Bluebell Flowers

Bluebell Flowers originate as wild flowers, which makes them very hardy and yet they have such a simple beauty that they are still popular with many gardeners.

Their bright blue flowers will bring color to any garden, besides attracting hummingbirds, who are fond of the bell shaped flowers as they allow nectar to be extracted very easily.

As they are wild flowers, they require very little care. Bluebells are generally grown easiest from bulbs.

Bluebells emerge in the spring with purplish leaves which turn pale blue-green. Flowers start with pink buds that open to blue then fade to lilac.

This shade loving plant goes dormant after it blooms. Avoid the look of an empty garden after the flowers have finished blooming by planting evergreen companion plants such as ferns or small hosta around it.

These flowers for shade lend themselves to naturalization, borders and rock gardens.

Bluebell Flowers

Virginia bluebell are most popular, they are beautiful.

Sunlight

Bluebell flowers do exceedingly well in partial sunlight and dappled shade. They do not like the direct brightness and heat of the noon sun and will probably wither if you plant them under such conditions.

But if you plant them under the trees, they will provide a beautiful carpet of flowers, and thrive in the morning sun, as well as being protected by the trees from the sun in the hottest part of the day.

Location and soil

Remember that bluebell bush can spread and needs space in which to thrive. If you plant them near other flowers, they will overrun them or at the very least mix with them but this may take some years.

They do best in fertile soils that drain well. The soil must never be too acidic, and if it is, must be treated with lime to reduce the acidity and make it more alkaline.

Break up the soil with a spade to loosen it, add compost to enrich it, and mix the compost into the soil thoroughly.

Propagation

These plants are grown from bulbs and optimal time for planting is either in summer or in early fall. This gives the young plants the time they need to establish themselves properly before the bitter cold of winter begins.

You need to make a hole in the ground that is just around three inches in depth. Put a bulb inside, so the shoot is upwards, then fill the hole and tap the soil into place.

Water the newly planted bulbs at once and continue to water them in dry weather once every three days until they begin to flower. At this point you can lessen the amount of water you give them.

You must not let the soil to become water logged, else the roots will begin to rot and the plants will die. Also do not spray water onto the leaves or flowers as these plants are prone to fungal infections.

Generally speaking, the best time for watering these plants is in the early morning, so that any excess water will evaporate in the course of the day.

Transplanting is not advised, they don't like it. They do send offsets and they will also self seed. Keep bluebells in the cool of the shade in a fairly moist soil.

How to mulch

Bluebells need mulching both in summer and in winter, as this retains water in the soil and thus reduces the frequency with which you need to water.

Mulch also has an insulating effect, maintaining the temperature of the soil in an equable range. And of course it protects the plants in winter. The best mulch that you can use for this purpose would be organic, usually of leaves to simulate their natural woodland setting.

Precautions

Remember, that bluebell flowers are wild flowers and that all wild flowers have an instinct for competition and survival. Bluebell flowers will attempt to dominate your garden, spreading rapidly and returning with every spring, attempting to replace any species that does not match them for aggression with their own kind.

However, this will not happen overnight and although they spread it will take some years. I have some wild ones in my woodland and to be honest I would like them to spread more rapidly than they are. Just make sure you give them an area so they can develop into a carpet of bluebells as you would see in a wild woodland. Ideal for a shady part of your garden where there are trees.

It is not hard to control them. Divide those plants that are overgrowing their space and re-plant them immediately, using some compost to aid in their establishment. If planted in this way, the bluebells will easily establish themselves by spring.

Virginia Bluebell Latin name : Mertensia virginiana Other name : Virginia Cowslip, Lungwort Oysterleaf, and Roanoke Bells. Display dainty clusters of pink flower buds open to porcelain blue bell-shaped flowers. The pastel colors of the flowers and foliage are soft and soothing. Naturalizing over time. Very hardy and easy to grow. Plants grow 12 to 24 inches tall Prefer light shade to partial sun in moist wooded areas with rich soil. The foliage dies down by mid-summer. Can survive in semi-shaded floodplain areas along rivers, bluffs, and flower gardens.

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