Lobelias may conjure up visions of hanging baskets bedded out for summer, but among the 370 species from north, south and central America and other temperate areas, there are perennials and aquatic plants as well as annuals. This perennial from the eastern USA was introduced to England in the seventeenth century and has delightful bright blue flowers that appear through summer to autumn. Its flowers have leafy green bracts and stalks of them, up to 20 inches long, are carried on stems from two to four feet tall. To ensure that this lobelia flourishes, make sure you grow it in reliably moist soil in full sun or partial shade.
Propagation: Sow seed when ripe. Divide in spring. |
'Elizabeth' is a captivating campanula. A variety of the perennial Korean species Campanula takesimana, its beautiful, pendant, bell shaped flowers are cream flushed with purple. If you lift them, you can see that they have pretty red spots on the inside. The flowers, two inches long, appear from mid to late summer, above basal rosettes of heart shaped, toothed leaves. This is a plant that will lend distinction to any border, mixed or herbaceous, provided the soil is neutral or mildly alkaline, moist but well drained. It may be grown in sun or partial shade, but its delicate colouring is best seen in shade.
Propagation: Divide in spring or autumn. Take basal cuttings in spring. |
A splendid plant for a mixed or herbaceous border, this tall and bushy perennial has the bonus of flowering over a long period from early summer to early autumn and not being too choosy about soil or position - it needs a moist soil but is happy growing in sun or partial shade. Its soft green leaves are composed of lance shaped, one to two inch leaflets, and the appealing tiny mauve and white flowers are carried in flowerheads of up to 50 blooms. Calega officinalis has a somewhat lax form of growth, and as it reaches up to five feet or so, it may need staking.
Propagation: Soak the seeds and plant out in containers in a cold frame in spring. Divide in late autumn or in spring. |
