Campanula garganica

Campanula garganica, also known as Starry Bellflower, is a small creeping perennial that thrives between stones in a wall, between slabs, or in a rockery. Its bell-shaped flowers look like light blue-purple stars rising from a carpet of small light green leaves in a prolonged summer flowering. This small cushion-like perennial is still rare in our gardens and has the charm and robustness of wild plants.

The Starry Bellflower belongs to the Campanulaceae family. It is native to the mountains of southern Italy and Greece, but its distribution extends to France. It is a semi-evergreen to evergreen perennial with a compact and carpeting habit. It forms a cushion 15 cm (6in) tall and 20 cm (8in) wide. The flowering takes place in June-July, completely covering the foliage with countless, bright, light lavender-blue stars measuring 1 to 2 cm (1in) in diameter. The light green foliage consists of basal oval, kidney-shaped, toothed leaves measuring 2.5 to 3.5 cm (1in) long, and heart-shaped and toothed upper leaves.

Campanula garganica thrives in light, moist, and well-drained soil, in a sunny or partially shaded location. Plant it in light, sandy, humus-rich soil that remains moist in summer, from neutral to slightly acidic. Plant it early in autumn (September) so that it can establish its roots before winter, or early in spring (February-March). Water regularly during the first summer and make sure to regularly remove weeds in the first year. This plant adapts very well to containers, in a moist mixture of leaf compost, sand, and loam and requires no further care.

The Starry Bellflower naturally finds a place in a moist rockery, between stones in walls, on the top of low walls, or in the gaps between paving slabs with a base drained by sand or gravel. Its growth is creeping but not invasive in rockeries. It is also great planted in troughs, pots, and hanging baskets, where its flowers will cascade down in small curtains. It can be paired with Phlox douglasii or subulata, saxifrages in partial shade, aubrietas, or dwarf wormwoods (Artemisia lanata).