One of my favorite spring perennials is Campanula ‘Sarastro’…here is a recent image from the garden. Campanulas are a struggle for us…they either die in our summer heat or take over the garden. One notable exception is the hybrid Campanula ‘Sarastro’, which we’ve grown since 2003, and it just gets better each year. This gem came from Austria’s Sarastro nursery. Coincidentally, we are fortunate to have Sarastro Nursery founder Christian Kress’s amazing daughter Kata, interning with us this summer. It’s been a great opportunity for us both to learn from each other.
Kata Kress
I bought this at the May open house this spring and so far it has been the thirstiest plant in my garden. It’s under a couple persimmon trees that provide a bit of shade but it gets strong sun from late morning to mid afternoon. Does this need more water than other campanulas or do you think it just needs time to settle in?
Great question. While we don’t find it needs lots of water, it probably doesn’t stand a chance against a tree, which will always win the water tug of war. We grow this fine in full sun away from trees. It will probably be fine where you have it if you’re able to give it enough water to compete with the tree.