L 



August 3, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



591 



TALL CAMPANULAS. 



The value of tall campanulas for garden 

 decoration during the summ^^r months is 

 apparent to all levers of the garden. The 

 frraee of these useful perennial plants gives 



snb- 



raised here, and gives decided promise as 

 the colour is so teUing. Of the whit-es, the 

 best are alba grandiflora and its? 

 variety, a. g. plena, two splendid gems; 

 Coronata, with its cup and saucer blosvsoms ; 

 Xewry Giant, a. lar(i;e semi-double : Moer- 

 heimi, beautifvd, bui noiu' ton mbusi : and 



a touch of daintuiess which few' other hardy a seedling double, named Avahnii lie. 



among 



flowers can surpass. There is scarcely a 

 garden, whether it be country or town, 

 which would not be greatly enriched by the 

 inclusion of a selected collection of the 

 taller campanulas, and this being so, it be- 

 hoves the garden lover to keep in touch 

 with the most useful members of the 

 group. 



It has ever been my aim to include at 

 least a few of the best campanulas in every 

 planting of hardy plants, which has come 

 under my personal direttionj and the re- 

 sults have always justified their inclusion. 

 It may have been noted that in many gar- 

 dens the perennial campanulas have been 

 represented solely by the persicifoiia forms, 

 to the total exclusion of all others. Al- 

 though I wish to keep the persicifoiia sec- 

 tion well to the forefront, 1 also desire to 

 bring the more notew^orthy of the other 

 species well in view, in order that they may 

 do their full share in beautifying the sum- 

 mer garden, as well as more robust 

 growth. 



Digressing just for a moment on the 

 question, of soils and situation, 1 can con- 

 fidently recommend a fairly heavy soil for 

 the majority of the tall campanulas, as in 

 such a soil they usually {produce first-rato 

 results. A moderately heavy soil, well 

 worked, is capable of a iiigh state of fer- 

 tility, but, on the other hand, it should 

 be thoroughly drained if the best results 

 are expected, ll-etaining the moisture dur- 

 ing dry summer weather, it naturally en- 

 sures better blossoms and a longer period 

 of flowering. 



A notable exception to this rule is C. 

 persicifoiia Moerheimi, the popular doubl 

 white, which, lacking somewliat 

 stitution. 



e 



HI c<ui- 



seems to require a lighter, 

 warmer soil to keep it in good health. I 

 usually endeavour to give this variety a 

 slightly raised position in order to get the 

 best possible display from it. As to situa- 

 tion, it does not matter materially w^hether 

 it be sun or partial shade, save that the 

 blossoms usually last longer if not exposed 

 to the full power of the s\ui. With us this 

 does not make much differen^?e, as the 

 flowers are soon pollinated by the bees, re- 

 sulting in faded blossoms that have to be 

 speedily removed. 



Blues, whites, and purples are the hu*"< 

 that predominate among the campanulas, 

 and these colours are very telling for gar- 

 den effects. There is a lightnesc^, a <leli- 

 cacy^ about these ^shades which is won<ler- 

 fully pleasing, and it is these pleasing 

 colour tones that blend so well with <lel- 

 phiniums. Chrysanthemum maximum, 

 and other associating perennials. Glorious 

 as the campanulas are in the sunlight, they 

 are, to my mind, far more beautiful in the 

 evening t^vilight. Then in the softer, dim- 

 nier light they are superb. Silhouetted in 

 the decreasing light those soft lines take 

 on additional distinctness and beauty. 

 They are then a revelation to those who do 

 not know them imder an evening sky— a 

 glory indeed. 



Taking the persicifoiia group first, we 

 note several sterling varieties. Of these 

 the best blues incUule Daisy Hill, a laven- 

 der-»blue semi-double; maxima duplex, a 

 semi-double in deep blue ; Pallida grandi- 

 flora, a pale hlue ; and La Vvi\ a lovely 

 lavender-blue of great nu^rit. Mountain 

 CJloud is a fine large-flowered blue-purple 



C. lactiflora is veiv wortliv ef note, its 

 height and graceful (spreading heads of 

 small mil ky bloss oms m a kin g it a nd its 

 blue-fl(iw<'itMl variety ca^rulea a splendid 

 subject wluMc tall plants are required. ( . 

 latifolia and its varieties call for distiiut 

 notice, being of material service for the 

 borders an (I the wild garden. Growing 

 erect, with drooping flowers produfe<l after 

 the manner of the foxglove, these are quite 



CELSIA CRETICA CLIVEDEN 



VARIETY. 



The Cliveden variety of Celsia cretica 

 was foTHul by the late Duchess of Cleveland 



the i"0('ks in AlgiorvS in 1898 ; she 

 broutrht it home, and J ^row it at Battle 

 Abbey for her each vear. 1 knew it was a 

 fine varietv l)ut it wa^ I>v acc ident rather 

 tlian (h^siuMi tli:n I i)ul it up before the 

 l{()val H urt ir'ili nra I So-it^t v . The (x-hium 

 tlirn s!iw>\i: \\:is hrouglu from the 

 Canarv Lshind^ Itv the simc ja<lv in 18J)8, 

 and was raise' I Irum ^i-cds alM). 



I mav sav iht^ I c-i umiIi^ are gained 

 with Celsia <-r<^tic:i l)v sc-uiiiii" tlit- ■seeds 

 now, and growing the j)lanu in .small pots; 



I 



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3 



r 



% 



it 



C M AO S 



A 



large 



* CELSIA CRETICA CLIVEDEN VARIETY, 

 and handfK>me variotv with light yellow flowers. A.M., R.H.S., April 

 W. W. Astor, Ks(i. '(Gardener, Mr. W. Camm\ Cliveden, Taplow, 



30. 



ilec-orative, esjuN-ia lly the whites. The 

 type is a (Umh|) blue, alba is a good white, 

 macranth'i a rich purple, and piiUida a 

 pale bhH^ C. Burghalti, a satiny purple- 

 i)lue, and Van Houttei, a pah-r pen<lul6us 

 blue, are hybrids of latifolia, but their 

 exact parentage seems lost. C. latiloba or 

 grandis, is another good plant for effect. 

 It is a 'soft metallic blue in colour, and 

 with the white form alba is grand for 

 massing. It differs from persK-ifoha 

 ehieflv in its very short footstalks and its 

 pale '^re(Mi fr>liage. C. amabilis from the 

 Crinnvi i> a verv gra<*eful subject ^\\\er 

 useful forms are the Mno;le and double, 

 white and blue, torms of C. trach.'lnnn, ( - 

 <'ie^an>, a i>:nod violet t'orni, ami the pah^ 

 i)lue nochling flowered C. sarniatiea. 



P. S. Hayward. 



the spikes I exhibited in June were from 

 plants in 54-sized pots. I find by more 

 liberal treatment larger plants can be pro- 

 duce<], but these have not the same grace- 

 ful eff'ect a>s those grown with their roots 

 somewhat cramptxl in small pots. The latter 

 are unique for vascs^ jardinieres, etc., on 

 the tahles. Wm. Camm. 



Cliveden Gardens, Taplow. 



Lilac Mi&s Ellen Willmott. 



This is one of the most strikiiiEr tho double- 

 flowered lilaCvS with white bh^ssoms. its main 

 distinctive feature being th- larsfc size of the 

 individual hlooms, in which r(>s]>ect, far 

 as niv ex])erience extends, then' is no other 

 \i^ e(|ual it. This variety is one of the many 

 rais<'d liy MM. Fxmioine et Ml>. — T. 



