06/02/2026
Local Flower Spotlight: Campanula (bellflowers)
Every time I include Campanula, also known as Canterbury Bells or bellflowers, in a bouquet, it’s the flower people comment on the most. There’s just something about it that sparks so much joy.
Maybe it’s the way the blossoms stack up the stem like tiny bells. Maybe it’s the soft, cottage-garden feel. Or maybe it’s because it’s a flower most people have never seen before, so it feels like a delightful surprise tucked into the bouquet.
My daughter says the blooms look like little bathtubs for fairies. I love that description because it captures exactly how these flowers feel to me: joyful, whimsical, and a little bit magical.
I love Campanula because it brings both elegance and whimsy at the same time. The blooms seem to dance above the other flowers, adding movement, texture, and a sense of abundance. It comes in shades of lavender, blue, pink, and white, and every stem feels special.
It’s also one of those flowers that doesn’t travel well through the long commercial supply chain, which means you’re much more likely to find truly fresh Campanula from a local flower grower than from a grocery store bouquet.
And like many of the most special flowers, its season is fleeting. Campanula is only available for a few short weeks in late spring and early summer, making it one of those flowers I look forward to all year long.
For me, it’s one of the flowers that captures everything I love about local flowers: seasonal, unexpected, beautiful, and guaranteed to make someone smile.
Have you ever grown or received Canterbury Bells? I’d love to hear what you think of them.
