Contents
Pozharsky’s bell (Campanula poscharskyana) is a herbaceous perennial from the huge genus Bellflower, numbering more than 400 species. Unpretentious plants can be found everywhere – in the rocks and sandy areas, in alpine meadows and forests. The name comes from the characteristic shape of the rim, resembling a bell. Breeders have bred many decorative types of bluebells, which are distinguished by exceptionally attractive external data and a delicate aroma of flowers. They are willingly used to decorate house adjoining plots, design flower beds, terraces, arbors.
Description of Pozharsky’s bell
Pozharsky’s bell was first found in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula by the German botanist Pozharsky. This is a low-growing plant, not exceeding 18-25 cm in height. The shoots are long, up to half a meter, creeping along the ground or hanging down if the plant is used as an ampelous one. The leaves are not large, shaped like a heart, serrated at the edges, rich emerald color. At the ends of the shoots, Pozharsky’s bell produces numerous buds. Blooming corollas are large, up to 2,5 cm in size, in the form of long-petal stars with five rays. Color – light lilac, milky white, rich violet, blue, pinkish. At the end of flowering, fruit-boxes are formed with small spherical brown seeds.
With proper care and adequate nutrition, Pozharsky’s bell grows sprawling, like a ball, strewn with star-shaped flowers. Feels great in the sun and in partial shade, under the crowns of trees or shrubs. He does not like drafts and strong winds, so it is worth considering protection from them. Flowering begins in July and continues until the end of August. The scent is very subtle and pleasant. This is an excellent honey plant that attracts bees. Bellflower well withstands dry periods, frost-resistant varieties can be left in open ground without additional shelter at temperatures down to -40 degrees.
Only a photo can describe the beauty of Pozharsky’s bell.
The aroma of Pozharsky’s bell resembles the freshness of young grass and a flowering mountain meadow.
Application in design
A lovely flower is widely used by flower growers to create a wide variety of landscape masterpieces. And the versatility of the plant is of great importance here. Pozharsky’s bell can be planted in open ground, in flowerpots and hanging planters. It is great on alpine slides, rocky compositions, flowerbeds and in combination with other plants and flowers.
Pozharsky’s perennial bell feels great surrounded by saxifrage, small conifers, and carnations. Looks good with roses, sage, phlox and sapling. It can compose a composition with lupins, loosestrife, coronet lychnis, nivnyak. A good solution would be a composition of differently colored bells that create a stunningly beautiful colored carpet. In partial shade, it will keep the company of ferns, mountain women, hosts, astilbes.
A bright flower ball looks great on ordinary lawn grass, surrounded by greenery
Methods of reproduction
Pozharsky’s bell is usually grown from seeds, which can be purchased at any specialty store, or harvested from the bushes as they ripen in the fall. In addition, the perennial can be bred vegetatively:
- Division of the bush in the spring. The plant is carefully removed from the ground, long shoots are cut off, and the rhizome is divided into several parts, which are then planted in the soil.
- Cuttings of the Pozharsky bell with young shoots with 5-6 leaves. The cut parts of the stems must be freed from foliage by half the length, treated with Kornevin and planted in sterile soil under a film or glass until rooting.
Planting and caring for Pozharsky’s bell
This perennial does not require special care or much experience. Even novice flower growers successfully create compositions from the Pozharsky bell in their flower beds.
Pozharsky’s bell is not capricious at all, while being stunningly beautiful
Deadlines
For seedlings, seeds must be sown in March. If the planting of Pozharsky’s bell is planned immediately in open ground, then it is permissible to do this in the fall, when the temperature drops below 5 degrees, or in May, in warm soil.
Selection of containers and soil preparation
Seedling containers should be wide and shallow. These can be wooden or plastic boxes with drainage holes. The purchased soil of well-known companies can be used without prior preparation. If you plan to prepare the soil mixture yourself, then you will need to follow a number of rules:
- for planting the seeds of the Pozharsky bell at home, a light, nutritious soil is needed, consisting of humus, soddy soil and coarse river sand in a ratio of 3x6x1, while there is no need to apply additional fertilizers;
- the earth mixture must be sifted, getting rid of pests, worms, stones and large lumps;
- disinfect with a solution of manganese, calcination on fire or copper-based antifungal drugs.
Seeding algorithm
No additional preparation before planting the seeds of the Pozharsky bell is required. Since they are very small and cannot be buried, the seed should simply be evenly distributed over the surface of the box. After that, gently spray from a spray bottle, cover with glass or film. Put in a warm place at t 18-20 degrees.
Growing seedlings of the Pozharsky bellflower
The first shoots appear in 2-3 weeks. As soon as this happens, the glass should be removed and the boxes moved to the light, but not in direct sunlight. Young Pozharsky bells require regular, not too plentiful watering, and light periodic loosening.
Seedlings are dived when two true leaves appear, transplanted into large containers at a distance of at least 10 cm. Or you can take separate peat pots to simplify the subsequent planting in the ground.
2 weeks after transplanting, plants can be fed with a weak solution of bio-fertilizer for flowers.
Transplant into the ground
Seedlings can be transplanted into open ground in May, when the air and soil are warm enough. Holes for the Pozharsky bell are dug at a distance of 15 cm, choosing well-lit places, covered at noon with a shadow from trees, buildings, and tall shrubs.
Aftercare
Pozharsky’s bell perfectly tolerates summer heat with daily moisture. But you should not flood the plant – the roots may rot, the leaves turn yellow.
In order for the bush to please the eye with abundant flowering, faded buds must be removed. In the spring, you can add a little wood ash or complex nitrogen fertilizers. After watering and loosening, the soil around the bushes is mulched with humus, chopped straw, and bark of coniferous trees. When the first buds appear, flowers can be fed with a mineral complex for garden plants.
Perennial weeding is done as needed, along with light loosening
Preparation for winter
Pozharsky’s bell is distinguished by excellent resistance to winter frosts, therefore, preparation for winter consists in removing the aerial parts of plants and mulching the soil with humus, straw, cones or bark. Additional shelters are not needed.
Diseases and pests
Pozharsky’s bell is resistant to bacterial and fungal infections. For prevention, minimal treatments with a solution of Fundazol are sufficient twice a year – in spring and autumn.
Although the flower is not very susceptible to insect attacks, pennits or slugs can still choose it. Spraying the Pozharsky bell with infusions of bitter pepper or garlic will help scare away these garden insects.
Conclusion
Pozharsky’s bell surprises with its fragile beauty. This perennial looks great both in mono-compositions and in combination with other garden plants and trees. It is not afraid of frosts, perfectly tolerates temperature changes and is not too picky about the composition of the soil. It was for its appearance and unpretentiousness that the flower growers fell in love with the bell, becoming one of the most popular in Our Country.
