Campanula lactiflora 'Loddon Anna'
milky bellflower
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil
- Rate of growth: average to fast
- Flowering period: July to September
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Tall, branching stems bearing clusters of soft lilac, open, bell-shaped flowers appear from July to September among toothed, mid-green leaves. Award-winning ‘Loddon Anna’ is a cottage-garden classic and sits happily towards the back of a mixed or herbaceous border. A contented companion for old roses, it self-seeds freely, is popular with pollinating insects and the flower colour is retained best in partial shade. - Garden care: Protect emerging, tender foliage from slugs. Regularly deadhead of spent blooms prolongs flowering helps to manage self-seeding. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted compost around the base of the plant in spring. Stake with bamboo canes or brushwood in spring before the flowers appear.