I'm not sure who gave Stephanie Cohen the
nickname "Dwarf Tornado",
but it sure fits. She's only 4' 11", and packs
a 6 foot plus
punch. In case you don't know Stephanie, in
between flying all over
the world to lecture about "Vertically Challeneged
Gardening", she teaches
Garden Design at Temple University School of Horticulture
outside
Philadelphia.
So it was only appropriate when I
discovered this late
blooming, miniature Campanula, that she be its
namesake.
Campanula 'Dwarf Tornado' blooms in early
to mid Summer and is
reminiscent of a small version of Campanula
glomerata.
Unlike
C. glomerata, the stature and habit is much
smaller and
tighter. The plant itself is only a few inches
tall, one could even
consider it a ground cover. When in flower, her
stems are held very
firmly and erect and only reach up about 6" - 8".
They never flop over or
sprawl like other Campanla species or cultivars.
The
deep lavender-purple
flowers last for weeks and this very vigorous, very
perennial plant
forms a lovely colony in just a year or two.
Deer
don't seem to bother it
and it has had no pest, insect or disease
problems.
It will fill a
nice spot in front to mid border and has been equally as
happy in sun as in
shade. Stephanie also recommends this plant for rock
gardens,
containers and troughs.
hmmmm, seems like a
winner
huh?
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