Campanula medium flore plena ‘Blue Double’

BLUE DOUBLE CANTERBURY BELLS

Campanula medium flore plena ‘Blue Double’
BLUE DOUBLE CANTERBURY BELLS

Campanula medium flore plena ‘Blue Double’ gives the rare opportunity to grow an individual colour of the wonderful, old favourite – Double Canterbury Bells.

Tea cups full of blue powder puffs on matching saucers

Commonly called “Double Cup & Saucer Bellflowers”, or “Double Canterbury Bells”, for the obvious reason of the shape of their flowers.
Because they do indeed look like towers of blue tea cups, full of blue powder puffs.

Prolific bloomers through spring & summer

Elegant spires of large double blue flowers, bloom prolifically through spring and the first half of summer.

Extended blooming season

Blooming season can also be extended by regularly cutting the leading spires, and thus encouraging more flowering side shoots to develop.
So it is no hardship to cut spires for vases – you are just being nice to the plant.

Commercial quality cut flowers

Campanula medium flore plena ‘Blue Double’ is an excellent crop for commercial flower farmers.
As a cut flower they have a very long vase life, lasting for weeks if the water is changed regularly.
They are hardy, attractive biennial flowering plants.

Great garden show

And make an excellent backdrop for shorter annuals and perennials in a flower garden too.
Or to grow specially for cut flowers in the veggie and picking garden.

Hardy & easy to grow

Plant Campanula medium flore plena ‘Blue Double’ in Full Sun or Part Shade.
They are very hardy, unfussy and easy plants to grow.
As they thrive in a wide range of soils, as long as the soil is well drained.

Robustly frost hardy

Plus they are robustly frost hardy.

Native honey-eating birds, bees & butterflies love these towers of bells

Because the flowers are rich in nectar and pollen.

Rabbit & deer resistant

But those ghastly rabbits and deer don’t particularly like the taste of them. Thank goodness!

Leave to self sow or harvest for flowers?

However you do need to make a decision.
Because if you leave the flower stems to go to seed – then they will happily self-sow the next generation of baby plants in the garden.
But if you harvest the flower stems as they bloom – then the clump will re-shoot and produce even more flower spikes.
Dilemma – They are very showy in both the garden and vase – so to cut or not to cut – that is the question????
Maybe have a bet each way – and cut arm loads for vases as well as leave some to seed in the garden.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Suitable for beginners & gardening with kids

Sow in a punnet indoors at any time, whenever suitable temperatures can be given (15-20°C).
OR
Sow seeds in the garden in spring.

Sow indoors for quick & early plants: First sow the seeds on the surface good quality seed raising mix.
Then lightly cover with sieved mix to a depth the same as the diameter of the seed.

Thoroughly moisten the sown punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath, and allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Now place the sown, moist punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sunlight).
And you can use a heat mat if you have one, but a window sill or well lit corner will do just as well,
because these are very easy and reliable seeds to germinate.

Temperatures of 15-20°C. are best for rapid and optimum germination.

Continue to keep the punnet moist by misting from a spray water-bottle.
And it does help to cover the punnet with a plastic lid or bag, to help retain the necessary consistent moisture.

Germination usually begins in approx. 14-28 days.

Prick out as soon as possible, when the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves
And pot the seedlings on to harden off and mature before finally planting out in the garden.

Seed Count: 80 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

Seed Count: 80 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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