Hello out there in Dave's land!
I was wondering if any of you have ever grown Blue Chips Campanula with any success. I have planted it a few times in different areas of my yard and have never had it thrive.
Does it have special requirements? Soil? Light? Fertilizer? I looked it up on Google but it doesn't really go into too much detail - average garden soil, maybe a little shade. Tried that, it faded away.
TIA -
Alice S.
Blue Chips Campanula
Hi Alice!
You don't have to go as far as Google. Check DG Plant Data Base and you will find the necessary info LOL
http://davesgarden.com/pdb/go/988/index.html
Welcome to DG!
Ursula
Hi, Alice
Campanula grow well in my moist, cool climate, so I may be able to help you. I think you are referring to Campanula carpatica (carpathian bellflower). The cultivar name is 'Clip', not Chip. Like most bellflowers, the typical color is blue, but they also come in white. I've started them many times from seed, and they do fine.
We have a short growing season here, so I start most all my seeds under lights indoors, setting them out later. Most campanula will grow there first year and bloom the second for me. If you plant yours outdoors, it may be that your hot summers kill the seedlings. You might try starting them indoors and setting them out as soon as the danger of frost passes in the spring.
Hi Alice,
I have the blue and white clips. They both kinda sat around not very big for 3 years and now this past summer really spread quite a lot. The white has morning, late afternoon and evening sun, the blue has mid- afternoon and evening sun. Hope that helps!
Does anyone know how long-lived Blue Clips are?
Our other Campanula varieties have lasted for 4 years so far, but last year we planted established blue (and white) clips we bought at the nursery. They were beautiful the first year, but withered away to nothing before they bloomed the second year.
If they are an average-life perennial, I'll just put it down to 'wet feet' that affected so many of our plants this year.
I'm going to do them from seeds anyway this year, I loved them so much. I'm just wondering how urgently we'll need to collect the seeds to keep them going from year to year.
I haven't collected any seed from them and they've done fine. Came back every spring so far.
Thanks for all your advice - 'youse guys' are the best. I'm going to get some seed as soon as the feed store has them available and start the plants indoors. I just love the really blue color of the flowers - and thanks for letting me know it's "clips" not "chips" - guess I've been eating too much salsa! Alice S.
Alice, Welcome to DG!
(And I think White Flower Farm sells theirs as "blue chips".)
I think Blue Chip is a mis-name. I checked RHS and it lists Blue Clip, not Blue Chip: http://www.rhs.org.uk/databases/summary2.asp?crit=campanula%20and%20carpatica&Genus=Campanula The Clip series is basically C. carpatica, but a cultivar that may be more compact.
Whether they winter over or not may depend on your zoning rather than the nature of the plant. I have one in my south bed that has come back for several years. These plants appreciate our cooler weather, so maybe in hot climates they die back during the hotter part of the season.
Do they need light to germinate.I was planing on starting some this year.Thanks,Jody
Here's what Tom Clothier's Germination Database says: "Sow at 20ºC (68ºF)germination slow small seed - do not cover" http://tomclothier.hort.net/page02.html
I'm surprised anyone in zone 5 would have problems with C. carpatica. It's self-seeding all over my garden. I grow them in full sun to mostly shade (about 2 hours sun a day)..the sun-plants are the strongest buts its the shady ones that are self-seeding...go figure! Weezingreens is right, the plant would be Blue Clips not Blue Chips. I find that stratifying the seeds greatly increases the germination rate.
I think self-seeding is affected by lots of conditions. We grow many zone 5 plants here in a zone 3, but they don't seem to reseed as they do in other places. Perhaps the length of season enters into it as well, since they seedlings need time to establish before winter.
Alice...I'm with you, I thought I bought 'Blue Chips' too. I have planted them in my garden on at least 4 separate occassions over the past 10 years and they never do well or come back the next year. Maybe deer eat them during the winter? Funny thing is I never see the area disturbed where they were planted, they just never return. I finally gave up and don't even try anymore.
Campanula need moisture, but also like good drainage. They also like cooler climates, I think. You might try the C. carpatica rather than the hybrid version. They may be a little tougher.
I had edged my garden with blue clips. Same problem- great for two years then nothing, I thought it might have been too damp, or someting ate it.
Well, they might just be a short lived perennial in your area, perhaps due to the summer heat. I have a C. carpatica that has been growing in my south bed for several years, but our weather is mild and it is close to a heated basement.
I have 2 campanula poscharskayana that come up faithfully every year in the middle of self seeded ajuga!!! I'll have to move them soon, they get smaller every year. I just LOVE campanulas, I should check if there is a thread on them.
They don't do well in my zone 5 yard either.
Spring Hill also sells theirs as 'Blue Chips'.
Campanulas are a large genus, so there should be ones for almost every climate. It's just a matter of finding them. The Clips are cultivars of Campanula carpatica, so you might try the species rather than the cultivar, in the hopes it may be hardier.
I love Campanula poscharskyana, but it doesn't always winter over here. It's one of the marginal campanulas here. Some grow it as an annual. We have good luck with Campanula cochlearifolia: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/406/index.html It's well suited to rock gardens.
Irisluvr, I'm pretty sure the 'chips' and 'clips' are one-in-the-same. Catalogs and nurseries don't necessarily use the proper names. In this case, it's a cultivar name. The only reason I tried to make a correction is that Alice's online search would be much more productive under the right cultivar name.
My neighbor has C. cochlearifolia growing up in her stone steps. They are so adorable and dainty looking, but they are very tough. They come back every year, but I'm not sure if it is always the same plant, or self-seeded sprouts.
Now that I think about it, I had the same disappearing problem with C. Persicifolia "Telham Beauty". Too bad, it was beatiful for two years, then nothing.
Has anyone tried C. Portenschlagiana? I've read it is tough and mildly aggressive, but I've always wanted to try it.
I haven't tried this one, though I think I have seeds for it to start this year. I'm trying to wade my way through all the possible campanula for my area, but it may be an impossible task! http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/991/index.html