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Bellflowers?
Xref: news7 rec.gardens:224155
I purchased some Bellflower seeds. The package says they will grow a foot high and bloom all summer. However, the package says they bloom the 2nd year. Does this mean they bloom every other year? Or that they won't bloom the first year they are planted. Does this mean the plant should not be cut off in the fall? I've only been gardening for 3 years, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jill |
#2
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Bellflowers?
In article , "Jill Claus"
jillclaus@cogeco,ca wrote: I purchased some Bellflower seeds. The package says they will grow a foot high and bloom all summer. However, the package says they bloom the 2nd year. Does this mean they bloom every other year? Or that they won't bloom the first year they are planted. Does this mean the plant should not be cut off in the fall? I've only been gardening for 3 years, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jill When grown from seed, probably won't be mature enough to bloom until their second year. If you want them right away you could add a couple small bedding starts already partially grown, usually only cost about $3 from a nursery, & they'll bloom this year. As for pruning, it somewhat depends on what species of bellflower, & the zone you're in. Some bellflowers are semi-evergreen in mild winters; many rebloom right up to October. I experimented with canturbery bells in that I left two unpruned & they bloomed even in winter (in December if I recall), though too feebly to be more than mild curiosities to be blooming out of season. The ones I cut right down to the basal leaves came back early spring as thick bushy leaves, while the ones I encouraged to prove some small degree of evergreen capacity are still in April way behind, growing at about one-third the pace as the ones that were pruned in late autumn. They wasted too much energy blooming poorly out of season, so it really wasn't a good idea. Some things that are semi-evergreen keep part of their growth as a kind of self-mulching program to keep from freezing in winter, & those should be pruned back late winter or early spring just before new growth begins. The canterbury bells are among these, but they don't need anything left but the lowest basal leaves. On the basis of one little experiment on bellflowers, I'm of a mind to prune them tot the basal leaves in late autumn in the future & not try to stretch them deep into winter. But the Korean bellflowers & a couple similar groundcovery bellflowers die completely to the ground in late autumn without being pruned. -paghat the ratgirl -- "Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/ |
#3
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Bellflowers?
I'm guessing that you're talking about peach leaf bellflowers, which grow
about 2 feet tall. Once they are in your garden and blooming they will be there forever, because, although individual plants will die out after a few years, they self-sow prolifically. They do not bloom the first year from seed, but after that they will bloom reliably in June and July. They are not prone to diseases or pests - at least in my garden. "montana" wrote in message ... In article , "Jill Claus" wrote: I purchased some Bellflower seeds. The package says they will grow a foot high and bloom all summer. However, the package says they bloom the 2nd year. Does this mean they bloom every other year? Or that they won't bloom the first year they are planted. Does this mean the plant should not be cut off in the fall? I've only been gardening for 3 years, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jill I don't know what variety of bellflower; I've never had one that bloomed all summer. Whether that's because I didn't deadhead the flowers, I don't know. That being said, the bellflowers I planted from seed did not bloom the first year, but they did bloom every year after that (until the dogs killed them...). There are varieties that stay small, as you are describing and there are taller types. They are pretty hardy if they get enough sun & are watered regularly. These are some of my favorite flowers. I think they're just lovely. |
#4
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Bellflowers?
Thank you for that link!
"Sed5555" wrote in message ... I purchased some Bellflower seeds. The package says they will grow a foot high and bloom all summer. However, the package says they bloom the 2nd year. Does this mean they bloom every other year? Or that they won't bloom the first year they are planted. Does this mean the plant should not be cut off in the fall? I've only been gardening for 3 years, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I grow several different bellflowers. None bloomed the first year, just formed a rosette of foliage. With the exception of Canterbury Bells, they have bloomed each year since. The Canterbury Bells are biennials, but readily reseed themselves. With deadheading, they all bloom into fall. I cut them back after the first frost. Here is a little information on bellflowers: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopE...s/bellflow.htm sed5555 |
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