Fragrant blue sea of blooming perovskia
It is no coincidence that Perovskia is known all over the world under the name "Russian sage". The appearance of this beauty really resembles both sage and wormwood, and the plant itself can be put on a par with the best blue-colored perennials.
Perovskia, or Russian sage, is a herbaceous perennial, in which both clumps-bushes and flowering are equally attractive. Although this plant is more appreciated precisely for its long and colorful flowering. The bushes reach a height of 60 cm, and sometimes even 1 m. Shoots are numerous, thin and straight, hard, stable. The leaves of the Perovian are narrow-lanceolate or dissected, always elongated, of a dark muted color.
The flowers of the plant are very small and would be inconspicuous if not for the slender panicles of the inflorescences and the cool, bluish-purple color, which gives the curtains a special showiness. Due to its color, this plant is considered one of the best crops for simulating water, creating the effect of blue coolness and swaying waves in the garden. Perovskie bushes really seem to be wrapped in a blue fog.
All parts of the plant are very fragrant, but Perovskia is appreciated not only as a source of essential oils and a wonderful fragrant dried flower. After all, both flowers and leaves of the plant are edible and can be used both as a seasoning and in cooking a wide variety of dishes.
Perovskii bloom lasts from July until the very first autumn frosts. At the same time, unlike its perennial competitors, Perovskii blooms tirelessly.
Perovskia swan-leaved. qooh88
Alpine edelweiss: growing a legend
Alpine edelweiss does not differ in its extraordinary beauty in appearance, but people in it are attracted by the mystery and a huge number of legends associated with the origin of this plant. For example, edelweiss has long been considered a symbol of masculinity, heroism and great love. Perhaps, such importance was given to him by the brave hikes of men in the mountains in order to get this flower for their women. Nowadays, edelweiss is grown in the garden, filled with alpine slides.
Conditions of keeping edelweiss
Edelweiss is a mountain plant, the conditions of its maintenance are related to its origin. If in the mountains this flower is unpretentious enough, then a lot of effort will have to be made in order for the plant to like it in your garden. Edelweiss loves a sunny place, illuminated from all sides, but the ideal location would be such that from morning until lunchtime the sun illuminates the plant, and after lunch a light partial shade is created. For planting edelweiss, prepare a light sandy soil that easily allows water to pass through, does not allow it to stagnate. Mix crushed stone and coarse sand into the soil, add lime. Never use manure to fertilize edelweiss, it has a detrimental effect on the plant. Since the plant lives in the mountains and loves to be on a hill, if you have an alpine slide in your garden, the top of the slide will be an ideal place for edelweiss.
Edelweiss care
Edelweiss is a drought-resistant plant that does not impose requirements on high humidity. Edelweiss does not need watering, a couple of times in the hottest months of summer is enough. An excess of moisture leads to the death of the plant. This is another reason to plant edelweiss on a dais. If there is no elevation on the site, create it artificially. You do not need to spray the plant, and after the rain, forget about watering for a month. Edelweiss does not need fertilizing, the plant does not like fertilizers. Paradoxically, on fertile soil, the flower dies, and on poor soil, it blooms with all its beauty.One-time feeding is possible only if the plant freezes, once will be enough to revive and restore strength.
Another feature of edelweiss is that it loves to grow in the snow and feed on melt water. In winter, create a small snowdrift from the snow in the habitat of the edelweiss, the plant will be grateful in the spring. If the winter is snowless in your region, be sure to mulch the edelweiss; in the spring, when the warm sun appears, remove the layer of mulch. When replanting edelweiss, prepare deep holes for the long roots of the plant. Holding the flower in the hole, gently spread the roots, sprinkle with dry earth and water. You will see the success of the procedure only next year, if edelweiss will delight you with flowering.
Reproduction of edelweiss
Edelweiss can be propagated by seeds and vegetatively. The propagation of edelweiss by seeds is another feature of the plant. Unlike all other flowers, it is alpine edelweiss, propagating by seeds, that is able to preserve specific features. Edelweiss seeds do not require pre-planting treatment. Pour the seeds mixed with sand into a container with prepared soil. Cover the container with glass. After 2 weeks, the seeds will hatch. Edelweiss sprouts are very small, classical watering is prohibited, it will wash the plant out of the soil.
Spray edelweiss seedlings with a spray bottle from a short distance. Transplant the seedlings into soil in early summer. It will take 2-3 years to wait for the edelweiss planted with seeds to bloom. Vegetative propagation of edelweiss is carried out by cuttings or dividing the bush. The breeding time for edelweiss by dividing the bush is mid-spring or late autumn. The plant has a strong and powerful root system, so reproduction of edelweiss by dividing the bush is the preferred method, such delenki will bloom next year.
But the propagation of edelweiss by cuttings is usually carried out in June. As cuttings, take last year's shoots from the plant, place the cuttings in the prepared soil with a step of 15 cm. Wait for flowering next year.
Here is such a mysterious plant Edelweiss. In the absence of special and complex care, it is extremely difficult to grow it in your garden. But blooming edelweiss will become your pride and the center of the composition. And one more cute feature - look at the flowers under the moon, you will see shimmering silver light!
Medicinal properties and harm
For medicinal purposes, alpine and Siberian edelweiss are usually used. The chemical composition of these plants determines their properties:
- anti-inflammatory;
- anticonvulsant;
- antioxidant;
- expectorant;
- anti-stress;
- tonic.
Leontopodium strengthens the immune system, which prevents colds, allows you to successfully resist toxins, slows down the natural aging of the body.
No harmful and poisonous substances were found in the plant, there are no contraindications to its use. Its preparations are not recommended for individual intolerance, and in cases of pregnancy and lactation, a doctor's consultation is required.
February seedlings (edelweiss and lavender)
It's already March, and not all of the February seedlings have been logged yet. These two cultures are still at such a stage of development that I admire them through a magnifying glass (especially edelweiss), but I am still happy as an elephant, because I wanted both lavender and edelweiss to the bone. When the stakes are high, I want to be on the safe side, so I took three packets of both seeds from different companies. And they also behaved differently and not always well, but in the end, some of the seedlings still turn green and are pleasing to the eye.
Edelweiss
On February 15, 1 sachet of seeds of three brands was sent for stratification (a plastic container with a slightly open lid, compacted wet sand, surface sowing, spraying from a spray bottle, exposure at + 10C):
"Snow Kingdom" rewarded disappointments
How it was
It became clear that the container would soon become too crowded, so I prepared a more spacious kindergarten - a fruit tray with an adult real edelweiss substrate (fine gravel, in this case - miniature pebbles and broken shells + sand + a little earth + a homeopathic amount of garden lime; lime, as they say, is needed for edelweiss in order to properly grow these wonderful bristles that shimmer in the night, which protect the plant from the harsh environmental conditions in its homeland, in the mountains). The seedlings had to be transferred there at the tip of a toothpick, they were so tiny, but not a single one had died yet, which is very pleasant.
I need a magnifying glass.
The container where the stratification took place. Are these real leaves greener or not greener?
I water them from a spray bottle and count real leaves with pleasure! Interestingly, the real leaves of the shoots left in the clean sand look greener than those that were transferred to the substrate with lime. Or maybe it just seems to me.
Lavender
I also want lavender, I can’t! Therefore, I bought it three different varieties so that at least something would sprout.
Three maidens by the window
... Moreover, I divided the seeds of each variety into two piles and sowed one "in the hot earth" (the method is described here by Ekaterina / KatyaK, for which she is very grateful!), And sent the other for stratification in the refrigerator. I started stratification of all three varieties in wet soil on February 9th, and planting "in hot soil" on February 15th. It turned out differently and interesting. The hot method, of course, is much faster (the seedlings appeared already on the 20-21st; I planted them one by one in mini-pots and rearranged them to the light, leaving the rest of the seeds to germinate in the dark), but these lavender crumbs turned out to be very ... delicate for me. On the other hand, the seedlings from the refrigerator looked stronger and they had fewer problems with the seed coats that were not thrown off in time - but day after day, check for sprouts in the refrigerator and see absolutely nothing, well, nothing gosh, this, frankly, is painful! The sprouts that I already wanted to transplant into separate mini-pots and expose to the light (two cotyledon leaves + 5 mm root), with the cold method, began to appear about a week later. I can’t call either one or the other seedlings friendly; the process dragged on - and is still ongoing.
Alpine edelweiss: description
It is a slow growing plant that blooms luxuriantly in the high alpine mountains. This type of flower is a herbaceous perennial plant with beautiful foliage and beige-white flowers. They resemble daisies in appearance. The homeland of this variety is southern and central Europe. It should be noted that this plant is quite spectacular, and legends and songs are even composed about it. The flower is best suited for growing in stone gardens in cool and cold climates. Belongs to the Asteraceae family.
Tall edelweiss flowers in the photo.
Some specimens of this species grow from 15 to 30 cm in height, and in width they grow by 15-22 cm. As they grow, edelweiss gradually expand, and they grow just as well from underground roots as from seeds. The bracts, as mentioned above, have a white tint, and in width they reach about 10 cm, while the flower itself has a yellow tint, which is skirted by the bracts. The flowers have a soft, pubescent surface that appears among the silvery-green foliage.
Photo of edelweiss on natural stones.
This type of edelweiss grows well in rocky, sandy soil with good drainage, which explains its popularity in stone gardens. In addition, they look great in curbs or when planted in mass to cover the soil in the garden. The plant begins to bloom in late summer, and flowering continues until early autumn. In regions where severe frosts occur in winter, foliage dies off and reappears in spring.It should be noted that the plant will not be able to survive in hot and humid conditions.
Like all alpine flowers, edelweiss can grow well in poor soils, cold temperatures, and be resistant to winds as well as harsh sunlight. But, despite this, plants grow rather slowly under not the most suitable conditions. Due to the fact that edelweiss are often extracted from their natural habitat, their numbers are gradually decreasing. The magnificent beauty of the flower, the slow rate of its growth - all this, combined with human hunting for these plants, has led to the fact that they are now on the list of protected species.
Pest control and disease prevention
The American flower does not have many pests, which makes it easier to care for. The most dangerous is the root onion mite, which parasitizes on the bulb, can lead to death plants. You can determine the appearance of a tick:
- by white bloom on the leaves and their deformation;
- yellow spots appear on the bulb, it shrivels;
- rot or mold may appear in the mite's habitat.
Acaricides are used against the tick. A safer method is to pour nettle decoction under the root of the plant. 1 kg of nettle pour 5 liters of boiling water. The infusion should ferment for 5 days. Then dilute 1:10. The parasite can be prevented. Place the bulbs in hot water for half an hour before planting. Mite-infested bulbs must be destroyed.
Of the diseases, fungal and various types of rot are characteristic. For prophylaxis, treat the planting material with fungicides.
