Campanula is a genus of ampelous plants of the Bellflower family. Campanul means bell. According to one legend, the church bell became so called because of its resemblance to a flower of a plant. Its homeland is the Mediterranean region. The flower prefers a temperate climate, found in forests, subalpine mountains and meadows of Europe, the steppes of Asia and the rocky deserts of North America.
There is a belief that a two-color plant is the key to family well-being. In the old days it was given to the newlyweds. Another sign - if a girl grows a campanula, then soon she will definitely get married and she will find true love. Its light green shoots can grow up to 50 cm in length, dangling under the influence of its own weight.
Bell description
Campanula is an ampelous culture that received the names “bride and groom flower”, “house bell”, “shooting star” for luxurious flowers of snow or blue. It has some similarities with eustoma, bell fairy, "mother tongue", lily rubrum, salvia, nemesia, monarda, light, lavater, canna and stump.
Shoots form a "pillow" with a height of about 20 cm. The leaves are bright in color and rounded in shape, which resembles a heart with serrated edges. Flowers look like bells up to 5 cm long. Since there are a lot of them, they almost completely cover the leaves. Five graceful petals create the silhouette of an asterisk; they, in turn, form gamut inflorescences from white (“brides”), blue (“grooms” or “lovers”) and bright blue shades to lilac, pink and lilac.
When decorating, a combination of different flowers, their unique combination, decorates tables and walls. Campanula aesthetically looks in boxes or baskets.
To form new buds, old bells should be systematically removed.
The price of a campanul is from 1000-1700 rubles.
After cutting, the flower is presented as bouquets, or placed in warm water +38 ° C, containing 5% sucrose.
The bell is so popular in private flower farms that the name of the plant is used by manufacturers of household appliances, for example, the Czech bath "Campanula Ravak".
Bell types
Varieties of campanula are one-and perennial. Perennials are prone to degeneration. In this regard, the flower is often grown in the form of an annual. Over 300 species are known, more than 150 of which are found in Russia and the CIS countries. 
Views for the home
In the European part of the Russian Federation there are 15 species of plants. Garden perennial campanules: nettle, broadleaf, milky and others. The most famous homemade varieties are terry, mini-terry, flat-leaved, peach-leaved, peach-leaved, porthlag, Pozharsky, Carpathian (Carpathian) and Blauranka. Some varieties of Carpathian and peach leaf species can be grown in the garden. 
Views for the garden
Such species as glanomerate campanula ("bell bell"), cirillo, dashboard and isofilla mix are somewhat less common.
Types of room campanula
| Kinds | Description |
| Equal leaf | Grows to 30 cm. Shoots are thin, prone to drooping. The best option for cultivation in a cache-pot. The leaves are green, rounded. The flowers are large, dairy and turquoise, their diameter is 4 cm. Famous varieties are maya ("bridegroom" with turquoise flowers) and alba ("bride" with flowers in the color of January snow). The Napoli and Atlanta varieties have similar characteristics. |
| Pozharsky | It grows on stone cliffs and calcareous rocks of the Balkan. The height can be 20 cm. The flowers are snow-white, bluish or plum. |
| Peach leaf | It resembles a peach tree. Approximate height - 50-60 cm. Flowering time - from June to September. The diameter of the flowers is up to 3 cm. The bells are elegant white or turquoise. |
| Portenschlage ("get mi") | Perennial with heart-shaped foliage. The bells are dark purple. |
| Terry | It looks like a bush covered with multi-colored terry bells (from white to purple). The stems are long, flexible. Many leaves. |
| Mini Terry | Reaches 15 cm in height. Terry flowers with shades of white and turquoise. The following bicolors stand out: blue and white bali and wander. |
| Carpathian (Carpathics) | Reaches 30 cm in length and height. The leaves are ovoid, form a basal rosette. The diameter of the bells of milk, blue and purple colors can reach 5 cm. Flowering begins in the summer and lasts about 3 months. Varieties: pearl white and pearl blue. |
| Blauranka | Low-growing variety up to 20 cm in height. It is cultivated indoors and outdoors. The flowers are light turquoise. |
Types of Garden Bell
| View | Description |
| Nettle leaf | Perennial flower. About 1 meter high. It has a branched root, hairy ribbed stem, ovoid triangle of leaves, white or blue flowers, can be double. Inflorescences of two or three flowers. Perhaps growing in the shade. |
| Milk flowered | A photophilous plant, about 90 cm high. The flowers are white, small purple, not more than 3 cm in diameter, collected in inflorescences, located on a branched stem. |
| Peach leaf | In open ground it reaches 90 cm. The diameter of the flowers is up to 3 cm. The bells are elegant white, blue. The plant is listed in the Red Book. |
| Broadleaf | Height - above 1 meter. Flowers look like large white or blue funnels collected in the form of an ear. May grow in shaded areas. |
| Carpathian Sort - Gnome | Low - 30-40 cm. Flowers in diameter 5 cm, blue and white shades. |
Bell care
Campanul care at home is based on a few simple rules.
Location, lighting, temperature
The best place for a flower is a lighted window sill, protected from direct sunlight, it is worth choosing windows facing west and east.
In winter, artificial lighting is useful. The bell reaches for the light source.
To make the plant look neat, it is recommended to turn it in the same direction every week (clockwise or counterclockwise). A 180 ° rotation the plant does not tolerate well. Better to choose places with uniform lighting.
The air temperature in the warm season should be within + 17 ... +22 ° C, tolerates wintering of the campanula at + 5 ... +10 ° C.
High temperature negatively affects the health of the plant - it begins to dry.
Planting, a choice of flower pots, soil
Soil for planting is prepared from sheet and turf soil, sand and peat. The composition is a variant of loose, breathable and slightly alkaline soil. If necessary, the substrate for planting can be purchased at the store.
The flowerpot for the plant should be wide, large in size, since the root system tends to grow very quickly.
After planting, it is recommended to spray.
Watering and humidity
The bell is a moisture-loving culture. However, however, it does not tolerate excess moisture (waterlogging) as well as drying out the soil.
The plant is regularly sprayed. Without water, it can be left for no more than two weeks.
Watering intensity is average. It is important to monitor the condition of the soil. Before each watering, it should dry out a little, and water should not accumulate in the pan, everything that drains is poured.
In warm time, watered once a day, in winter - the frequency is reduced to 2 times a month. It is recommended to use soft, settled water + 22 ... +24 ° С.
Fertilizers and fertilizing
Top dressing is applied from spring until flowering stops once every 15 days. A complex of flower fertilizers is used.
It is necessary to feed the plant in the phase of active growth, flowering and the formation of buds. It is recommended to focus on the potassium component. In the resting phase, top dressing is contraindicated.
Pruning and transplanting
Transplantation is allowed in spring or autumn in cases where the campanul has ceased to fit the size of the former pot. In order to preserve the root system, the plant is transplanted with a large lump of earth into a larger pot with prepared soil and a layer of drainage at its bottom.
In spring, the dried parts of the plant are cut. To improve the bushiness, the tops of the shoots are sometimes pinched.
Garden bell care tips
Consider the basic rules that should be considered when keeping plants in open ground:
- The main thing for garden bells is light, and only some of them can grow in partial shade.
- Undesirable close placement of groundwater, good drainage is needed.
- Watering in the summer is necessary small, but frequent (up to two times a day). In the autumn, watering should be reduced. Water must be at room temperature.
- It is important to loosen the earth around the flower to supply oxygen to the roots so that flowering is plentiful.
- In October, you need to trim the plant and cover the root zone with mulch to protect it from frost.
Campanula propagation
The flower propagates by seeds, cuttings and division of the bush.
Seeds
This is the easiest way. Seed germination is maintained throughout the year. Sow should be in early spring in cups or plates with prepared moist soil, after which the seeds should be sprinkled with soil.
Watering is recommended not to produce. It is believed that spraying is quite enough. In this case, root formation stimulants can be used to root the plant in a short time. After the appearance of the third leaf, the plant should be planted in open ground.
Cuttings
Shoots of 10 cm long with 2-3 leaves are cut. For 9 hours they are kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (some gardeners recommend reducing this time to 30 minutes), after which they put it in clean water and wait for the roots to appear.
Next, the flower is planted in a pot with soil prepared from sand and peat. Components are taken in equal quantities. Cuttings are buried by 2.5-3 cm. To accelerate rooting, the campanula is covered with a glass jar, cup, flask, bag or film. It is recommended that at first watering is not carried out, limited to spraying.
A seedling at the age of 3 months can be transplanted into a pot. Some gardeners recommend reducing this time to 4 weeks, as soon as the seedlings start the roots.
Bush division
This type of reproduction is carried out during transplantation. The step-by-step process looks like this:
- Rhizome is divided into several parts, each of which is planted separately.
- "Wounds" are disinfected with crushed chalk, charcoal, colloidal sulfur or cinnamon.
- After transplanting, plants should be watered, and after 5-7 days, fertilized.
Campanula diseases and pests
| Causes | Manifestations | Recommendations |
| Gray rot | Decreased turgor (leaves begin to fade). Grayish spots and stripes with fluffy nap and black dots appear. | Reduce the frequency of watering, remove the affected parts of the plant. Then use antifungal (fungicidal) agents, Fitosporin, Bordeaux mixture, Fitolavin. |
| Root rot | Dark brown weeping spots appear on the plant, an unpleasant putrefactive odor emanates from the soil. | Remove affected parts of the plant. Sprinkle the trimmed parts with charcoal. After treat with fungicidal preparations. |
| Spider mites | Leaves fade, cobwebs appear on the back side. Gradually they dry. | Rinse the plant under a warm shower, wipe with soapy water and treat with insecticides, such as Sparks. Increase watering frequency. |
| Shield | Leaves become pale and yellow, wither and fall off. Brown tubercles and small insects appear on them. | Use a vacuum cleaner, masking tape to remove pests. After treating the plant with insecticides. |
| Whiteflies | Whitish small butterflies appear on the plant. | |
| Aphid | Small dark brown insects cling to young foliage, shoots or buds. | Spray the plant with soap and water, remove the affected leaves and shoots. Then use insecticides or strongly smelling herbs (onion husks, tobacco chips). |
| Excess light | Leaves turn yellow and lose brightness. | Rearrange the flower in a shaded place. |
| Lack of light | The stems are stretched and thinned. | Rearrange the plant to a new place with more sunlight. |
| Waterlogging soil | Leaves become lethargic. | Reduce the frequency of watering. |
