How to grow and maintain beautiful campanula
Campanula produce abundant flowers that are known for providing plentiful nectar and pollen, which is an essential food source for bees and other pollinators. Campanula’s small flowers make them suitable and accessible for many species of bees, including smaller and shorter tongued species. Campanula are also attractive to butterflies and other pollinators, which help increase the biodiversity of your garden.
There are several varieties of campanula that are particularly good for bees and pollinators. Campanula glomerata (clustered bellflower) and Campanula rotundifolia (common harebell) are native campanula’s that bees and pollinators enjoy. Both campanula glomerata and Campanula rotundifolia have blue-purple flowers, which helps them stand out well to a bees ultraviolet vision.
It’s best to plant campanula in mid Spring, around April, after the threat of frost has passed. Campanula need free draining soil and won’t tolerate water logged areas. If your garden soil isn’t free draining, campanula can be grown in containers or pots with some grit in the bottom of the pot to help with drainage.
Campanula can grow in full sun or light shade, and most varieties can over-winter outdoors, provided that the soil isn’t too wet. As campanula are low lying plants, it’s best to place them at the front of borders, in pots, or alongside low walls or steps that they can cascade over.
In their first year, campanula will need a little extra watering until they get settled in. The soil will need to be kept moist, particularly over the summer, but once they’re established they won’t need much watering.
Campanula are very low maintenance and don’t need to be pruned due to their small size, but you can deadhead spent flowers to encourage more growth throughout the summer.
Campanula are low lying plants that can add floral ground over in your garden or cascade prettily out of pots on patios or in planters. They can work well with a variety of garden styles, particular cottage gardens, floral bee gardens or container gardens.
Incorporating campanulas into your bee-friendly garden is not only a great way to support local pollinators but also a beautiful way to enhance your outdoor space. With their vibrant blooms and versatile growth habits, these charming flowers provide much-needed nectar for bees and other pollinators throughout the growing season. By choosing to cultivate campanulas, you’re helping to create a sustainable, thriving environment for the bees that are essential to our ecosystem. So, grab a trowel, plant some campanulas, and watch your garden bloom with life—while supporting the vital role of pollinators in our world and back yards. Find more bee friendly flowers here.
Happy gardening!
