Two Members of the Large & Extended Family Campanulaceae

Campanula persicifolia in a private garden in Campbellville, Ontario

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it." 

–George Moore

Every family has its share of colorful characters. The family Campanulaceae is a large, extended family of plants that includes annuals, biennials and perennials. Two outstanding members of this clan that, as a gardener, you may want to get to know better are Bellflowers (Campanula persicifolia) and Balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus). 

Together these two perennials can give you an extended period of bloom that will see you through most of the gardening season. Campanula persicifolia begins to flower quite early in the summer. Then, just as these Bellflowers finish their first flush of blooms, many varieties of Platycodon grandiflorus will begin to flower and will continue to do so well into the late summer or early fall.

Campanula persicifolia

In my garden, Campanula persicifolia begins to flower in the early to middle part of June. It's a time when many other summer perennials are still in a growth phase and have yet to bloom. It's nice to have the delicate white and mauve bells as a companion to the first of my roses, peonies and early flowering clematis.

To flower well, Campanula persicifolia requires full sun, good drainage and moderate soil moisture. 

Campanula persicifolia are an easy-to-grow plant that forms a low mound of green leaves. This perennial has bell-shaped flowers that are carried on tall stems.  Normal, sandy or clay soil and average to moist conditions are fine for this plant. Full sun or light shade. Height: 60-90 cm, Spread: 30-50 cm. Zones: USDA 2-9.

Campanula persicifolia grouped in a private garden in Campbellville, Ontario

Campanula persiifolia are a bit of a tricky plant to place in a flower border. When they're not in flower, they're just a low mound of evergreen leaves. They don't become tall until the stems that carry the flowers appear. After the spent flowers are deadheaded, the plant is back to being a low rosette of green leaves. As it's short for a much longer time than it is tall, I've always placed Campanula persiifolia near the front of my flowerbeds.

One thing I haven't done, which would be nice to do if you have a larger garden, is to group Campanula persiifolia in a mass planting like the one you see above. Large groupings are always more impressive than just one or two isolated plants.

Just a quick mention– As well as tall Campanula persicifolia, you can also find more dwarf varieties with very similar flowers (like the one you see here on the upper left). 

Campanula carpatica 'Blue Chips' has large, mauve-blue flowers. This perennial forms a low mound which makes it a perfect choice for edging or rock gardens. When deadheaded regularly, it will bloom repeatedly from early summer into fall. Campanula carpatica likes good drainage, but is adaptable to a variety of soils and moisture conditions. Divide every few years in spring or fall. Full sun or part shade. Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 inches), Spread: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches). Zones: USDA 2-9.

Campanula carpatica 'White Chips' has cup-shaped, white flowers on a low, mounded cushion of green leaves. Full sun or part shade. Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 inches), Spread: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches). Zones: USDA 2-9.

Balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus is a nice addition to any mid-summer garden. This is a tall, upright perennial has a carrot-like root and is very long-lived.  Colors range from blue to pale-pink and white. Depending on the cultivar you choose, Balloon flowers will grow as tall as 60-75 cm (23-29 inches) and spread as much as 30-40 cm (12-16 inches). Not deer-resistant. USDA Zones: 3-9.

Platycodon grandiflorus

I love the opening to this excellent article by Barbara Pleasant for the National Gardening Association (in the USA):

"If plants were like movies, Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) would be one of those critical successes that nobody goes to see until word of mouth gives it a boost. Balloon flower, also known as Chinese Bellflower, has been racking up great reviews for more than 50 years, yet it's still not found in many gardens."

So true! Platycodon grandiflorus is a terrific, easy-to-grow perennial that should be planted in gardens more often.

The flower buds that look a bit like hot air balloons give Platycodon grandiflorus its common name: Balloon Flower. One of the reasons I really like this plant is its late bloom time. In my garden, it starts blooming at the end of July, and with a little deadheading, continues to flower into the fall. The two bluish-purple cultivars I grow provide a welcome infusion of cool color when most of the plants flowering in my garden seem to be hot colors. 

In spring, it's one of the last perennials to emerge from the ground– in fact I find you really have to be careful not to forget it's there and over plant it with something else (Tip: leaving the old plant stems through the winter is a good reminder of the plant's location). 

The growth habit of this perennial is more upright than that of Campanula persicifolia. This narrow profile makes Platycodon grandiflorus a good choice for a small garden. To grow well, Balloon flowers like full sun or light shade. They're a perennial that's slow to establish, but Balloon flowers are long-lived and don't require regular division like so many perennials.

This is not a plant without its fair share of problems. The large blooms tend to make the plant top-heavy giving Balloon flowers a tendency to flop. I've always staked my plants, but recently I read somewhere that pinching the plant back in June will make it shorter and more sturdy. I think I may try this next summer and see how it goes.

Varieties of Balloon flower vary in flower size and color and overall plant size. The very popular 'Fuji' series are among the tallest cultivars and produce blue, pink and white flowers.

A few of the single blue cultivars have been rated in a study conducted by the Chicago Botanic Garden (Judged for their growth habits, upright stems, floral displays and hardiness):

'Sentimental Blue' has bluish-purple flowers from early July through to early Sept. Short at just 12" in height. Overall rating: Good

'Baby Blue' has 3 inch, lavender-blue flowers on a shortish plant (20 inches in height). It blooms from early July through to late August. Overall rating: Good

'Astra Blue' has large (3.5 inch), lavender-blue flowers from early July through to early Sept. It typically grows 22 inches in height. Overall rating: Good

'Fuji Blue' has bluish-purple flowers from early July through to early Sept. It's a tall cultivar at 40 inches in height. Overall rating: Good

As well as blue, you can find cultivars with white or pink flowers. A few of the whites available as rated in a the same study are:

'Fairy Snow' aren't pure-white. The flowers are veined with blueish-lavender. It's shortest at 22 inches in height. It flowers from late June into September. Overall rating: Fair

'Fuji White' blooms mid-July to early Sept. 40 inches in height. Overall rating: Good

'Hakone White' has blue veins that fade away as the flowers open. It tends to have more open flowers during its bloom time than 'Fairy Snow'. It's tallest at 43 inches in height. Blooms mid-July to early Sept. Overall rating: Good

A couple of the Pinks:

'Fuji Pink' has 3 inch, pale-pink flowers from early July through to Sept. It reaches 38 inches in height. Overall rating: Good

'Shell Pink' has pale-pink flowers that are half an inch larger than 'Fuji Pink' on a shorter plant (25 inches in height). Overall rating: Fair

A few years back I added the double form of Balloon flower to my garden: 

Balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus 'Hakone Blue' has single or clusters of double, cup-shaped blue-purple flowers that are two or three inches across. This is a tall, upright perennial that likes full sun or light shade. Height: 45-60 cm (18-24 inches), Spread: 45-50 cm (18-20 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

The rock garden at Dalhousie University's Agricultural Campus in Truro, Nova Scotia. 

I first admired this dwarf form of Platycodon grandiflorus in the rock garden at the Dalhousie University's Agricultural Campus in Truro, Nova Scotia (see more of this amazing rock garden here, here and here). Last summer, I finally tracked a plant down and added it to my own garden.

Platycodon grandiflorus 'Sentimental Blue' is a dwarf selection with purple flowers. Height: 15-20 cm (6-8 inches), Spread: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

Other than their tendency to flop, there is one other minor downside to Platycodon grandiflorus that I can think of– the spent flowers are a bit unsightly unless you deadhead the plant religiously. 

Still I think the plant's benefits far outweigh its faults. In late summer, I always appreciate those starry blooms.

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Just two of the terrific perennials from a large and complex family of plants!

Update: 

The weedy look-alike– Creeping Bellflower, Campanula rapunculoides

As I said in my introduction– Every family has its share of colorful characters and not all of them are good characters. Creeping Bellflower, Campanula rapunculoides, which is native to south-east Europe and Asia Minor, has become a problem weed here in North America. It has purple flowers that are all on one side of the stem and open from the bottom of the stem upward. This is an invasive plant that can produce up to 15,000 seeds. It also has tuberous roots that spread underground. If you find it in your garden, remove it immediately or it will become a huge problem! Don't use a trowel to do the digging, use a shovel. You need to get right down and get all the carrot-like roots. If you miss even a small part of the root, the problem will be back before you know it!

The Garden of Donna & Duff Evers, Part 1: The Lakefront Terrace Garden

Donna and Duff Evers have the enviable view of a lake which sparkles through evergreen trees at the back of their home near Halifax, Nova Scotia. There is a short plateau of land with a deck and then the property rolls down in a gentle incline to the lake. 

Is it harder to garden on a slope than a flat piece of land? 

"There are days my aching bones make me wish I was gardening on a flat plot of land, but on the whole, the positives outweigh the negatives. And we don't have to go to the gym to work out," Donna laughs.

To ease the incline the Ever's have terraced the slope with a low stone wall that runs most of the width of the property. As you can imagine, this was no small undertaking.

Donna: "The stonework came first and we learned the hard way. Several walls did not come through the first winter and had to be rebuilt. We did things right the second time around. It helps to have a husband who likes working with stone. We handpicked the stone from a local quarry and trucked it home. The walls began with a three to four inch tamped base of crushed gravel. Fitting the stones together was a bit like working a jigsaw puzzle."

Marking the outer perimeter of the terraced garden is a square lattice fence.

Donna: "The fence in this garden serves several purposes. It defines the garden and separates it from the expanse of grass that is the septic field. It breaks up the wind from the lake and provides support for all the climbing vines."

"When making this garden we had to work around a massive stump that was impossible to move. We planted a climbing hydrangea and a clematis at the base of the stump. It took a while, but the hydrangea completely covers up the stump and the clematis now weaves its way through the hydrangea."

Donna: "Gardening on a sloping property definitely has it challenges. The biggest one is erosion. The terraces and stonework, combined with my obsession for over-planting has taken care of that problem. The stone walls with their excellent drainage have provided unique planting sites for Lewisia, Saxifraga and Hens and chicks."

Donna: "The walls are a great place to sit with a coffee in the spring sunshine."

Lewisia cotyledon 

Donna: "I'd like to think that this plant was evidence of my gardening skill, but the truth is, it's dumb luck. Lewisia needs excellent drainage around the crowns to prevent rot in winter."

"I am never certain it will make it through the winter. Fingers crossed! It never seems to be happy on our rock walls. I must give it a little fertilizer this spring."

Bellflower, Campanula chamissonis: has compact green leaves which grow not more than two to six inches high. Light purple, bell-shaped flowers with a white throat appear in mid-spring. Again, good drainage is essential. This campanula is not invasive. Full sun. Height: 5-15 cm ( 2-6 inches), Spread: 15-20 cm (6-8 inches). USDA Zones 4-7.

Donna: "The geum is the one everyone grows. It does really well in our dampish soil and it often has a few blooms again in fall. I love it planted with anything blue."

Geum borisii: Forms a low growing clump with sprays of bright orange flowers from early spring into summer. As Donna notes, it may even re-bloom in fall. Part shade and moist soil are best. Height: 30-45cm (12- 18 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches) USDA Zones: 5-7. Note: Geum borisii struggles with heat and humidity south of zone 7. 

Jacob's Ladder, Polemonium ( left) and Veronica gentianoides (right)

Two blue options from Donna's garden that might be planted with Geum:

Donna: "Jacob's Ladder, Polemonium (seen above on the right) likes dampish spots in our garden and it has become well enough established that I have been able to divide it and spread it about. It blooms earlier than other varieties of Polemonium and the foliage seems to be a little more delicate."

"Veronica gentianoides (seen above on the left) is another spring favourite. I love it planted with orange and yellow geum in the front border.  The leaves form a ground-hugging rosette and the spikes of flowers are the loveliest blue."

Donna: "The terrace wall needed to be backfilled with crushed stone to provide drainage. The crushed stone also helps with freeze/thaw winter conditions here in Nova Scotia. Most years the wall requires a bit of spring maintenance in the way of repositioning a stone or two."

"When completed we backfilled the walls with quality garden soil and compost. Then the fun began. The area gets full sun all day long and we filled it with sun-loving plants." 

Donna: "Duff chose a relatively flat spot and made a level pad of crusher dust. Over the winter it formed into a relatively solid base. The shed is a board and batten construction with a cedar shingled roof. The windows were recycled. I only wish it were bigger because it is filled to the rafters."

Rosa 'Father Hugo'

Donna: "Rosa 'Father Hugo' is an early bloomer and it does not repeat bloom. It is disease-free and low maintenance. I just have to cut it back from time to time so we can get to the shed. It has attractive reddish stems and great fall color. I have never seen it for sale in local garden centres. Ours came from a cutting taken from a friend's garden. Roses do not do well in our garden and so I am happy to have the lovely Father Hugo."

Father Hugo Rose or Golden Rose of China, Rosa hugonis Species rose (1899) is a vase-shaped rose that can reach up to 9 feet tall. It is a very hardy (to Zone 5) and drought tolerant rose. It has attractive ferny foliage and single yellow roses in spring. ARS Rating: 8.7

Here's a link to Part 2 and Part 3.