Cottage Garden Plant: Canterbury Bells

Bells that ring from ancient towers—
Canterbury Bells—
Give their name to summer flowers—
Canterbury Bells!
Do the flower-fairies, playing,
Know what those great bells are saying?
Fairy, in your purple hat,
Little fairy, tell us that!
“Naught I know of bells in towers—
Canterbury Bells!
Mine are pink or purple flowers—
Canterbury Bells!
When I set them all a-swaying,
Something, too, my bells are saying;
Can’t you hear them—ding-dong-ding—
Calling fairy-folk to sing?”

Cicely Mary Barker

Cottage Garden Plant: Canterbury Bells. May 26, 2026.

There is a flower that embodies all the romance of the cottage garden at a glance. It isn’t a flower I see frequently here in our area, though I’ve grown it for nearly the whole of my home-gardening career because of the charm it emanates, and I have no plans to stop doing so either. When in full bloom, these large, bell-shaped blooms with their scalloped edges are a darling sight and well worth the wait a biennial demands. If you happen upon them, and you are the right sort of person, you would imagine a tiny fairy is sleeping inside the roomy interior of this flower. When my daughter was small, she loved it when we went outside to look for fairies in the flowers. Canterbury Bells are the flowers of fairy tales and pretty pastoral dreams that rightfully belong in the cottage garden.

The flower’s charming appearance is matched by its charming name, an old one dating back to the Medieval period, when the flower arrived in England at the end of the 16th century. Its flowers resembled the small bells pilgrims would ring upon entering the cathedral city of Canterbury, from which they got their name. The flowers were also referred to as Coventry Bells, although it would be Canterbury Bells that would hold through the centuries.

Canterbury Bells are spectacular when planted in mass. They can be grown from seed or purchased. They come in white, rose pink, and periwinkle blue. These flowers do get tall and full (2-3 feet), so I recommend them as a background plant. Also, planting in groups is a good idea to accentuate the sense of fullness and provide some support without having to stake them. They can take a bit of shade, so full sun isn’t necessary, and they are fairly easy to grow. The ones shown here only get a few hours of sun. Cut these beauties for bouquets on their own or mixed with other flowers. You will have people asking you about them!