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Tue, Aug 6, 13 at 13:15
| I will start by saying that I am a pretty new gardener. I've fallen in love with growing things, and try to squeeze in what I can on our rather small city yard. I recently purchased 2 lovely little Blue Clips Campanula plants from the farmers market, brought them home, and planted them in my front, west facing border garden. One little plant was slightly larger than the other, had a few more blooms, and looked overall a bit healthier to start. I planted them both in the same way about 6 feet apart and mixed in a little bit of organic compost and peat to the soil. They both remained very healthy looking for about a week and a half. I noticed the first blooms had faded a few days ago, but just today finally had a chance to go out and deadhead. The smaller plant is looking pretty good, although I am hoping to see more buds forming to get another round of blooms. It's only early August, I should get more, right? But my biggest concern is the other one, previously the healthier looking one. It is bare!! No blooms, and it has lost all of it's foliage!!! Any idea of what could have happened?? I don't think it could have dried out - I have been watering every couple of days. I fertilized with with a natural fish and kelp blend (2-5-1) shortly after planting.. was that a bad idea? Wouldn't I have seen the same thing in the other plant, then? I'm very sad to have potentially lost one so quickly! I've never had that happen before. Ideas? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Obviously, I am a massive fan of campanulas....but the clips are annoyingly fleeting and fussy little plants despite the fact that there seem to be absolutely loads of them. I couldn't really say why you are having such bad luck (although August is getting late in the year, even for the supposedly free blooming carpathian bellflowers - I probably wouldn't be counting on another lot of blooms here in the UK). Although they are ubiquitous, please don't give up on bellflowers but next time, try with something like the lovely fairy thimbles (C,cochlearifolia) or the dalmatian bellflower (C.portenschlagiana -I know, it's a swine to pronounce so ask for Birch Hybrid and you will get summat similar) or even better, the deep blue C.pulla. Then you can move on to the taller herbacious campanulas such as the absolutely easy and reliable peach-leafed bellflower (C.persicifolia) and the taller C.latiloba, Siberian bellflower (C,sibirica) and C.latifolia along with a slew of interesting asian types (C. punctata and an interesting white, name escapes me - possibly hoffmannii?) - avoiding the annoyingly rampant C.rapunculoides or C.glomerata). Finally, the stately C.lactiflora and biennial chimney bellflower,(C.pyramidalis) and you will be a campanula convert. Don't beat yourself up for the behaviour of the capricious and over-hyped Blue Clips type. |
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- Posted by aseedisapromise z4.5 SD (My Page) on Tue, Aug 6, 13 at 18:35
| If it still looks like the stems are green, maybe Mr. Bunny came and ate it. He eats things occasionally at my place. |
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- Posted by abgardeneer Z3, Calgary (My Page) on Tue, Aug 6, 13 at 22:32
| C. carpatica is easily grown here and a good performer, though individual plants may only last a few years... It blooms and self-seeds generously. |
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- Posted by lovelyother1 5 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 12:47
| Thank you for the follow-ups. Campanula, I enjoyed reading your post, and look forward to exploring some of the other bellflowers! Although, I really did love the look of those petite little Blue Clips periwinkle bells in my front border... Alas, I discovered the problem. Slugs. Ugh. Lots of them. A few nights ago I put out 3 little beer traps, and we've already caught nearly 100. Copper wire may be the next step, but I don't know if it's even worth trying to replace my little Blue Clips if those slimy little suckers like them that much. I wonder, do the slugs love the fairy thimbles just as much? They really are lovely. |
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