abide in the middle of my back garden , I am straight off come across by two thing : the number of weeds in every bed , and the unvarying singing of birds in neighboring trees . ordinarily I brush aside the gage ( at least until I am in need of some reasonless , accent - allay labour ) , and focalize alternatively on the razzing song . Here , in one of the most densely populated area of the United States , I can close my eyes and learn innumerable cardinal , catbirds , sparrows , buntings and chickadee , with the melodious cooing of woods Dove and the raucouscommentary of blue jay thrown in for good measure . Sometimes when I let myself relax enough to absorb the hiss song , I think about Rachel Carson ’s classical 1962 bookSilent springiness . Carson was a pioneer ; writing about ecology and the danger of pollution before such words had become part of the American ( and humans ) mental lexicon . A single cardinal number ’s mating call make me realize what a disaster it would be if we consumed , wasted and pollute ourselves into an actual “ silent spring ” .
The cardinal number ’s song force me to slow down down and appreciate one of the newest plants in my garden , ‘ Chettle Charm ’ , a peach foliage bellflower that is now in bloom hard by a clump of larkspur and a ‘ New Dawn ’ rise .
Peach leaf campanula ( Campanula persicifolia ) are refined perennial plants native to Europe and northeastern Asia . The slenderly elongate leave , which are cluster at the cornerstone of the flower stalks , must have reminded someone somewhere of the leaf of peach tree , hence the name . Like other members of the campanula ( Campanulaceae ) family their peak are bell determine . ( Campanula are undoubtedly the “ silver bells ” that team with “ cockle shell and pretty maid all in a wrangle ” in the Greco-Roman nursery rhyme “ Mary , Mary Quite Contrary ” . ) The peach foliage miscellanea are classic cottage garden subjects — charming but not obvious . Standing from 2 - 3 - feet eminent in mid - edge , ‘ Chettle Charm ’ and its cousins bloom in mid to former bounce . Reference works will tell you that they flourish in full sun to light spook . I can say from experience that they do just very well embed under the prohibited edge of an teen maple tree ’s canopy .
There is such a demand for blue flowers and so many coinage that simply miss the familial wherewithal to produce those blue flowers that it is dainty to report that peach foliage bellflowers can add to the blueish regalia . Garden center generally stock up a common benighted blue change and well as a whitened one . Campanula persicifolia coerulea sports flowers that are bright grim than the unwashed bellflowers . The ‘ Telham Beauty ’ cultivar grow to a full 3 - feet tall , with purplish - blue bloom . My pride and pleasure , ‘ Chettle Charm ’ , an English import , has bloodless bell with blue edges . From a aloofness the flush look pale blue overall . ‘ Chettle Charm ’ was developed by the trailblazing British firm flush of Bressingham , a breeder of first rate garden flora . I can only hope they continue create Modern peach leafage bellflowers .
If you want to add a slight extra interest to your garden , try Campanula persicifolia ‘ Kelly ’s Gold ’ , which features gilded green leaf in addition to blue - tipped blossoms similar to those of ‘ Chettle Charm ’ . That touch of atomic number 79 might be particularly valuable in partially shaded spots .
Being a perennial plant , peach leafage campanula will not caricature its yearly cousins and flower from May through the first frost . It will , however give you a couple of weeks of pleasure , as its flower do n’t all clear at once . purloin the dog-tired efflorescence also avail encourage limited repetition blooms . If you’re able to stand to remove some of the bloom stalks from the garden , these bellflowers also look wonderful in low to mid - size arrangements . Be certain not to overwhelm them with big sporty flowers . They are much more comfortable with their cottagey horticultural soulmates , such as white cosmos and some of the less assertive coreopsis cultivar .
campanula do n’t like desiccate atmospheric condition , so it ’s a good idea to mulch your plant and give supplemental water , if needed , during dry spells . finally you’re able to increase your supplies by part . Unlike Funka , ornamental grasses and some other garden favorite , campanula persicifolia does not require a hacksaw to divide . Just comprehend up the clump , separate the root into two or three pieces with your fingers ( help if necessary be an old kitchen knife ) . Plant one of your divisions in the original gob along with pee and some compost . Put the second one elsewhere in the garden , and give the third one to a friend . Bellflowers are eminently companionable plant that are intend to be share with congenial hoi polloi .
There are so many member of the bellflower kinship group that if you require to you could in all likelihood make a garden entirely of campanulas . While you are contemplating such a dramatic step , embark on with peach foliage campanula or two . It wo n’t give you garden fireworks , but for a few week in tardy outpouring it will allow for a nice stiff gleam .
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