Northern Shade Gardening

Dwarf Campanulas by Graham Nicholls

Dwarf Campanulas, by Graham Nicholls, is an excellent reference book if you are a Bellflower fan, or would like to know more about them. The book is focussed on the smaller Campanula, which are discussed in comprehensive detail. At 272 pages, there is a wealth of information about the petite bellflowers which are suitable for the front of the border, rock garden or trough.

There are coloured photos of many of the species to help you choose your favourite Campanula, or aid in identification. The familiar bell shaped blossoms are gorgeous. Every variation on the bell shape, from overlapping doubles to open starry petals is evident. Some of the pictures show the bellflowers in gardens or pots, while others show them in their native habitat. Both are helpful for seeing the type of conditions suitable for growing each species.

At the beginning of the book, there is an overview of the world regions where many of the bellflowers originate, which  includes maps. The photos of mountain ranges, with bellflowers emerging from the crevices in rocks, or growing in scree, illustrate why many are suitable for the rock garden or trough. Many other Campanula species adapt well to the average border.

The detailed look at the propagation of Campanula is very helpful. In this section, the specifics of increasing your bellflowers by seed, cuttings, or division are discussed, along with recommendations for appropriate planting mixtures.

Dwarf Campanulas by Graham Nicholls back

Each species of Campanula then gets its own section, many with photos. There are excellent descriptions of the plants. Cultivars and hybrids are discussed too.  Some other genus, that are closely related to Campanula are covered also. Many specific tips are given for the culture of each type of bellflower, as well as the best propagating methods for each one.

The author gives the location from where each species originates, and often who introduced it. I enjoy knowing a plant’s origins, and picturing it in its native habitat. It is fascinating to read the history of the hybrids, or learn in which garden they were first noticed. I appreciate the historical connection to previous gardeners and plant explorers.

It is always a pleasure to read a book written by an expert on a topic who communicates their enthusiasm. I highly recommend this book as an enjoyable read, and useful reference. It’s also satisfying to flip through a book full of lovely pictures of blue, purple and occasionally white or pink bellflowers. Although many of these plants are not yet widely available, you are sure to find more perennials to add to your plant wish list.

Here are some of my previous posts on Campanula that I grow in the garden. This is one on Campanula haylodgensis, a double flowering bellflower. This post has a variety of Campanula. Here are some photos of Campanula glomerata, clustered bellflowers. These are Campanula portenschlagiana, the Dalmatian bellflower. The photogenic bellflowers manage to peek their flowers into many of my other posts and photos as well.

Do you grow any Campanula? Which are your favourites, or which have you been wanting to add to your garden?

These 2 books about trees and shrubs are great for anyone gardening in a cold climate. Since they are a larger investment in money and time, I’m reluctant to push the zones like I might for perennials. If you are going to wait for a tree to mature, you want one that is going to survive the winter in a healthy state and not languish.

The first book is called Lois Hole’s Favorite Trees and Shrubs, by Lois Hole. The plants in this book are all hardy and rated for zones 3 and colder. The book has useful lists of tree and shrub suggestions, not only for various specialty conditions of light, soil or moisture, but also for bloom, leaf and fruit colour, winter interest, attracting wildlife and more. There are also general tips for their care including planting, pruning, and trouble shooting. This book is most useful for detailed information on specific species. Each tree and shrub gets 2 to 4 pages of description with recommended species or varieties, tips and facts. 2 particularly useful sections for each plant are their growth rate and lifespan. These are often missing from many books, yet are important factors when choosing a tree. Many coloured photos accompany each plant description. With each plant detailed separately, it is very easy to access the information you need.

The next book is called Best Trees and Shrubs for the Prairies, and is written by Hugh Skinner and Sara Williams. This book gives good specific, reliable information for tree and shrub maintenance. The hardiness, drawbacks and benefits of individual cultivars of trees and shrubs is included for each entry. The only point that would improve this book is if the pictures were included with each entry, rather than in a separate section. For solid advise about tree and shrub culture and selection on the prairie or plains, this is a great choice.

If you love the wonderful woodland atmosphere trees give and you garden in a northern climate, these are two good reliable sources of information.

There are many perennial books that give good information. While I love to lose myself in fantasies of tropical gardens, when it comes to planning, it is frustrating for northern gardeners to skim through detailed lists of perennials they have no hope of growing. Here are 3 books about perennials that are useful for anyone gardening in a cold climate.

The first book is called Lois Hole’s Perennial Favorites, by Lois Hole. The book has good general information about growing perennials, including useful lists of plants for different situations such as shade gardens, rock gardens, wet areas or dry spots. Practical tips for perennial care such as dead heading plants and dividing them are clearly explained with pictures. However the bulk of the book is given to detailed information about specific perennials for northern gardens. Each plant gets 2 to 4 pages of description with many coloured photos. The specifics are well organized and easy to access. There are tips on plant culture and recommended varieties. One extremely useful section is a 2 page chart showing the relative blooming times of 100 perennials through the seasons, with individual bars showing the length of blooming time. This chart is very helpful for gardeners aiming to have different perennials in bloom throughout the growing season, or trying to coordinate the blooming times in a particular bed. If you are looking for information about reliable, hardy perennials, this is an excellent reference.

The next recommendation for northern gardens is called Perennials for Alberta, by Donna Dawson and Laura Peters. Although it’s given a regional name, it is an excellent reference for anyone dealing with a cold climate. The structure of the book is very similar to the previous book. The first section contains general perennial care information. There is a good discussion of the different ways perennials can be propagated, with lists of perennials that are best for each method. The bulk of the book is devoted to 2 page descriptions of each perennial, accompanied by a number of photos of each. General growing tips and recommendations for varieties help you choose the best plants and keep them growing. The way the book is organized makes it easy to scan through, making lists of appropriate plants before a trip to the garden centre, or looking up the best way to care for an impulse purchase after you get home. This book might be named for a particular province in Canada, but the information would be useful for any garden with cold winters.

Best Garden Plants, by Donna Dawson and Laura Peters includes not only perennials, but also trees and shrubs, roses, bulbs, vines and grasses. It covers a fewer number of species of each type, so it only discusses the more common plants. They concentrate on the most hardy and reliable examples in each category. This would be particularly useful for anyone who is new to gardening, or new to gardening in a cold climate. Each plant has a 1 page description and coloured photos. This is a smaller, general reference, an introductory guide for gardening in a cold climate.

All 3 of these books will help you choose plants that have a better chance of survival in a northern garden.

You can see the plants that grow well in my zone 3 shady garden on the My Garden Plants page.