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Pozharsky's bell (Campanula poscharskyana) is a herbaceous perennial from the huge genus of Bellflowers, numbering more than 400 species. Unpretentious plants can be found everywhere - in rocks and sandy areas, in alpine meadows and forests. The name comes from the characteristic shape of the corolla, reminiscent of a bell. Breeders have developed many decorative types of bells, distinguished by their exceptionally attractive appearance and delicate aroma of flowers. They are readily used to decorate home areas, design flower beds, terraces, and gazebos.
Description of Pozharsky's bell
Pozharsky's bell was first found in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula by the German botanist Pozharsky. This is a low-growing plant, not exceeding 18-25 cm in height. The shoots are long, up to half a meter, creeping along the ground or hanging down if the plant is used as a hanging plant. The leaves are not large, shaped like a heart, jagged along the edges, and have a rich emerald color.At the ends of the shoots, Pozharsky's bell produces numerous buds. The blossoming corollas are large, up to 2.5 cm in size, in the form of long-petaled stars with five rays. Color – light lilac, milky white, rich violet, blue, pinkish. At the end of flowering, capsule fruits with small spherical brown seeds are formed.
With proper care and sufficient nutrition, Pozharsky's bell grows spreading, like a ball, strewn with star-shaped flowers. Feels great in the sun and partial shade, under the canopy of trees or shrubs. It does not like drafts and strong winds, so it is worth providing protection from them. Flowering begins in July and continues until the end of August. The aroma is very subtle and pleasant. This is an excellent honey plant that attracts bees. The bell can withstand dry periods well; frost-resistant varieties can be left in open ground without additional shelter at temperatures down to -40 degrees.
Only a photo can describe the beauty of Pozharsky’s bell.
The aroma of Pozharsky's bell resembles the freshness of young grass and a blooming mountain meadow
Application in design
The charming flower is widely used by gardeners to create a wide variety of landscape masterpieces. And the versatility of the plant is of great importance here. Pozharsky's bell can be planted in open ground, in flowerpots and hanging flowerpots. It is magnificent on alpine hills, rocky compositions, in flower beds and in combination with other plants and flowers.
The perennial Pozharsky bell feels great surrounded by saxifrage, small conifers, and carnations. Looks good with roses, sage, phlox and cherry. Can make a composition with lupins, loosestrife, crown lychnis, nivnyak. A good solution would be a composition of differently colored bells, which create a stunningly beautiful colored carpet. In partial shade it will keep company with ferns, mountain weeds, hostas, and astilbes.
A bright flower ball looks great on ordinary lawn grass, surrounded by greenery
Reproduction methods
Pozharsky's bell is usually grown from seeds, which can be purchased at any specialty store, or collected from bushes as they ripen in the fall. In addition, the perennial can be propagated vegetatively:
- Dividing a bush in spring. The plant is carefully removed from the ground, long shoots are cut off, and the rhizome is divided into several parts, which are then planted in the soil.
- Cuttings of Pozharsky's bell with young shoots with 5-6 leaves. The cut parts of the stems must be freed from foliage by half their length, treated with Kornevin and planted in sterile soil under film or glass until rooting.
Planting and caring for Pozharsky's bell
This perennial does not require special care or much experience. Even novice flower growers successfully create compositions from Pozharsky’s bell in their flowerbeds.
Pozharsky’s bell is not capricious at all, but is stunningly beautiful
Deadlines
Seeds for seedlings must be sown in March. If you plan to plant Pozharsky's bell directly in open ground, then it is permissible to do this in the fall, when the temperature drops below 5 degrees, or in May, in warm soil.
Selection of containers and soil preparation
Containers for seedlings should be wide and shallow. These can be wooden or plastic boxes with drainage holes. Purchased soil from well-known companies can be used without prior preparation. If you plan to prepare the soil mixture yourself, then you will need to follow a number of rules:
- to plant Pozharsky's bell seeds at home, you need light, nutritious soil consisting of humus, turf soil and coarse river sand in the proportion 3x6x1, and there is no need to apply additional fertilizers;
- the earth mixture must be sifted, getting rid of pests, worms, stones and large lumps;
- disinfect with a solution of manganese, calcination on fire or antifungal drugs based on copper.
Sowing algorithm
Pozharsky's bell seeds do not require any additional preparation before planting.Since they are very small and cannot be buried, the seed should simply be evenly distributed over the surface of the box. After this, carefully spray with a spray bottle and cover with glass or film. Place in a warm place at 18-20 degrees.
Growing Pozharsky's bell seedlings
The first shoots appear after 2-3 weeks. As soon as this happens, the glass should be removed and the boxes should be moved to light, but not to direct sunlight. Young Pozharsky bells require regular, not too abundant watering, and light periodic loosening.
Seedlings are picked when two true leaves appear, transplanting them into large containers at a distance of at least 10 cm. Or you can take separate peat pots to simplify subsequent planting in the ground.
2 weeks after transplantation, the plants can be fed with a weak solution of biofertilizer for flowers.
Transplantation into the ground
Seedlings can be transplanted into open ground in May, when the air and soil have warmed up sufficiently. Holes for Pozharsky's bell are dug at a distance of 15 cm, choosing well-lit places, covered at midday with shadow from trees, buildings, and tall bushes.
Aftercare
Pozharsky's bell perfectly tolerates summer heat with daily moisture. But you should not overwater the plant - the roots may rot and the leaves may turn yellow.
In order for the bush to please the eye with abundant flowering, faded buds must be removed. In the spring, you can add a little wood ash or complex nitrogen fertilizers. After watering and loosening, the soil around the bushes is mulched with humus, chopped straw, and the bark of coniferous trees. When the first buds appear, the flowers can be fed with a mineral complex for garden plants.
Weeding of perennials is carried out as needed, simultaneously with light loosening
Preparing for winter
Pozharsky's bell is distinguished by its excellent resistance to winter frosts, so preparation for winter consists of removing the above-ground parts of the plants and mulching the soil with humus, straw, cones or bark. No additional shelters are needed.
Diseases and pests
Pozharsky's bell is resistant to bacterial and fungal infections. For prevention, minimal treatments with Fundazol solution twice a year are sufficient - in spring and autumn.
Although the flower is little susceptible to insect attacks, it can still be favored by pennies or slugs. Spraying Pozharsky's bell with infusions of hot pepper or garlic will help repel these garden insects.
Conclusion
Pozharsky's bell surprises with its fragile beauty. This perennial looks great both in mono compositions and in combination with other garden plants and trees. It is not afraid of Russian frosts, tolerates temperature changes well and is not too picky about the composition of the soil. It is precisely for its appearance and unpretentiousness that flower growers fell in love with the bell, becoming one of the most popular in Russia.
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