Growing other plants through clump forming plants

CharleyD · August 2014

Just planning to fill in some gaps for next spring/summer. I've got my eye on campanula carpita and bellis. However, as these are clump forming/ground cover, is it possible to grow anything else in spring for the campanula and summer for the bellis in the same plot?

Fairygirl · August 2014

Use some upright planting Charley to give a contrast. You can use spring bulbs like crocus,daffs and narcissus and then have irises, veronicas, alliums, astilbes, lilies etc through summer depending on the aspect and soil. There are loads of others but that gives you a couple of ideas to start with. Depends on what your colour scheme is as well but with campanulas you can use almost anything whether you want to tone in or contrast.

CharleyD · August 2014

Thanks Fairygirl. I think I've confused you though. What I'm puzzled about is, since for example the campanula covers the ground and from what I can see stays over winter and then just grows new flowers, how do the spring flowers get through the ground cover? Similarly for bellis which is spring flowering, will the summer flowers get through the bellis? What I want to do is have spring and summer flowers in the same plot.

nutcutlet · August 2014

Bulbs will push through whatever's there. Everything else needs its own space

Fairygirl · August 2014

Ah - I see what you mean Charley. I assumed you'd planted them leaving some gaps for other planting to give you further variety.

I'm assuming you just mean Canterbury bells when you say bellis but correct me if I've got that wrong. Most of the Campanulas are spring through to summer flowering depending on variety and you have the foliage for a large part of the year to cover bare areas, so you'd just have to mix other planting in with them if you're trying to keep an area completely covered and/or flowering all year round. Mixing some low growing evergreens will give interest at other times when the campanulas aren't flowering. Some of the smaller Hebes are good for that and hardy Geraniums can offer flowers from spring onwards, depending on variety. Spring bulbs will get through the emerging foliage of most perennials without any problem and evergreen campanula foliage usually allows bulbs through as well.

nutcutlet · August 2014

I though daisies for the bellis.

Not sure I've really grasped what it is your asking CharleyD

CharleyD · August 2014

Thanks Fairygirl. Your answers are always interesting, but on this occasion it's Nutcutlet who has been able to interpret what I'm asking Sorry to be confusing - I re-read my post and it wasn't very clear at all.

That's a brilliant rule of thumb for the bulbs. So they just push their way up regardless of what's planted.

Yes, I did mean Bellis daisies. So, Nutcutlet - I need summer bulbs to push up through the bellis in that plot and spring bulbs to push up through the Campanula in the other plot?

nutcutlet · August 2014

Got it. Any bulbs will do the pushing but avoid large leafy ones, the leaves will swamp the underplanting. Crocuses are good for spring. and the smaller alliums for summer

It will be the low growing perennials that suffer if anything does, from lack of light.

Fairygirl · August 2014

I think I'm just getting old and confused Charley - I didn't get what you were really asking

Daisies nut - why didn't I think of that... Thought Charley just had some kind of a campanula addiction

Have a look at the bulb specialists online and see if something suits your timings and colours etc - good time of year to plan and you can get all sorts of nice things that you don't get in the GCs

CharleyD · August 2014

Ha ha, no not a campanula addiction Fairygirl, just a gardening addiction in general. And I get so focussed on what I'm doing that I forget no-one else has got a clue what I'm thinking!!!

Yep, I spend ages online looking at the various bulbs and plants. I'm just putting the finishing touches to my autumn/winter planning spreadsheet

Thanks both for your help.

Growing other plants through clump forming plants

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