Campanula 'Rapido Blue'

Campanula 'Rapido Blue': Blue Bells Weeks Ahead of Schedule

'Rapido Blue' doesn't do slow starts. Deep blue bells face straight up at the sky like they're waiting for applause, packed onto a tidy little cushion. FAST, FLASHY AND FRONT ROW.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Campanula carpatica 'Rapido Blue'
• Common Name: Carpathian Bellflower
• Height: 15–20 cm (6–8 in)
• Spread: 15–20 cm (6–8 in)
• Flowers: Deep blue, open, upward-facing bells
• Bloom Time: Late spring to late summer (June to September), with repeat flowers when deadheaded
• Foliage: Small, light green leaves forming a low, cushion-shaped mound
• Features: Rabbit resistant, compact

Where to Plant: Tuck it along the front edge of a border, between stepping stones, in a rock garden or in a container where its upturned bells sit at eye level. Because it stays so small, it's a smart way to add colour to a narrow strip between a driveway and a fence, or to a window box on a sunny balcony.

Companion Plants: Edge a moist bed in sun or part shade with 'Rapido Blue' and build height behind with pink and white. Gillenia trifoliata adds starry white flowers on red stems at 60 to 120 cm in June and July. Sanguisorba obtusa brings fluffy pink bottlebrushes at 100 to 150 cm from June to August. Filipendula 'Venusta' rises at the back to 180 to 240 cm with deep pink plumes from June to August. Sesleria heufleriana adds blue-green tufts at 45 to 60 cm that flower from March to May.

Plant Care: Plant it in full sun to part sun, in well-drained soil that stays evenly moist. It likes cool roots, so a light mulch helps. In hot, exposed spots, a little afternoon shade keeps it happier. Snip or shear off spent flowers to keep new buds coming. Watch for slugs in damp springs. Divide clumps every two to four years, in spring or late summer, to keep them vigorous.

History: Campanula carpatica is named for the Carpathian Mountains of central and eastern Europe, where it grows wild. The Rapido series comes from Kieft Seed and was developed to flower up to four weeks earlier than other Carpathian bellflowers, improving on the older 'Clips' types.

Final Thoughts: Deer and rabbits pass, bees pull up. Deadhead it and it comes back for more. GREEN LIGHT, GO.