Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd
Canterbury Bells Crown Single Mixed
Canterbury Bells Crown Single Mixed
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Canterbury Bells 'Crown Single Mixed' Seeds
If you dream of a traditional English cottage garden, Canterbury Bells are non-negotiable. This classic variety produces tall, sturdy spikes loaded with enormous, inflated bell-shaped flowers in soft shades of lavender-blue, rose-pink, and pure white.
These are flowers with serious impact. Growing up to 90cm tall, they create a towering wall of colour in early summer (June-July), filling the gap between the spring bulbs fading and the summer annuals hitting their stride. They are excellent cut flowers, lasting over a week in a vase, and are a favourite of bumblebees who love to disappear inside the huge bells.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Canterbury Bells are Hardy Biennials.
This means they have a two-year life cycle:
Year 1 (Sowing): You sow the seeds in spring/summer. They grow a low rosette of leaves but do not flower.
Year 2 (Flowering): They survive the winter, send up tall flower spikes in May/June, bloom spectacularly, set seed, and then die.
Patience Pays Off: It takes a while, but the sheer volume of flowers you get in the second year is unmatched by any annual.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Start these in early summer to give them time to build a strong root system before winter.
Germination:
Sow indoors or in a cold frame from April to June. Surface sow onto moist compost and do not cover (they need light). Or sow directly outdoors in a nursery bed in May/June. Germination takes 14-21 days.
The "Nursery Bed" Method:
Most gardeners sow biennials in a spare patch of ground (a nursery bed) in summer. In Autumn (Sept/Oct), dig up the leafy plants and move them to their final flowering position for next year.
Care While Growing:
Support: The flower spikes are heavy! In windy gardens, give them a bamboo cane for support as soon as the spike starts to rise in spring.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Campanula medium |
| Common Name | Canterbury Bells |
| Hardiness | H5 (Hardy Biennial) |
| Light Required | Sun or Part Shade ⛅ |
| Height | ↕️ 75cm - 90cm (Tall) |
| Spread | ↔️ 35cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 30cm apart |
| Great for | ✂️ Cut Flowers 🏡 Cottage Gardens 🐝 Bees 🍂 Autumn Planting |
| Seed Count | Approx. 300 seeds per packet (Tiny seeds) |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Canterbury Bells bloom in the "June Gap," making them perfect partners for:
- 🦊 Foxgloves (Digitalis): The Vertical Mix. Both are tall biennials that flower at the exact same time. Planting pink Foxgloves behind blue Canterbury Bells creates the ultimate cottage garden backdrop.
- 🌸 Sweet William: The Lower Layer. Sweet Williams are shorter biennials that also bloom in June. Plant them in front of the Canterbury Bells to hide the stems and create layers of colour.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow in Spring/Summer of Year 1. Flowers May-July of Year 2.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow (Year 1) | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||||
| Move (Year 1) | 🌱 | 🌱 | ||||||||||
| Flowers (Year 2) | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Cut Flower Tip
Harvest stems when the bottom bells are open but the top buds are still closed. They have a long vase life (7-10 days). Remember to remove any leaves that will sit below the water line.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This is a bee favourite. The large, tubular flowers provide an easy landing pad and shelter for bumblebees, who will often sleep inside the blooms overnight!
