daughter-in-law Olivia. “It’s a hobby driven by her family’s Scottish roots and her love of the rabbitbell, known in Scotland as the Scottish bluebell,” explains head gardener Jeremy Palmer. “We have rabbitbells growing on the top of the wall around the garden and you’ll also see them as a wildflower on the coast here. But in the gardens we have a dedicated space for both border and alpine bluebells.
“The bell plant likes good drainage so it does well in the very well-drained limestone soil here; we are also a very dry area, but this doesn’t seem to be a problem for them,” Jeremy notes.
“Some dwarf bells like raised beds and lots of sun, but others prefer cooler roots, so to accommodate both, we used recycled bricks to create grow bags to suit different species. The taller varieties are planted en masse in borders around the garden edge, creating a range of purple, lilac and white in midsummer.”
While many high mountain Flowers in spring, dwarf bluebells bloom in summer so they are great for extending the season of interest in rock gardens. Jeremy recommends C. Carpathian has small, cup-shaped, lilac flowers and is easy to care for. “There are also many different cultivars, such as ‘Samantha,’ which has long-lasting flowers with open, lavender petals.” C. arvatica And Chill are all good choices for gutters because they are compact and do not overwhelm small, tall trees. If you want to add height between tall mounds, C. man produces flowers 20cm tall.
Some low growing bell plants like C. poscharskyana And C. portenschlagiana have a reputation for being vigorous and crowding out other plants. This habit can be exploited in difficult places, where they form a good weed-suppressing ground cover, and their ability to thrive in places like cracks and crevices of walls and walkways can help give a garden a vibrant, timeless quality.
“One of my favorite things for contouring is C. dot varieties with long, pendulous bell-shaped flowers, often found on the inside,” says Jeremy. “The hybrid ‘Sarastro’ is really pretty. It has C. dot and the C. trachelium root, which forms clumps of leaves and has large, deep purple, pendulous flowers. It is sterile, so it has a long flowering period and doesn’t self-seed everywhere. But if I had to choose one bell tree, it would be C. takesimana ‘Elizabeth’. This is a Korean bell tree and can be planted at the front of a border or in a rock garden. It has large, purple-pink bells and grows well in partial shade, making it a good choice for planting under deciduous trees.”
Milk bell flower, C. lactic acid bacteriahave clusters of flowers on tall stems and are shade tolerant. Jeremy recommends the pale lavender variety ‘Prichard’s Variety’ and the blush pink ‘Loddon Anna’, both of which attract bees and butterflies.
Peach leaf bell tree, C. persicifoliahas blue-violet flowers; there is also a white variety, and the ‘Chettle Charm’ variety has beautiful, upward-facing white flowers with mauve petals on stems around 75cm tall. It makes a beautiful cut flower, but can be susceptible to rust.
For the front to middle of the border, the pale gray, drooping bells of C. ‘Burghaltii’ are a good choice, and for a shady spot, the majestic stems of C. latifolia can be used like foxgloves to create vertical accents – ‘Brantwood’, with its lavender-blue flowers, is a particularly good choice.
For something more unusual, Jeremy recommends planting biennials. C. pyramidA favourite of Victorian gardeners. The flowering stems can grow up to 2m high, making them ideal for growing behind hedges or as potted plants. “I grow some in pots and bring them into the hallway when they’re about to flower,” says Jeremy.
Advice from Burton Agnes Hall’s head gardener Jeremy Palmer on caring for bell plants
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Because we grow so many different types of bellflowers they don’t usually flower from seed, but we still collect seeds and sow them because you can get some interesting and unusual variations.
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Every few years, pull and divide mature plants in spring to give them extra strength.
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I prune the border plants hard in late summer and when they start to grow back in the fall, I take softwood cuttings from the new growth.
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After the first flowering, cut the stem just above the ground to encourage the plant to flower again.
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Taller bell trees will need place a betbecause their showers are susceptible to damage from wind and heavy rain.
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Most bellflowers need neutral to alkaline soil to grow well.
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If your soil is heavy, dig in plenty of gravel to help improve drainage.
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Slugs and snails can be a problem, so protect young plants with your preferred control method. Rust fungus can also affect border bells. If you notice orange pustules on the underside of leaves, cut the plant back to the ground and cover with compost.
