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Campanula is a common herbaceous plant with decorative properties. A perennial can become an interesting element of the garden if you choose the right variety and study the rules of cultivation.
Description of the crowded bell
The bellflower is crowded, or prefabricated, belongs to the Campanula family and is a plant with a simple herbaceous stem of a reddish hue, with slight pubescence and pronounced edges. Its leaves are oblong, ovate-lanceolate with a smooth edge. In the lower part of the plant they are located on the petioles, and in the upper part they sit directly next to the stem.
A crowded bell usually grows no more than 60 cm
At the beginning of June, the plant enters the decorative period and bears flowers - small, on average 2.5 cm, star-shaped with five petals.The photo of the assembled bell shows that the largest inflorescence of several crowded buds is located at the top of the main stem, smaller ones extend from the axillary buds. The color depends on the variety, but usually the perennial blooms in shades of lilac, blue, light blue, violet and white.
The flowers of the crowded bell consist of several densely growing buds
Flowering lasts all summer, until the end of August. How lush the decorative period will be depends on several factors - the level of lighting, humidity and soil composition. The crowded bell blooms best in well-lit areas with shade and on loose and light soils, and in the absence of sun it develops reluctantly.
The perennial can reach 20-60 cm in height, and usually spreads 30-50 cm in diameter. It grows quite quickly, but is not prone to rapidly spreading throughout the area, so it does not crowd neighboring crops.
The prefabricated bell is an extremely frost-resistant plant that can tolerate cold snaps down to -40 °C and below. In the wild, the perennial is found not only in the middle zone, but also in Siberia to Transbaikalia, as well as in Central Asia.
The best varieties
Among the varieties of crowded bellflower, there are several of the most popular. Gardeners value them for their visual appeal and ease of care.
Caroline
Caroline bell grows on average to 30-60 cm. The structure of the stem and leaves of the variety is standard, the buds are colored blue or light lilac, and reach 2 cm in width. The apical inflorescence can contain up to 20 individual buds.
Carolina begins to bloom in June, the decorative period lasts about a month if the variety grows in a well-lit area. Prefers light and nutritious soil.
Crowded bellflower Carolina is often used for cutting
Dwarf
Dwarf, or Gnome, grows only 20 cm above ground level. Its leaves are elongated, heart-shaped, covered with light down, and extend from the stem in large numbers. The variety begins to bloom in June, and the buds of Gnome are dark purple, funnel-shaped and collected in dense bunches.
Dwarf bell Gnome tolerates cold well and prefers calcareous soils
Superba
The assembled bell Superba, or Superba, can grow up to 60 cm. The leaves of the variety are dark green and smooth, with small bristles on the underside, the flowers are bright, blue-violet, collected in capitate inflorescences. The variety enters the period of maximum decorativeness in July.
Superba prefers to grow in partial shade or in sunny places on slightly acidic soil.
Alba
Alba, or Alba, is a low-growing variety and reaches only 25 cm. It remains decorative from the beginning to the end of summer; new ones quickly appear in place of dying inflorescences. The buds of the crowded bell are white in color; the variety looks very good in sunny and slightly shaded areas of the garden. Due to its low growth, Alba often becomes an element of alpine slides; the perennial can also be grown in flowerpots.
Alba is one of the varieties with fast growth
Flipper
The low-growing Flipper variety rarely grows higher than 25 cm above the ground. It produces many densely leafy stems, and from June to August bears dark purple flowers, collected 15-20 times per apical bunch.Like most crowded bells, it withstands cold and lack of moisture well, but needs sufficient sunlight.
The Flipper variety is used not only in landscape design, but also for cutting
Freya
The Freya variety, or Freya, can rise up to half a meter above the ground. It blooms from June to July, the buds bear a light purple hue, 2 cm each, and the inflorescence consists of an average of 20 individual flowers.
Clumped Frey's bell can form shrubs up to 40 cm wide
It is recommended to grow the variety on neutral or slightly alkaline soil. Freya is used both in flower beds and for propagation in containers.
Bellefleur Blue/White
The Bellefleur variety is represented by two subspecies - Bellefleur blue and Bellefleur white. The plants are very similar to each other - erect stems rise 25 cm, buds form inflorescences from June to August. The only difference is the shade; Bellefleur Blue produces blue flowers, while Bellefleur White produces white flowers.
Low Bellefleur White looks beautiful in a flower bed and is suitable for bouquets
Bellefleur Blue differs from the White variety only in its blue-violet color
You can use the crowded bellflower Bellefleur Blue or White in the garden in flower beds as a foreground or to create ground cover. The variety is also well suited for planting in flowerpots.
Emerald
The Emerald variety is of medium height and reaches 60 cm. The perennial blooms from June to August; a blue-violet thin border is clearly visible on the pale blue buds. Like all crowded bells, Emerald flowers are collected in apical inflorescences.
The variety grows well in lighted places and in light shade, loves moist but well-drained soils.
Bluebell Emerald tolerates winter temperatures down to - 35 ° C
Blue
The crowded bell Blue, or Blue, rises 60 cm above ground level and produces small bright blue flowers. The width of individual buds is about 2 cm, but the apical inflorescences formed by them reach 6 cm and are clearly visible in the garden. The maximum decorative effect occurs in June and lasts an average of 2 months.
The Blue variety prefers fertile soil with a neutral pH level.
Application in design
Although the crowded bluebell may seem very modest, it is widely used in landscape design. Perennial is used:
- as part of any flower beds, where it will not be shaded by tall neighbors;
Crowded bells look good with low green plants
- on alpine slides and rock gardens;
A crowded bell looks attractive among the stones
- for designing paths.
Low-growing varieties can be used to mark garden paths on the site
Varieties of crowded bellflower can be actively combined with each other - white and blue varieties look especially bright against the background of their dark purple neighbors. The perennial gets along well in a flowerbed with yasminks, daisies, sedums and pansies, and cereal plants.
Reproduction methods
You can propagate a crowded bell on a site in the following ways:
- cuttings;
- seeds;
- dividing the bush.
All methods show good effectiveness, but more often the perennial is propagated by seeds. Planting material demonstrates good germination.Vegetative methods can also be used, but mother bushes do not always tolerate intervention well.
Growing crowded bellflower from seeds
New varieties on the site are usually planted by seeds. Growing a crowded bell from seedlings is quite simple if you follow the algorithm:
- The seeds of the crop are sown in containers in March. For seedlings, choose shallow but wide boxes with holes in the bottom to drain moisture. The soil mixture can be humus, river sand and garden soil, mixed in equal quantities; the soil must first be spilled with potassium permanganate to eliminate possible bacteria.
Prefabricated bell seeds germinate easily and do not require preparation
- The seeds are planted in holes to a depth of about 2 cm and sprinkled with soil on top, and then sprayed generously with a spray bottle. Immediately after planting, the container is covered with film or glass to create greenhouse conditions and placed on a windowsill or closed balcony, where there is enough light but no direct sunlight. From time to time, the cover is removed from the container to ventilate the plantings and moisten the soil.
Before the bell sprouts appear, the soil must be moistened with a spray bottle.
- After about 2 weeks, the first greens will appear in the box. At this point, the film or glass can be removed from the container and in the future you can simply water the soil regularly and maintain the temperature at about 23 °C. Seedlings dive after they grow 3 pairs of leaves.
After the bell has germinated, the film can be removed from the container.
In early June, the seedlings are transferred to open ground to a permanent location.The soil in the garden is prepared the same as in containers; bells are planted with an interval of 15 cm between individual sprouts, and they are buried only 5 cm. You can shed the soil in advance before planting perennials, directly in the holes, but after that you need to wait until the moisture completely absorbed.
Planting and caring for crowded bells in the ground
You can plant a perennial not only as seedlings, but also directly into the ground if you have a developed cutting or cutting. The rules are very simple, but it is important to take into account the requirements of the perennial.
Deadlines
The crowded bell is extremely unpretentious; if desired, it can be rooted from late spring to autumn. But the best time for planting is the end of April or May, since the plant can quickly take root in the soil and even bloom in due time.
Site selection and soil preparation
It is recommended to grow the crowded bell Campanula Glomerata in a well-lit area with light shade, for example, near buildings or next to tall plants. The soil for perennials should be light and nutritious. Loams and sandstones are suitable, but black soil will need to be diluted with humus and fine-grained sand.
The acidity level for bellflower is neutral or slightly alkaline. It is important to ensure that there is no groundwater flowing nearby; the perennial does not tolerate chronic waterlogging.
The hole for a crowded bell should not be deep, only twice as large as the roots
Before planting a crowded bell, the area is dug up shallowly, if necessary, sand and humus are added to the soil and holes are prepared. If the soil in the garden is poor, then you can add complex mineral fertilizer to the bottom of the holes or sprinkle a little wood ash.
Landing algorithm
A couple of days after preparing the soil, the crowded bell can be transferred to the ground. For cultivation, choose the healthiest-looking bush with developed roots, a strong stem and several green leaves.
Sprinkle the prepared hole halfway with soil mixture, and then lower the plant and cover its roots with soil to the end. The soil under the stem is lightly crushed with your hands and immediately watered with a garden watering can.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Further care comes down mainly to moderate watering. Their frequency is determined in accordance with the weather. There is no need to over-water the perennial; it only needs water in hot summers, if there has been no rain for a long time and the soil is dry.
Growing crowded bells can be done even on poor soil, but fertilizing promotes abundant flowering. Therefore, you can add superphosphate or urea to the soil; per 1 m of planting you need to take no more than 5-10 g of minerals.
With regular feeding, the crowded bell blooms more abundantly and brightly
The perennial also responds well to watering with wood ash, but it is better not to apply fresh manure and peat. Fertilizing is carried out at the end of April or in May before flowering and closer to autumn, when the buds have already withered.
Loosening and weeding
A crowded bell does not tolerate being in the vicinity of weeds and, in conditions of constant competition, begins to bloom worse.Therefore, twice a month the soil in the area with perennials needs to be lightly loosened and weeded.
Preparing for winter
With the onset of autumn, the stems of the prefabricated bellflower must be cut flush with the ground. After this, the area with the perennial can be mulched with a layer of compost; the organic matter will serve as both fertilizer and shelter for the winter. There is no need to take additional insulation measures; the plant tolerates even severe frosts well.
Diseases and pests
The crowded bell has good immunity and rarely suffers from fungi and pests. However, on moist and acidic soils, as well as in dense shade, the perennial may be threatened by:
- fusarium;
Fusarium disease causes root and stem rot
- white mold;
With white mold, the leaves and stems dry out and become covered with a white fluffy coating.
- rust.
Rust causes orange spots on bluebell leaves.
When fungal diseases appear, the perennial can be sprayed with Fundazol, Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. Treatments are carried out three times at intervals of 2 weeks; seriously damaged plants are removed from the site.
Among the pests that pose a threat to the crowded bell are:
- spider mite;
If you do not fight the spider mite, it can completely entangle a short bell
- leaf beetle caterpillars;
Numerous butterfly caterpillars feed on bluebell foliage
- pennitsa.
The pennitsa draws juices from the leaves and interferes with the growth of the bell
A simple soap solution helps against harmful insects in the first stages of infection. If large colonies are detected, you can use insecticides, for example, Aktara or Karbofos.
Medicinal properties
The crowded bell is not only a beautiful, but also a useful plant.Its stems and leaves contain flavonoids, ascorbic acid and coumarins. Medicines from the green parts of the perennial have diuretic, tonic and anti-inflammatory properties.
The prefabricated bell, when consumed according to proven recipes, can strengthen blood vessels and normalize blood pressure. Coumarins in its composition can serve as a prevention of oncology, since they suppress the growth of tumors in the body.
The use of prefabricated bells in folk medicine
In home treatment recipes, the perennial is used quite widely; decoctions and water infusions are prepared from dried leaves and stems. The bell helps:
- for sore throat and colds;
- with cramps in the stomach;
- with a tendency to edema;
- for hypertension and headaches;
- with inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
The leaves and stems of the collective bellflower are used to treat inflammatory and colds.
Compresses and lotions made from fresh leaves and decoctions are used to treat wounds, cuts and dermatological diseases. When added to hot baths, infusions have a calming effect and help with epilepsy and seizures.
Conclusion
Bluebell crowded is an easy to grow and very beautiful perennial, available in many varieties. The plant can not only decorate a summer cottage, but also provide medical benefits for certain diseases.
