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Re: Campanulas

On 10/05/97 12:26, "Patrice CHRISTMANN" <CHRISTMANN@valcofim.fr> 
wrote:

Dear fellow cubergarden enthusiasts,

Through this years seed exchanges I received seed of several Campanula
species about which I do not dispose of any information, especially about
size, spreading habit (invasive?), colour a  nd appropriate cultivation
methods. Which ones should be grown on scree/ gravel and which one may
thrive in a good garden loam?

May any one help me with the missing details?

If it helps, the following is from the pages of the Chiltern Seeds Catalogue, Boretree 
Stile, Ulverston Cumbria England - email: 101344.1340@compuserve .com - a 
usually authoritative source (and a great company to deal with).
"C formanekiana found growng in rock fissures in Macedonia , is this handsome, 
soft, hairy plant forming rosettes of white or grey hairy leaves, bearing pyramidal 
clusters of very large white or blue-lilac flowers each 2" or more long. 4-8ins in 
height. Hardy Biennial." Therefore only possibly invasive via seeds.

- C. incurva "Perhaps the most spectacular of all Bellflowers for the rockery or 
front of border, is this lovely plant found on sheer rocks of Olympus and other 
parts of GReece. Forming rosettes of finely hairy, kidney-shaped leaves, it bears in 
profusion all summer, magnificent panicles of flared, goblet-shaped, ice-blue 
flowers.... In spite of its reputation of being monocarpic (it has been found that), 
given a suitable, well-dreained spot, it has proved a survivor." Height 9-12" Hardy 
Perennial (doesn't sound invasive.)
- C. patula "Spreading Bellflower - (whoops...) A charming and somewhat rare 
native wildflower (of English) shady woods and hedgebanks with branched, slender 
wiry stems bearing loose showers of shallow, starry, bell-shaped flowers of a 
luminous, variable rose-purple. Height 1 - 3 ft.
- C. carpatica 'Nana' - This is just a dwarf version of the well-known C carpatica - 
a little invasive but charming. Nice to grow in large pots.
- C. koletiana  "From the Caucasus comes this most lovely plant which, in its own 
good time will produce a football-sized and shaped sphere of countless big, 
nodding, cup-shaped, violet-blue flowers." Biennial and monocarpic - ie flowers and 
dies.
Also if it helps, I have just split a batch of mixed campanula seeds (ex Chilterns) 
between two germination methods. One surface sown on moist peat-based seed 
mix, the other surface sown on mixture of equal quantities perlite and vermiculite 
(both fine grade).
REsults after three weeks in north-facing windowsill at around 70F.
Peat-based mix - no germination.
Perlite-vermiculite - around 50 germinated. 
I don't know the original number - I'm not as thorough or scientific as Deno!

Michael Open
Belfast Northern Ireland
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