Hit the Dirt; Campanulas

Good morning. This is Selig. I hit the dirt is a companion law Campanula. I recently read in various books that it's supposed to be campaign Campanula and I've always called it companion. Well it's going to stay compared to here. Otherwise I will stumble each time I read the word here in Maine July is the month when many of the companions or bell flowers are blooming and how beautiful they are with their lavender and purple tinge to blues the Deep Purple's their whites pinks and yes some are almost blue. We certainly think of them collectively as blue flowers. They do well in our northern climate because they don't thrive with nighttime temperatures above 70 degrees. There are over 250 species of bell flowers most of them originating in Europe the low growing ones from the mountains. Most are easy to grow in some or light shade preferring a neutral soil. Although one of my sources says they're not fussy. Nevertheless given our acidic soil I usually add a little lime when planting them some self seed one or two are invasive they can be propagated by seed which requires light to germinate

total cuttings or division. Some have names that are almost impossible to pronounce. Many have basal leaves that are a different shape from the leaves on the stems. Two spring flowering companion both with impossible names which is suitable for rock gardens walls and border edges are compatible A porter used to be a rightist which is easier to say with one inch blue purple flowers almost completely covering the dark green mass of triangular leaves and companion Laura. Bush Usk Yana with trailing stems and 1 inch star shaped flowers. One of the most popular companion versus companion a competitor the Carpathian have bell which makes miles almost a foot tall covered with want to edge blooms in blues and whites depending on the color bar. These are also good for the rock garden or front of the border and to maintain the figure should be divided every other year. The Scottish have Bell companion a rotundifolia is another low growing plant that has its round leaves at the base and the one inch snorting blue violet flowers are supported by a six to

12 inch water stems with very narrow grass like leaves. Companion camera is a stunning 12 to 18 inch plant with clusters Orest seams of up to 15 flowers in blues purples or whites at the top of the stem. The cut about Joan Elliott has deep violet blue flowers and Snowflake is white. A little troller is companion a bus ticket for earlier two to three feet tall with upward facing wide bell like flowers in blues and whites among the cultivars a telling beauty with light blue flowers Flory Plano with frilly double lighter blue flowers and grandiflora Alba with large white blossoms atop four foot stems. Companion or lack to Flora milky Bellflower grows up to five feet and his bushy inhabit the one inch flowers are borne in three to forage terminal panicles atop the stems. A particularly beautiful color is garden with soft pale pink flowers and another superb has one and a half to two inch flowers of dark violet blue.

A couple of lessness species a competitor curium nettle leaved Bellflower or throat Wort with two foot stems and two inch flowers in blue or white. Both single or double. I'm companion agog Anika a summer blooming training plant with sprays of blues style like flowers suitable for walls and rock gardens. One species to avoid is companion to repond cue Lloyd he is attracted to as it is with two foot stalks of nodding lavender flowers. It's very invasive in the border away from the garden you could let it become naturalized as it spreads not only by roots but it is self seeding. There are so many more species and cult of Oz. For those you cannot find in local nurseries. Check seed catalogs and seed exchanges. And the gardens of your friends. For reference there are several good books on perennials and on rocks and articles in periodicals such as horticulture Fine Gardening and the American horticulturalist. If you're interested send me a postcard it hit the care of W e are you. Blue Hill. This is Sally fall at the dirt.