my Canterury Bells (Campanula Medium) dead?

Last year I bought 5 Canterbury Bells plants which were fairly well established and already flowering. I never got around to planting them in the ground so I tried to keep them well protected (from too much hot sun/wind) and watered. At the end of the season they went brown and completely died back. Currently all that is left is a dry twiggy outline of the plant.

I'm fairly new to this whole gardening thing - but I thought they were prerennial as in they come back each year? At least that is what it says on the label.

How will I know if they are completely dead or just dormant?
What do the seeds look like? There are all kinds of 'bits' on the surface of the soil under each plant - if some of these are seeds I would like to try and germinate them.

 

Hi Scarfell and welcome to the forum.

I am sorry to say that I suspect they are dead. Campanula medium is not perennial, but biennial. ie they grow from seed one year, then flower the next and die. Some are even annual. I have had them flower in the first year and then die that same year - I was most disappointed that they didn't flower in the second year when I expected them to.

Unfortunately labels don't always tell they truth. Though some biennials are sometimes short lived perennials - and perhaps they were referring to that. I have many labels that say that a plant is hardy when I know very well that it isn't. Its called advertising.

It is just possible that your plants dropped some seed last year and you will get some seedlings. But don't hold your breath, and unfortunately it will be too late to find any seed left on the old plants.

I find the best thing is to Google several sites for the same information. They often say slightly different things, but if you take an average of several sites you won't be far off.

Please don't be put off. There are loads of really good, reliable perennials out there - just ask if you want some ideas.

 

I'm fairly sure Canterbury Bells ar ony Biennial so you will only get the one flowering period they they die ..Something I've only ever grown in pots then thrown away .Would have thought if there were any seed around it would be germinated ? Others may be able to add more ..
Dave

 

Pipped me to the post there Peter..LOL !!
Dave

 

I agree biennial, self seed pretty well though, so once established they come up in all sorts of places,

 

Thanks for the responses guys, so I'm going with the line that they are dead. Sad face. To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed, I would have been less likely to shell out £20 for something that is temporarily pretty.

I would much prefer to buy something that is an investment for the garden, not just a one off 'annual' (just getting used to the meaning of these different terms).

Can anyone recommend something bright along the blue/purple lines similar to Canterbury Bells that will last from year to year? I don't mind putting effort into re-germinating from seed if necessary - I'm also starting a vegetable garden so will have all the right stuff to be successfully germinating from seed.

As for the misleading labels, I guess I will just have to learn - its not very good for the gardening newbie! I've only ever dealt with herbs and house plants, don't know much about plants for beds, borders and pots - only bought a house with a garden just over a year ago so my first opportunity to look into establishing a garden to my (and my fiancee's) tastes.

 

There is plenty of perennials that have blue flowers and a bit of height to them similar to Canterbury Bells. My two favourites are -

Campanula Persicifolia - blue (or white flowers) all summer long, clump forming and a perennial (I promise!). Grows to about 3 foot tall.

Aconite - dark blue flowers, similar to Delphinium, but without the attractiveness to slugs! Grows up to 5 foot tall, happy in semi shade and has the added 'interest' of being poisonous.

 

There are many blue Campanulas, though they don't always flower for as long as I would like. Ones I like are C. poscharskyana - low growing edging type of plant, but very long flowering. C. latifolia - 'Pritchards variety' is the best known named cultivar and one of the longest flowering Campanulas. And I love C. trachelium - with Canterbury Bell type blooms. C. glomerata is a good spreader - the books say it is long flowering, but it doesn't for me

Other blues are Veronica longifolia - lovely pale blue. And of course there is catmint. Nepeta faassenii is the best known - but floppy and Nepeta transcaucasica 'Blue Infinity' if you don't want it to flop. All three are long flowering.

All are reliably hardy and perennial.