Now all too rarely seen, this is that almost quintessential cottage garden flower. Campanula Medium ‘Cup and Saucer Mix’ produces large single or double flowers on loose racemes from spring to early summer.
In a wonderful mix of colours: pink, rose, lavender, violet, white, or blue, each large 8cm (3in) flower is surrounded by a calyx of the same colour as the petals, giving it the name of Cup and Saucer Flower.

With bold stalks of big, beautiful bells and up to twenty prolific stems per plant, this is a superb plant for the back of the border. It is perfect when grown in combination with other tall subjects such as Delphinium and Digitalis.
An easy plant to grow and loved by bees, it is one that looks stunning anywhere in the garden, they also make excellent large pot plants and are superb as a cut flower.

Sowing:
Sow in early spring to early summer.
A true biennial that blooms in the spring of the second season, the plant can be treated as an annual if started indoors early in the year. As a biennial they can also be planted in early summer and set out in the autumn for early blooms the following spring. In summer, seeds can be planted directly into a nursery bed. It will bloom six months after seeds are sown.

The seeds should be sown on the surface of the compost, press lightly into the compost but do not cover as they need light to germinate.
The compost should be quite moist. Cover the seed container with a piece of glass or clear plastic and leave in a temperature of approximately 18-20°C (65-68°F) in a position which receives diffused light. Germination between 14 and 28 days.
Once some of the seeds have germinated air should be admitted gradually otherwise the seedlings may damp off.
When seedlings have their first pair of true leaves and are large enough to handle, transplant into 7.5cm (3in) pots. When large enough, plant out into their final position.

Cultivation:
Campanula Medium has strong stems, but may require some staking in more exposed areas. Stake plants before the flowers open to keep the racemes upright.
Add complete organic fertilizer when planting and again the following spring. Slugs can be a problem when the plants are young
After flowering, collect the seed to raise new plants, and then cut back the top growth to force up a second batch of leaves and flowers, although they won't be as profuse as the first. Allow some of the plants to self seed, which will produce another generation for future years. To maintain an annual supply of plants, start new seeds in the nursery bed each year.

Cut Flowers:
Cut flowers after one or two flowers are open. They will last up to 8 days; more if the water is changed daily or when floral preservatives are added to the vase water

Plant Uses:
Flowerbeds, borders, cut flowers and massed plantings

Origin:
Campanula medium originates from northern Italy and south-eastern France, they soon dispersed throughout warmer climes of Europe and then to the rest of the world.

Nomenclature:
There are various versions as to the origin of the common name ‘Canterbury Bells’:
It is said that it was given to the plant during the 12th century. That the flowers resembled the bells worn by the horses that carried people to the shrine of Thomas A Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Canterbury Cathedral.
It is also said that the flowers are thought to resemble the bells worn by the horses of Chaucer's pilgrims in his "Canterbury Tales" (c.1380).
The OED write that the name "Canterbury Bells" was "Erroneously transferred" as a name for Campanula medium after the 16th century. Apparently the English words had first been used to designate Campanula trachelium (Throatwort).
Pronounced: kam-PAN-yew-lah