home Heating options Bells are perennial flowers. Bell flower, growing from seeds, planting and care in open ground, photos of species and varieties

Bells are perennial flowers. Bell flower, growing from seeds, planting and care in open ground, photos of species and varieties

This amazing plant I associate it with childhood. We often collected bouquets of bells. Therefore, I really wanted to plant several varieties in my flower garden and now in the summer I admire these delicate flowers.

Campanula - (lat. Campanula) - a plant of the Campanula family. The name itself comes as a diminutive from the Italian campana - bell.

It was given because of its characteristic shape, reminiscent of an elongated bowl, really similar to a dome. In Russia, this name has also stuck, as well as several “folk” ones: bell, chenille, chebotok.

The habitats of the perennial bell in nature are meadows, steppes, forest edges, even rocky areas. Basically, these are territories with a temperate climate: all of Eurasia, Russia, Ukraine and even some territories of North America.

In total, scientists have about 400 species of this plant (as of 2016 - 440), in middle lane In Russia there are only 15, but throughout the country and including neighboring ones there are about 150 species.

Bluebell is a perennial, less often annual, herb with whole alternate leaf blades on the stem. The corolla is elongated, reminiscent of a glass, and the color ranges from blue to lilac. There are also white and purple inflorescences.

Sometimes there is one flower on the stem, but mostly these are inflorescences - brush-shaped panicles. The seeds ripen in flowers in a kind of box, with slots in the amount of 4 to 6 pieces.

In some species, the flower bowl is tubular, with five petals pointed upward; there are large bells. The leaves of some varieties are round at the base of the stem, and have lance-shaped, pointed leaves on the trunk.

Flowering of bells usually begins in the first half of May and continues until mid-July, from two weeks to one and a half months. In some varieties, active color begins in late summer and ends in September. There are varieties that delight with multi-colored “tassels” for up to 90 days.

This plant has been gaining popularity lately among gardeners who love wildflowers and the style of a meadow flower bed. Therefore, breeders even breed hybrids with double inflorescences.

Classification and main types

All bells are divided into two basic categories based on their growth period.

Perennial.
Annuals.

The most planted are those that bloom for more than one year, much less than annual ones. Since all these plants can live in different places and, accordingly, the conditions for caring for them differ, there is another classification:

Field.
Forest.
Mountain.

These flowers are also divided into groups according to the height of the bushes:

Miniature (stem length up to 10 - 20 cm).
Medium (20 - 40).
Tall (the stem extends upward from 40 cm).

These classifications are based on where they grow in the natural environment and on the external differences of the bells. Let's look at the most common types and varieties of these beautiful delicate flowers.

Annual species

They are most often comfortable in the southern regions, but in the middle zone they grow much less frequently. These species are not as popular among gardeners as perennials, but there are very spectacular ones among them:

Average

Flowering begins in June and continues until September and comes in white, pink, blue, and blue shades. Sometimes the flower shape is double, and the height of the variety is about 1 meter.

Kashmiri

The bush of bells is very low - no more than 10 - 12 cm. The flowering of this variety is lilac-blue, numerous, but small in size.

Long-columnar

This plant belongs to varieties that creep and are endowed with a large number of shoots. The flowers are up to 4 cm in circumference, quite large, purple in color. If pruning is done in time, the bush may bloom a second time.

Also classified as annual plants is the dichotomous (forked) bell, which grows only up to 20 cm. The flowering is very abundant, pinkish-lilac in color.

Caring for annuals is the same as for perennial flowers. It is advisable to add sand and peat to the soil, since the bluebell does not really like heavy compositions. Also, it does not like soil that is too wet and soggy. Propagated by seed. Nitrogen fertilizers are recommended as top dressing.

Perennial bluebells

They are the most common and popular. Let's look at some varieties that are planted most often.

Campanula nettlefolia

This plant is tall - the stem length is about one meter. It is easy to care for and tolerates frost well. The root system has a branched structure, and the trunk is ribbed in structure, has small villi, rigid in structure.

The petioles are short, the leaf blades are triangular or oval in shape. The flowers are located in a number of several pieces in the axils of the leaf blades in the upper part of the stem. The structure of the inflorescence is not dense, length - 40 - 50 cm. The flowers are fluffy, often purple, sometimes snow-white.

Roundleaf bellflower

The name of this perennial plant is given because of the rounded shape of the basal leaves collected in a rosette. This variety is low - from 40 to 60 cm. Distributed in central Russia, Siberia and the Caucasus.

The bell has one or more shoots. The root is creeping and branched. The leaves near the root dry out and fall off early, but those on the stem remain deep green for a long time.

Inflorescences - panicles have many small blue flowers, located in the upper part of the shoots. The most popular varieties are: arctic, garden, velvety.

Spot

It has a small height - only up to 25 cm. Interesting elongated shape of the petals, a glass-shaped inflorescence with burgundy specks on a white and pink background. The pedicels are elongated, large, pubescent, the inflorescences are lowered down.

Thanks to their noble color and elongated shape, they are much loved by gardeners. They look original compared to other garden and ornamental plants.

Spiral-leaved (spoon-leaved)

Belongs to the low-growing species. Homeland - Alps and Carpathians. The inflorescences consist of small, 1 cm in diameter, blue, blue or white flowers, drooping in shape. The shoots are creeping, the bush is spreading. Main varieties: Loder, Alba, Miss Wilmott.

broadleaf

Refers to the tall types of bell. The stem is more than 100 cm, straight and strong. Leaves with pointed tips are 12 cm long and 6 cm wide. The inflorescences are large, axillary, the raceme is narrow, reminiscent of a spikelet.

Flowers are medium in size - up to 6 cm. Funnel-shaped, blooms from June to August. Known varieties: Alba, Bruntwood, Maranta.

Landing rules

The bell is not at all capricious, but there are still a number of rules that must be followed when planting. Then this plant will delight you with its delicate inflorescences all season long.

The landing site should be spacious and sunny. The plant does not like excess moisture and nearby groundwater. To prevent the root system from freezing, there should be no stagnation of moisture near it.
The soil for planting should be light, loamy is allowed. You can dilute it with humus, sand, if heavy, poor soil is fed with turf soil.
Before planting plants, it is recommended to dig up the soil well, it is advisable to add superphosphate and manure that has been rotted. There is no need to mix peat into the soil to avoid fungal diseases. Fresh manure is also not introduced. This is a fairly aggressive feeding for bluebells.
The composition of the soil recommended for planting is neutral or slightly alkaline; if there is acidity, then you need to add a little wood ash.
In an open place, under the scorching rays of the sun, without at least brief partial shade, the bells quickly fade.

So, choosing a place to plant is not difficult, you just need to follow some simple rules. The main thing is that you do not choose a swampy and damp area for planting.

Caring for bluebells

It is advisable not to water the bushes very often to avoid excess moisture. During the growth period, before flowering, you can fertilize the bells with nitrogen. It is useful to sprinkle the soil with wood ash, which will protect the plant from various diseases.

Mineral fertilizers are applied before the bushes budding. They should not be too concentrated. Also, the soil near the stem needs to be loosened and weeded, because bluebells do not really accept the dominance of weeds and the heavy, overly compacted soil structure.

Dried flowers should also be carefully removed so as not to give them nutritional elements. Then the bell will bloom much longer. When the seed pods become dark brown in color, they are cut off.

Bells are propagated by seeds from those very boxes. The process takes place in the spring. Dividing the bush is also one of the types of propagation, carried out in spring and August.

In May, root shoots are used for planting adult plants. For one square meter tall bells are distributed in the amount of 5 pieces, medium and small - 12 pieces.

Bells can be planted along garden paths, in a group with other garden and ornamental plants in flower beds and mixborders.

Bell (Campanula) — herbaceous plant The Campanulaceae family, numbering 300 species, grows in countries with temperate climates. In cultivation there are annual, biennial and perennial plants. Among the wide variety of bells, there are both low-growing ones, only 10-15 cm, and tall ones, up to 2 meters in height. Plant height may vary depending on growing conditions, so it is not a characteristic feature for identifying the species.

The bell has erect, branched stems, which can be either pubescent or smooth, with alternate whole leaves. There are ampelous and groundcover types of bells with flexible lodging shoots. In perennial and varietal biennial bells grown from seeds, flowering occurs in the second year.

The flowers of the bell are very beautiful, bell-shaped or star-shaped, white, blue, purple, pink, collected in racemes or paniculate, dense or loose inflorescences. Bellflower flowers contain large amounts of pollen and nectar, which attracts bees. The aroma of bluebell flowers is delicate, reminiscent of the aroma of a fragrant meadow or a shady forest edge.

After flowering, a fruit is formed - a capsule, which has a special structure. At the bottom of the box there are holes covered with flaps. When it is cloudy, the valves are closed, but in dry weather they open, and the seeds spill out and are carried by the wind. Seed color different types Bells can vary in color from milky white to dark red or brown.

The bell, in addition to the fact that its height changes depending on growing conditions, has one more feature: it can change the color of the corolla depending on air humidity. If the air humidity is high, the flowers become a little lighter, and this makes them seem more tender.

Light-loving bells, grow well in partial shade, some species even tolerate shade.

They are suitable for well-drained, non-acidic (or slightly acidic for some species), moderately moist, loose, nutritious soil. Bells can be planted in the ground and replanted in both spring and autumn. For garden growing Several of the most decorative types of bells are suitable.

Types of bells

Campanula ciliata (Campanula ciliate) is a herbaceous perennial with a taproot, thickened. The stems are slightly leafy, 7 - 15 cm high. There is one flower on the stem. The basal rosettes are formed by oblong, linear-lanceolate, serrated along the edges, leaves. The flower at the base of the calyx is slightly lighter, blue-violet; at the upper limbs of the corolla the color is more saturated, violet. As it fades, the flower becomes increasingly lighter in color to a blue-blue color. Blooms in June-July.

The ciliated bell prefers slightly alkaline or neutral, fertile, well-drained soils. If you use deep planting, the bluebell tolerates drought better, and the flowering time increases slightly.

It produces seeds, but their germination rate is low. The ciliated bell belongs to the highly decorative types of bells.

Bellflower (Campanula cochleariifolia) is a low herbaceous perennial, up to 15 cm in height, with very thin, thread-like, creeping stems, forming a dense turf. The leaves are small, elongated at the stem, semi-oval at the end, three-toothed at the edges, very decorative throughout the growing season until late autumn. It blooms with white, blue, blue flowers, the size of the flowers is up to 1 cm in diameter. The flowers of the bellflower are drooping, collected in small inflorescences. Flowering period: June - July. There are varieties, including those with white flowers. It looks good on an alpine hill, grows quickly, forms a continuous turf, and looks impressive during the flowering period.

Portenschlag's bell (Campanula portenschlagiana) is a perennial herbaceous evergreen ground cover plant up to 15 cm tall. When growing, it forms cushion-shaped thickets up to 30 cm wide. The leaves are round, serrated along the edges, ivy-shaped, evergreen. Star-shaped flowers of bright purple or lilac color, collected in small inflorescences at the ends of creeping shoots. It blooms from mid-June for a month. There are varieties.

Portenschlag's bell grows well in both sun and shade. Prefers alkaline or neutral, nutritious, well-drained soil. Does not tolerate clay soils at all. If the site has clay soil, you need to add sand and humus to make the soil moisture- and breathable.

Portenschlag's bell is propagated by seeds and vegetatively, preferably in spring, by pieces of shoots with roots. It overwinters without shelter, but does not tolerate stagnation of melt water and damps out, so for planting they use elevated places such as a rock garden or a retaining wall, or arrange good drainage.

Portenschlag's bell grows quickly and blooms profusely. It can be used not only on an alpine hill, but also in continuous plantings. In the rock garden it looks beautiful with phlox, carnation grass, fescue, geranium, sedum, and sedum.

Campanula garganica (Campanula garganica) is a perennial herbaceous plant, up to 15 cm tall, with fragile, creeping shoots, rising tops. Forms a low compact bush. The leaves are medium-sized, round, jagged along the edges, on petioles. The flowers are blue, fully open with outstretched petals, resembling stars, up to 4 cm in diameter. Flowering period is July. It blooms very profusely, during flowering the leaves are not even visible. There are varieties with pale blue, light lavender flowers.

Gargan bell is a very whimsical plant for the garden. Prefers only non-acidic, well-drained, nutritious soils, usually loams, does not tolerate stagnation of melt and waste water, and does not grow in shade.

Propagated by pieces of rooted shoots in spring or late summer; if necessary, cuttings are grown in a greenhouse.

It is best to grow the Gargan bell in the summer in an alpine hill, borders, and flowerpots. For the winter, the bell can be transplanted into a pot and kept as a houseplant in winter.

Pozharsky's bell (Campanula poscharskyana) is a herbaceous perennial that can be used as a ground cover plant, as it forms cushion-shaped spreading thickets up to 20 cm high. The basal leaves of Pozharsky's bell are quite large, rounded, with jagged edges. During the growing season it forms long, up to 80 cm, creeping shoots. Star-shaped flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter, blue, lavender, lilac, dark blue, collected in loose inflorescences up to 10-20 cm in diameter, located at the ends of the shoots.

Flowering period: July-August for 30-40 days. There are varieties.

Pozharsky's bell is a very hardy, unpretentious and ornamental plant. Grows well in well-drained neutral and alkaline soils, prefers lacy partial shade.

It overwinters without additional shelter, as it can withstand frosts down to -40 o C. It is very easily propagated vegetatively, by cuttings of stems with roots in the spring and by seeds. Looks good on an alpine hill next to carnation, carnation, saxifrage, and subulate phlox. Pozharsky's bell can be used for carpet plantings.

Campanula rotundifolia (Campanula rotundifolia) is a widespread herbaceous perennial. The height of the plant varies from 10 to 60 centimeters. The rhizome is thin, creeping, branched. The bell received its name because its basal leaves are round in shape. The stem leaves, like those of many bellflower species, are lanceolate. May have several stems.

In the round-leaved bell, the basal leaves dry out earlier, and the stem leaves, fresh and green, are perfectly preserved until autumn.

The flowers are small, blue, collected in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the stems. There are garden varieties: velvety, garden, arctic.

Campanula equifolia (Campanula isophylla Moretti) - perennial herbaceous hanging plant with small, up to 30 cm, flexible, drooping stems. The leaves of Campanula equifolia are round, sometimes pubescent, light green or olive. The flowers are bell-shaped, up to 4 cm in diameter, white and blue. It is much less common to find a form with purple flowers. In indoor floriculture, the bellflower is widely known by the names: groom - with blue flowers, and bride - with white flowers.

In the garden, the bellflower blooms all summer and during flowering it is completely covered with flowers. Very handsome! To prevent flowering from weakening, you need to remove faded flowers in time and pinch shoots for better branching. It can be grown in hanging baskets, on retaining walls, or in rock gardens.

Campanula equifolia is light-loving; in the shade the shoots grow, flowering becomes less intense. Loves moisture. Tolerates summer temperature changes well, but open ground in our climatic conditions It does not overwinter in cold winters, so it needs to be transplanted into a pot in the fall and kept as a houseplant in winter.

Bluebell Carpathian (Campanula carpatica) is a perennial herbaceous plant with branched stems 30-50 cm high. The basal heart-shaped leaves on long petioles are collected in a rosette. The flowers are large, blue and white, bell-shaped, up to 3 centimeters in diameter.

Flowering is long-lasting, from June to September. Carpathian bellflower reproduces well by seeds, dividing the bush and root suckers.

It grows very well in open areas and in partial shade, prefers fertile soils with the addition of peat and humus, and is frost-resistant. It can grow in one place for up to 5 years.

Carpathian bellflower is suitable for creating carpet plantings instead of lawn grasses, it can be planted in the border, it looks great on an alpine hill.

There are varieties. A very common variety of Carpathian bell, Gnome, is one of the most unpretentious. The height of the plant does not exceed 30 cm, the color of the flowers is white and blue, flowering is very long, from June to September.

Bell Takeshima (Campanula takesimana), Korean bell is a herbaceous perennial that forms low thickets up to 60 cm in height. The stems are creeping, with erect tips. The leaves are heart-shaped, with a wavy edge, on petioles. Blooms white, blue, pink simple or double flowers, up to 6-7 cm long, slightly drooping flowers, appear throughout the summer.

Takeshima bluebell develops better on loose fertile soils, both in sunny places and in partial shade. It grows very quickly and produces many lateral shoots that can be easily separated in spring or autumn.

Bluebell crowded (Campanula glomerata) is a perennial herbaceous plant with simple or weakly branched leafy shoots 30-60 centimeters high. The basal leaves of the bellflower are oblong, on long petioles, the upper ones are sessile, lanceolate, serrated along the edge.

The flowers are white, blue, dark purple, up to 2 cm in diameter, collected in capitate inflorescences of up to 20 pieces. Flowering period - June-July for 1-1.5 months. In the crowded bell, usually after flowering the basal rosettes along with the stems die off, but before that the root system manages to form many new rosettes, which is why it grows very quickly.

The crowded bell can be grown both in sunny places and in partial shade. Grows best in moist, nutritious, light sandy loam or medium loamy soils. The crowded bell is easily propagated by seeds, which can be sown before winter, as well as by separating young rosettes in spring or autumn.

Bellflower peach (Campanula persicifolia) is a perennial herbaceous plant. From a rosette of basal linear leaves grows a straight ribbed leafy stem 0.5 to 1 meter high. The stem leaves are narrow, lanceolate, shiny, serrated along the edges.

The peach-leaved bell blooms with white, blue, light purple, blue-violet single flowers or collected in a racemose loose inflorescence of 3-8 pieces. The flowers are quite large, double in varietal forms, with a diameter of 4 - 5 cm. There are varieties.

The peach-leaved bellflower blooms from June to September. After flowering, it is recommended to trim the flower stalks in order to encourage new flowering, and also to prevent the bluebell from spreading throughout the garden by self-sowing. The peach bell is completely unpretentious in care and grows well both in partial shade and in open sunny areas. Prefers well-drained soils.

In hot weather, watering is advisable. Overwinters without shelter. Propagates well both by seeds and by dividing the bush. Without division, it forms a large clump in 3-4 years, so its growth in the flower garden has to be limited.

Next to the peach-leaf bell in the flower garden you can plant evening primrose, chistets, parsley, alpine aster, matricaria, cineraria.

Campanula nettlefolia (Campanula trachelium) - a plant up to 1 m high. It has a white, cord-like, deep-lying rhizome, spreading in different directions. Numerous erect, thick, ribbed stems, simple or branched, covered with stiff hairs. The leaves are very similar to nettle leaves and are also covered with hairs. Lower leaves ovoid, up to 10 cm in length, on long petioles, the middle ones are heart-shaped, on short petioles, the upper ones are oval-lanceolate, sessile. The flowers are white, blue, blue, violet, 1-3 each, located in the axils of the leaves, collected in a racemose inflorescence up to 45 cm long. Flowering period: late June - early August.

The nettle-leaved bell grows in open sunny places and can also withstand partial shade. It grows better in well-drained, nutritious, neutral or slightly alkaline soils.

During the dry season, the bell needs watering. After flowering it produces abundant self-seeding; the flower stalks are cut off immediately after flowering, otherwise it becomes a strong weed.

The nettle-leaved bell is propagated by seeds, dividing the bush, segments of rhizomes, root suckers, and green cuttings. Reproduction and transplantation can be carried out both in spring and autumn, in early September.

Preparing for winter. At the end of September - beginning of October, all bellflower stems are cut off at the root. It winters well without shelter. However, it should be remembered that it absolutely cannot tolerate stagnation of melt water during wintering: the roots rot and the rosette freezes.

Nettle-leaved bellflower is planted singly against the background of a lawn or in groups in mixborders, ridges, borders. In the flower garden it goes well with cornflower, cornflowers, delphinium, poppy, low ornamental grasses, daylily, foxglove, calendula, phlox.

Medium bell (Campanula medium) - herbaceous biennial, 0.5-1 meter high. The basal leaves are oval or lanceolate, the stem leaves are broadly lanceolate. The flowers are white, blue, pink, very large, up to 7 cm in length, very beautiful. Bluebell average can be grown in the garden as a perennial due to natural renewal due to shedding and germinating seeds.

Medium bell, grown from seeds, blooms in the second year, blooming from June to September. For long-lasting flowering, it is recommended to trim off faded flower stalks. The middle bell prefers bright places. The plant is moisture-loving, but on damp, poorly drained soils the rosette becomes wet and damp.

The middle bell is very common in garden floriculture; many varieties and varieties have been bred, differing in the doubleness of the flowers, the size of the overgrown calyx, and the dissection of the teeth.

Campanula lactiflora (Campanula lactiflora) is a tall perennial plant, the height of the stems varies greatly, ranging from 60 cm to 1.5 m, depending on both the variety and growing conditions. It has a taproot and a highly branched stem. The lower leaves are on short petioles, the upper ones are sessile, oblong, toothed. Thanks to its root system, it grows well on heavy loams, which makes it different from other types of bells. Numerous bell-shaped flowers, up to 3-4 cm in length, milky white, blue, light purple, lilac in color, collected in wide pyramidal inflorescences. There are up to hundreds of flowers in one inflorescence. Blooms profusely in June-July. There are varietal forms with flowers of different colors.

Campanula lactiflora prefers an open sunny place. It is propagated mainly by seeds, and the seeds are sown immediately in open ground in the main place, and then the seedlings are thinned out. This is due to the fact that the bellflower does not tolerate transplantation. Although the bellflower does not tolerate division well, if desired, it can still be propagated in the spring by small, 10-15 cm long, basal shoots-cuttings, which are first rooted in a greenhouse.

The bellflower milkflower grows in one place for 10-12 years, it is one of the longest-living representatives of the genus.

Preparing for winter. At the end of September, the stems are cut off and the root rosettes are sprinkled with leaves.

The article uses materials from https://ru.wikipedia.org, http://flower.onego.ru, http://www.plantopedia.ru
Image source www.plantarium.ru (Tatiana Vinokurova), www.biolib.cz: Michael Kesl, www.99roots.com, www.perryhillnurseries.co.uk, dic.academic.ru, http://tuinplantendepauw.be, www .pinterest.com, flickr.com: mr.bong.bing, Hans Hillewaert, Andreas Kay, naturgucker.de / enjoynature.net (2), NB Photos, Finn Jensen, 11299883, Peter Laughton (2), Amselchen, Stephen Rees , Marta, Rob (2), Ross Bayton, Nicholas Turland, Vojtěch Zavadil, John Weiser, equipaje, Tango, Zuzka Grujbárová, Native Sons Melissa G, Gebr. ten Have (5), John Weiser, Changxu Pang, eleonora mariotti, Robert Strusievicz, Janet Ulliott, BEARTOMCAT (Bear) (2), Cristina, ankiask. Francis Ackerley, JardinsLeeds (2), Ben Rushbrooke, Linda Daley, Florian Brault, Megan Hansen (2), jacki-dee (2), Ewa, Shawn Beelman, Valery Chernodedov, Chironius, Alan (2), Valleybrook Perennials, Shigemi. J, Michel Pierfitte, longk48, Takashi .M @Mon jardin (2), Winsors Farm, caroline, b1zarr0, angela garrod (3), Javier Pelayo, Peter Hegi, Angle Shades, gianna elena, tomokotouzaki tomokotouzaki, Süleyman Demir, Nobuhiro Suhara , ntson, Un jardí al riu Anoia, Debbie, Sylvi, Swaentje5, Van Swearingen, Michael Ruecker, Randal Atkinson, Dietmut Teijgeman-Hansen, Jean-Maurice Turgeon, fromseeds, mentos2

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

Throughout history, bells have been treated with love in Russia. This is once again proven by the affectionate names that were used when mentioning campanula in different places: pichuzhnitsy, chebotki, bells, chenilles... And, if you believe the old belief, a person can hear the ringing of a bell only once a year - on the magical night before Ivan Kupala .

Description

The perennial bell plant develops a simple or branched stem of 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 bellflower species have paniculate flowers, and in more rare cases they are racemose; there are also plants with solitary inflorescences.

Growing

Basically perennial flowers bluebells can grow on any soil, however, even here they have their own preferences. It is recommended to plant them on well-treated soils that provide high-quality drainage, have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction and are provided with the necessary nutrition. Typically, drainage channels or drainage pipes are installed to solve the drainage problem. This must be done, since stagnation of moisture in winter has an extremely negative effect on the plant, as there is a danger of root rotting and freezing. Areas where moisture accumulates after rain or during snow melt are unsuitable for growing garden bells.

When planting perennial bell flowers, you must keep in mind that the plant can grow well on them only with neutral and slightly alkaline soil reaction.

to plant bearded and cut-out bells, you will have to prepare an area where soil with a slightly acidic reaction should predominate;
mountain wild species Bluebells, whose natural habitat is limestone rocks, will do better in slightly alkaline soils. Therefore, before you start planting a plant, you need to add a small amount of lime to the soil.

Kinds

The bell genus includes many diverse species that differ not only in their habitat, but also in other features.

Bluebell Carpathian

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

The inflorescences grow solitary and are large, 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 begins to fade in mid-September. Throughout the entire period, the flowers retain a bright, rich color. Between August and October, seeds begin to ripen and retain high germination rate (up to 90%). If collection is delayed, seeds can reproduce through self-sowing.

This view predominates in shady, mixed forests. The usual habitat is Europe, Western Siberia, North Africa. Many people know this plant as large bell, hogweed, gooseneck, throat grass and primrose grass, which can explain its healing properties, because it helps with sore throat. You can make a salad from the leaves and roots of this bell, and the young leaves are used as an additive to cabbage soup.

Bellflower

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 thread-like stems 10-18 cm high. Adult specimens often form a dense turf. The characteristic color of the leaves is light green. Bell flowers have a white and blue tint, grow drooping, not exceed 1 cm in diameter, are presented in the form of loose inflorescences. The flowering time begins in mid-June and continues until the end of August. Throughout the entire phase they demonstrate abundant flowering and fruiting. They reproduce easily by self-seeding. They do not lose their attractiveness until late autumn.

Campanula lactiflora

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

The flowers are quite small and their diameter does not exceed 3 cm; they can have different colors within from milky white to purple color, 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 also abundant in August, when many seeds begin to ripen.

This variety of bell is most abundant in the forests and forest edges of Europe, the Caucasus and Western Siberia. Before the growing season, they look like a rosette of basal leaves, from which by mid-summer a slender, strong stem 60 cm high grows. It is decorated with miniature linear-lanceolate leaves that are dark green in color. Clusters of blue or white flowers hang at the very top of the stem. The flower forms a corolla with a broad bell-shaped shape, reaches a width of 3-3.5 cm. There are garden species that are decorated with double flowers. The first flowers open in June and decorate the area until the end of summer.

After wilting, the shoots begin to bear fruits that look like capsules containing many seeds, which reach maturity in August-September. Some species are capable of reproduction by self-seeding. If necessary, you can prolong the flowering of this species and preserve its decorative properties. To do this, it is important to avoid the ripening of seeds, for which it is necessary to promptly remove faded flowers. To obtain seeds, it is recommended to leave individual tender specimens of the peach bell. The photo of the plant is almost no different from the original.

Pozharsky's bell

This member of the family most often lives on the calcareous rocks of Southern Europe and the Balkans. During the growing season forms a dense pillow 15-20 cm high, which consists of heart-shaped petioled leaves combined with a large number of peduncles. The characteristic shape of the inflorescences is broadly bell-shaped, almost star-shaped. The flowers of the Pozharsky bell have a light plum-blue color.

Conclusion

Bluebell is one of those ornamental plants that even beginning gardeners have heard of. This plant has inflorescences that do not stand out in any way, but this does not reduce interest in it. You can also grow bells in your summer cottage, but it is advisable to choose suitable place to plant it. Although this plant is undemanding to the soil, the presence of a fertile composition benefits the bellflower. It is very important to take care of the presence of high-quality drainage, since in swampy soil conditions this plant can easily die.

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Surely, the Latin name of this plant - campanula - will not cause any associations for novice gardeners. Meanwhile, this is what botanical reference books call the garden perennial bell - one of the favorite flowers of the inhabitants of the middle zone. According to the description, the flowers of the bellflower are indeed very similar to small bells, for which it received its name in Russia.

Photo and description of what the bell looks like

Perennial bellflowers are herbaceous flowering plants of the bellflower family. There are also annual and biennial plants in cultivation. Among them there are both tall (up to 2 m in height) and short (5-7 cm). The height of the plant does not characterize the species. It may vary depending on growing conditions.

Look at the photo to see what different types of bells look like:

The stems are erect, branched, both smooth and pubescent, there are climbing varieties. In perennial bells, flowering occurs in the second year after sowing the seeds. They are valuable for their abundance and duration of flowering, which lasts from June until frost.

They grow well in the sun and shade. Any well-drained, non-acidic, moderately moist soil is suitable for them. They plant and replant both.

Bellflower flowers are honey-bearing. They contain a large amount of pollen and nectar, have the aroma of a fragrant meadow, a shady forest clearing.

The fruit is a capsule. Its structure is special: in its lower part it has holes covered with valves. In dry weather, the valves open, spill out and are carried by the wind, and in damp weather they are closed. The color of the seeds ranges from milky white to dark red depending on the species.

Almost everyone knows what bells look like, but few people know that these plants have the ability to change the shape of the leaves and the color of the corolla depending on air humidity. When saturated with moisture, the flowers become lighter.

Types and varieties of perennial bells (with photos)

Below are photos and descriptions of the most common types and varieties of bells:

Campanula nettlefolia- perennial. The plant is tall (up to 1 m). The root is branched, the stem is ribbed, with hard short hairs. Leaves have short petioles, triangular, ovate, sessile. Flowers 1-3 in the axils of the upper leaves. The inflorescence is a loose raceme up to 45 cm long.

Pay attention to the photo - this type of bell has a blue or purple corolla, less often white:

The culture has garden forms - terry - purple and white.

The plant is very winter-hardy, unpretentious and therefore widespread in floriculture.

Campanula rotundifolia- a widespread perennial. It is especially popular in the middle zone, the Caucasus and Siberia. It got its name from its round basal leaves. Plant height is from 10 to 60 cm. The rhizome is thin, branched, creeping. One or more stems.

A distinctive feature of this species is the early drying out and falling off of the basal leaves - already during the flowering of the plant. The stem leaves, fresh and green, remain until late autumn. The flowers are small, blue, located at the ends of the branches of a paniculate inflorescence. There are varieties used in floriculture : arctic, velvety, garden.

The most popular variety is bellflower. Carpathian "Gnome"- This is one of the most unpretentious representatives of the family. Compact, rounded bushes have a long flowering period (from June to September).

As you can see in the photo, this variety of perennial bell has white or blue flowers: