Northern Shade Gardening

Campanula cochlearifolia (fairy thimble bellflower) flower stalks

Campanula cochlearifolia (fairy thimble bellflower) is a dainty perennial with charming little blue flowers. It has been very hardy in zone 3, returning consistently after cold winters. The plants are covered in numerous blooms, that continue all summer and into fall. These dwarf bellflowers make an appealing sight in the garden.

Campanula cochlearifolia (fairy thimble bellflower) with Heuchera plant

The flowers are small bells with a scalloped edge, that hang down or outwards from slender flower stems. The effect of the little blue bells on diminutive plants is captivating. In the photo the bellflowers stand out against some green and silver Heuchera leaves.

Campanula cochlearifolia (fairy thimble bellflower) with Heuchera leaf

This dwarf Campanula is about 10 cm (4 inches) tall, but the flower stalks rise to about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches).  The plants will gently spread outwards. Fairy thimbles make a fantastic edging plant for the garden, or an underplanting for taller perennials. They even bloom well in part shade. Because the plants are small, I like them in groups, forming a beautiful patch of blue flowers. Campanula cochlearifolia mixes well with foliage perennials or other bellflowers.

Campanula cochlearifolia 'Bavaria Blue' (fairy thimble bellflower)

The above photo shows Campanula cochlearifolia ‘Bavaria Blue’. I added ‘Bavaria Blue’ this year, but I haven’t noticed much difference between these and the basic Campanula cochlearifolia. They seem about the same in their growth so far, and the colour is very similar. The ‘Bavaria Blue’ are a little taller, but that might be because of their culture before I got them. By next summer, I’ll see if they are still a few cm (inch) taller. I like the look of these plants in front of the silver foliage of Pulmonaria, since this shade of blue coordinates so nicely with silver.

Campanula cochlearifolia 'Elizabeth Oliver' double flowers

The double Campanula cochlearifolia ‘Elizabeth Oliver’ is especially charming. The extra petals make this bellflower extra showy. The petals have a pale bluish lavender colour that is especially pretty. With the double flowers, these bellflowers are even more visible from a distance. The lighter colour of Elizabeth Oliver shows up well in the part shade from across the garden. This dwarf perennial has masses of these mini flowers over the foliage.

Campanula cochlearifolia 'Elizabeth Oliver' (fairy thimble bellflower) double flowers

These elfin plants look delicate, but they survive a zone 3 winter with no problems. The leaves are ready very early in spring, as soon as the snow melts, which helps the garden green up quickly. All of the fairy thimble bellflowers are charming plants with a dainty look, but are remarkably hardy perennials. These bellflowers produce a number of blooms, even in part shade. If you are looking for a dwarf plant for an edging, with blue flowers that are long flowering, the Campanula cochlearifolia are a great choice. This is a sweet little flower that you quickly become attached to.

There are more bellflower pictures in this previous post.

Hot coloured flowers fit in with the bright sunshine of July and August. Here is a trio of red, yellow and orange, all radiating in bright, sunny colours.

Hemerocallis red closup

This pretty daylily volunteer chose to grow against my house foundation, squeezed between the sidewalk and the block for my hose. Despite the unfortunate positioning, I enjoy the flower. The blooms are a deep, velvety red, with a golden centre, and golden lines radiating out from the centre. Where the petals curl, they flash a little of the golden underside.

Hemerocallis red volunteer

This photo shows the plant squeezed in the narrow spot it chose about 5 years ago.  For now, I get a blast of dark red whenever I go to the tap at the side of my house.

Hemerocallis red closup pollen

In the above photo, you can see some of the golden pollen sprinkled on the petals. It reminds me of when a child eats a sugar donut and ends up with the white powder all over their face.

Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro' golden flower

Here is a golden yellow flower of Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’. With the back lighting through the petals, it couldn’t be any more cheery. This is a sunshine, happy yellow.

orange lily flowers

The  hot orange lilies don’t mind the shade. Where the light hits the petals, the reflection is exactly the colour of a hot sun. If I had a blog called Southern Sun, this would be the header picture.

Most of my garden consists of serene shades of green, with cool blue and purple flowers, some crisp whites, and a few pastels. These hot colours have mostly snuck in, and I can’t help admiring their determination to heat up the garden, “Northern Shade, you’ve got to put on your sunglasses, play some Salsa music, and get into the spirit of summer sun.”