Globularia. Globular inflorescences of hemanthus
There are different groups of perennials that differ in the shape of inflorescences, which, if used correctly, can make a flower garden more balanced and harmonious. For example, flowers with capitate spherical inflorescences-buttons are designed to become a dosed accent, thus the missing touch in the overall picture. landscape composition. They, like signal lights, will direct your attention to certain areas in the garden, setting the rhythm and lightness. For convenience, I made a selection of seven spectacular perennials with capitate inflorescences for a polka dot garden. Some of them are familiar to you, and some will become a discovery.
1. Primula finely toothed
The hit parade of plants with spherical inflorescences is opened by finely toothed (Latin Prímula denticulata). It is this type of primrose that has a characteristic bright spherical inflorescence up to 10 cm in diameter. Dense flower balls rise above the flower bed and hover at a height of 30 cm thanks to strong and thick peduncles. The base of the bush is decorated with no less beautiful wide and wrinkled leaves 20–40 cm long, oblong-oval in shape with notches along the edge. But they do not appear immediately, but only after the peduncles brightly present their spherical inflorescences.
To grow this primrose, it is enough to provide it with partial shade, perhaps under the crown of trees in trunk circle. The flower is unpretentious to the soil, prefers neutral or slightly alkaline soil with the addition of sand and compost. In the spring, a growing outlet can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers. But the main thing is the stable maintenance of moisture!
The flowering time of fine-toothed primrose begins in late April - early May and lasts more than a month.
The flowering time of the finely toothed primrose comes in late April - early May and lasts more than a month, which cannot but rejoice. Color palette"balls" of primroses is quite diverse. You can choose snow-white balls of the Alba variety, purple Violet, rich raspberry Rubra, pink Deep Rose, lilac-blue Cashmeriana and Lilak.
The homeland of the primrose is the highlands of the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, China, Nepal. It will harmoniously decorate an alpine hill, decorative ponds or flower beds, decorated with small decorative stones and dump. Fine-toothed primrose will also be good as a tapeworm along the paths in the curb, as well as in the container garden and on the windowsill.
2. Decorative bow, or allium
Onion, or allium (lat. Allium), is a perennial from the Amaryllis family. Perhaps this is the brightest and most recognizable "ball" among all flowering perennials with spherical inflorescences! As the name suggests, allium is a close relative of the edible onions and garlic. And, despite the outward superiority of a lush head of hair, its origin will definitely give out a characteristic garlic smell if you rub the stems or leaves a little.
Onions bloom in early summer and, depending on the type and variety, may be present in the garden until the end of August. Among the huge species diversity, there are both edible and purely decorative specimens. But in ornamental gardening, species such as giganteum onion, blue onion, Christopher onion, Schubert onion, Karataevsky onion are more often used. You can read more about the types and varieties of onions in. I can only say that each type and variety of allium is decorative in its own period, from May to August, which makes it possible to extend its presence on the site for almost the entire season.
The height of the stems also varies, starting from 10 cm, like that of the Karataevsky onion, and ending with such a giant as the Giant onion, 1.5 m tall. Lush inflorescence balls of different diameters can be, depending on the type and variety, pure white, lilac, lilac, blue and almost red.
The advantage of these plants is unpretentiousness in cultivation. The main thing is to provide a sunny place, with well-drained breathable light soil.
In the landscape, bows are more often assigned alpine slides or rockeries. But the most effective combination allium - with all kinds of cereals, simple perennials for natural garden, roses and evergreen conifers. Blue-purple "giant dandelions", like beacons, will focus attention, emphasizing the beauty and structure of other plants and the landscape. By the way, which is important, many species remain decorative even after flowering, adding zest to the garden with their huge balls of dried flowers.
3. Mordovnik
"Blue sea urchins" in the people, or mordovnik - in botany (lat. Echínops), - this is the name of a perennial herbaceous capitate-floral thorn from the Aster family. In nature, mordovnik grows on arid slopes, in steppes and desert ravines on Far East, in the countries of Southern Europe, Asia, capturing the borders of North Africa. Drought resistance, frost resistance, unpretentiousness to the soil and stable decorative effect from July to September make the muzzle in demand in our gardens.
Drought resistance, frost resistance, unpretentiousness to the soil and stable decorative effect from July to September make the muzzle in demand in our gardens.
In ornamental gardening, three types of mordovnik are popular.
● Ballhead. On stems with a height of 1 to 1.5 m, blue prickly balls with a diameter of 6 cm flaunt. The leaves are prickly along the edge and on the upper plate. Blooms from June to August. Used in mixed plantings of natural style.
● Ordinary. It has a more modest size, namely a height of 40–60 cm, and small blue inflorescences-heads up to 4 cm in diameter. It begins to bloom in July. Used in rockeries.
● Broad-leaved. An intermediate view between the two described above. The height of the felt stem is from 30 to 75 cm. It blooms from May to June, so its beauty is less durable than other species. Grown mainly for medicinal purposes.
Increasingly, mordovnik appears in mixed plantings in the new wave style, as decorative ornament rockeries, in floristic bouquets, where it can act both as a fresh cut and as a dried flower.
Mordovnik is a wonderful companion, a constructor element for creating the necessary rhythm mixed fit from hardy perennials. He rarely acts as a tapeworm, but effectively complements the company of cereals, yarrow, gelenium, asters, rudbeckia, sage, purple echinacea, panicled phlox, anise lofant, highlanders.
4. Sharovnitsa, or globularia
If you are looking for a groundcover strewn with fluffy pompom inflorescences, pay attention to the charweed, or globularia (lat. Globularia), from the plantain family. It is not at all demanding, loves calcareous loose soils and sunny places, frost-resistant and drought-resistant. And this is not surprising, because in nature the habitats of the charcoal are rocky, sun-drenched plains and scree in the Caucasus, northwest Africa. It will take root pretty quickly in the garden and create a fluffy blue carpet on an alpine hill, lawn, or wherever you wish.
Will create a blue fluffy carpet on an alpine hill, lawn or wherever you wish.
There are about 20 species of charweed, but few are used in horticulture. There are three species that are not listed in the Red Book and will feel good in our climate.
● Creeping Sharovnitsa (dwarf)- from May to June it can be seen on the alpine hill. Outwardly, it is an evergreen shrub no higher than 6 cm with lavender balls.
● Heart-leaved charcoal- in May forms dense cushion-like thickets about 10 cm high with bright spherical inflorescences 2 cm in diameter. The palette of shades is replete with variety - from light blue to deep purple. There are also hybrid forms with white, pink inflorescences.
● Point charcoal- up to 25 cm tall with inflorescences of blue color up to 2 cm in diameter. Blooms from the second half of May to the end of June. A cultivar with white flowers has been bred.
The advantage of globularia is its evergreen decorative look, which persists even after flowering. So, planting it in a border, in a rocky garden, as a ground cover in a flower bed, you can not worry about decorativeness throughout the season. Sharovnitsa is combined with stonecrops, young, low-growing cereals, suitable as upholstery lower tier for roses and other tall bright perennials.
5. Burnet officinalis
hemorrhagic officinalis flower
Common burnet (Sanguisórba officinalis) - perennial herbaceous plant from the rose family. In nature, it can be found in upland and water meadows, forest edges, along river banks. It is frost-resistant, unpretentious, can tolerate both sunbathing and partial shade. She is not large bright colors and dense foliage, its charm is in lightness, airiness and elegance! This effect is achieved thanks to small cone-shaped inflorescences, which are held on very thin peduncles, which makes them almost invisible. This plant will play only in the circle of its companions - fluffy cereals, roses and other brightly flowering perennials.
This plant will play only in the circle of its companions - fluffy cereals, roses and other brightly flowering perennials.
It is the burnet officinalis that has inflorescences resembling burgundy small balls, in the remaining 12 species they are more elongated, spike-shaped. Herbaceous shoots, covered with pinnate leaves, grow up to 150 cm in height. The hemorrhagic flower blooms from July to August. Details about the popular species and varieties of this plant can be found in
6. Santolina
Santolina (lat. Santólina) is a Mediterranean guest from the aster family, an evergreen perennial fragrant shrub with bright yellow or white inflorescences-balls 2 cm in diameter. Perhaps it is this palette that you are missing for the “polka dot garden”. Santolina blooms almost the entire season, from June to August. The plant is low, from 10 to 60 cm, with simple, depending on the species, feathery leaves, often covered with a silvery down.
Santolina blooms almost the entire season, from June to August.
Sun- and heat-loving plant, prefers poor soils, moderate watering, rejuvenating pruning and shelter for the winter.
When choosing santolina for the garden, pay attention to the following types: greenish santolina - with cream flowers and bright foliage; Santolina cypress with decorative openwork leaves silver color and yellow balls-inflorescences; Santolina pinnate with snow-white flowers.
In the landscape, santolina will come in handy as a silvery lush background for bright perennials, as well as for decorating borders, and even as a low hedge. It will harmoniously look among boulders or gravel crumbs. Pairs with other Mediterranean style perennials such as lavender, sage, boxwoods or conifers dwarf forms. It will also perfectly complement the composition with leucanthemum, mint and catnip.
7. Armeria
Armeria (lat. Armeria) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the lead family, the owner of ideal spherical inflorescences. This plant is also native to the Mediterranean, growing naturally on rocky slopes near the sea, illuminated by the bright sun. Some species of this flower can be found in our latitudes. Spherical inflorescences of armeria bloom in May, bloom for about two months and re-bloom in September.
Most often, alpine armeria (A. alpina), prickly (A. pungens), soddy (A. caespitosa), seaside (A. maritima), as well as beautiful armeria (A. pseudarmeria) are grown, the description of which is worthy of a separate article. Summing up, we can say that each of the species has its own stem length - from 15 to 60 cm, linear-lanceolate leaves 12 cm long, growing from a basal rosette, and a capitate lush inflorescence (pink, white, red shades) from 2.5 up to 5 cm in diameter.
For growing a seaside drought-resistant plant, it is necessary to choose a sunny area with well-drained light sandy loamy soil, avoid lime. Winters without shelter. In the garden can decorate rocky gardens, decorative pond, as well as all sorts of bright flower beds. Used in floristry as a dried flower.
The garden can be decorated with rocky gardens, a decorative pond, as well as all kinds of bright flower beds.
When creating flower beds, it is always useful to learn from the most talented landscape designer– Nature! She shows us true beauty her gardens, mixing colors and shapes in such a way that we unquestioningly agree, admiring her impeccable taste and sense of harmony. Watch how nature draws pictures on a simple meadow or field, what colors and forms it weaves into its flower round dance. A conscious approach to creating a flower garden will definitely give a positive result. And if you agree that the shape of each inflorescence plays a role in the overall flower arrangement, I promise to continue this topic in future articles.
Many people associate the word "onion" with a bitter-sharp taste and tears. The word "allium" does not evoke such associations, on the contrary, it evokes something mysterious and romantic. But it's the same onion , and in addition garlic , only in Latin. The name "allium" came from the Celts, in whom it meant "burning".
To date, botanists know about 900 species of this plant. Among them, in addition to a very useful, though not very pleasant onion-vegetable, there is a large group of decorative onions. Some of them are used only for decorating the garden, others for beauty and food. A blooming decorative bow brings a light airy openwork to the decor of the garden, adds extravagance and always attracts the eye.
decorative bow Pretty- A. carinatum →
(there is a subspecies of A. carinatum pulchellum). Inflorescences are similar to panicled onions, but differ in lighter tones of the petals. The height of the stems does not exceed 50 cm, the leaves are narrow and long, have cylindrical shape. The inflorescences are somewhat disheveled, consist of numerous small bell-shaped flowers on thin drooping
legs. The stamens and pistil peek out from the calyx, adding originality to the plant. Blooms in mid-summer.
For the first time, some types of decorative bows were described in the middle of the 18th century by the famous Swede Carl Linnaeus, and the catalog was significantly expanded by the Russian scientist of German origin Eduard Regel. Since its first appearance in high society, people have liked the decorative bow. Florists began to actively use it in garden and park design, and breeders began to develop new varieties. At the moment there are more than a thousand of them.
Why is a decorative bow good, because for more than 300 years it has been a leader among popular garden flowers? Firstly, ease of reproduction, secondly, undemanding care, and thirdly, the versatility of use, and in general, its discreet, but such an attractive beauty.
← Decorative bow Narcissus flower- A. narcissiflorum. A very beautiful undersized species with graceful stems and inflorescences. The leaves are similar to narcissus, about 20 cm long, pedicels can reach up to 40 cm, drooping inflorescences, consist of several rather large blue-lilac flowers, similar to bells. Flowering lasts from late July to late August.
decorative bow Neapolitan ↓ -
- A. neapolitanum. Refers to undersized species. Looks fragile and delicate. The pedicels are very thin, the leaves are small, also thin, grow in lush rosettes. The flowers are bell-shaped, large enough for such pedicels, the petals are snow-white. Among flower growers, the varieties "Cowani" and "Grandiflorum" are popular.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DECORATIVE BOW
Decorative bow combines perennial, less often biennial plants. Outwardly, many of its species and varieties are similar to their vegetable counterparts. Both those and others have a bulb with a bottom, scales and cotyledons, tubular leaves of a juicy green color, a thin peduncle (arrow) and spherical inflorescences collected from many small flowers. The flower has six petals and long stamens, one pistil. A flower arrow develops when the plant finishes producing leaves. The seeds of almost all onions are small, dark, round or angular.
Among the representatives of decorative bows, there are those who, in addition to small onions, have a thick branched rhizome, for example, Ramson, Oblique onion, Slizun.
In addition to species with tubular leaves, there are very spectacular bows that have leaf blades broad and flat, similar to hyacinths, the pedicel is short, and the inflorescences are more umbellate than spherical. These beauties include the decorative Karatavsky onion, Broadleaf onion, MacLean onion and others.
← Decorative bow Karatavskiy- A. carataviense. The name was given in honor of the Karatau mountain range. A very beautiful undersized species that looks spectacular in flowerbeds with ground cover flowers and as a pot culture. Its broad, fleshy, vaguely lily-of-the-valley-like leaves remain green even after flowering has ended. At
30 cm long, their width is about 20 cm, which looks attractive even without flowers. In addition, ripening fruit boxes with red tones in color also look interesting in this species. The flower arrow is extended by a maximum of 30 cm, but it can also be much shorter. Inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter, with a small height, the plants seem very large. They are more dense or loose. The color of the petals is from white to lilac.
The most popular varieties are "Album", "Ivory Queen" and many others.
A bit like a Karatav decorative bow broad-leaved →
- A. latifolium. It also has wide rich green fleshy leaves that retain their decorative effect even after flowering. The arrow does not exceed 20 cm. The inflorescence is not quite spherical, more like a semicircular umbrella. The flowers are very densely arranged to each other and are collected in a miniature neat bouquet. Lilac and purple petals.
Another leaf shape seen on ornamental onions is long and flat, tapered at the end, like daffodils. This includes the decorative bow Ponikachiy and many other species.
Even more variations in the inflorescences of flowering onions. They are not only classic spherical, but also umbrella-shaped, narcissus-like, paniculate and quite unusual for onions, resembling small amaryllis. The palette of colors of the petals of their small flowers is also diverse. Among them are pure white, greenish, blue, blue, pink, red, yellow, lilac, with and without streaks.
Decorative bow pleases with a large assortment of varieties that differ in other characteristics. Height in his big family allocate:
- undersized, pedicels of which are only up to 20 cm;
- medium height, with a flower stem up to 50-70cm;
- tall, growing up to 1.5 meters in height.
According to the flowering time, decorative onions are:
- early flowering (from late April to late May);
- late flowering (from August to frost).
There are also many varieties that bloom in different dates from mid-May to the end of August.
← Decorative bow Cornflower- A. cyaneum. Highly delicate flowers with cornflower petals. Refers to undersized species. The pedicel can reach a length of 30 cm. The leaves are round, juicy green, drooping flowers resemble bells, collected in a loose umbrella.
REPRODUCTION BY SEEDS
Ornamental onions can be propagated by seeds, bulbs, bulbs and division of rhizomes. The seed propagation method is suitable for almost all species and varieties of this plant. The disadvantage of this type of propagation is that an ornamental onion growing from a seed can only bloom in the 8th year, and the earliest start of its flowering will come only in the 3rd year from the moment of planting. Sowing can be done in spring and/or autumn. Seeds of some varieties (for example, ornamental onions Giantsky, Aflatunsky) do not germinate during spring sowing, even stratification
in the refrigerator does not affect success.
Sowing of ornamental onions is carried out with grooves or (depending on created composition) into the wells. It is recommended to fluff and moisten the soil before sowing. Seeding depth should be minimal to make it easier for the sprouts to break through to the surface. The first shoots appear only on the 8-12th day, and it can take about 3 months before the development of a bunch of leaves. While the seedlings are very small, they suffer from weeds and dry soil, so watering and weeding at this stage is necessary.
decorative bow Barshchevsky- A. barsczewskii. Medium-sized species with a pedicel up to 60 cm. The flowers are very beautiful, similar to bells, the petals can be white or pink-lilac. →
Many gardeners advise growing ornamental onions from seedlings. To do this, seeds in February - early March are sown in prepared boxes or, if climatic conditions allow, in greenhouses. Seeds are placed on the surface of the soil and lightly sprinkled with earth through a sieve, pressed down a little. Watering seedlings only warm water, the air temperature is maintained in the region of + 20 + 22 degrees.
Seeds are recommended to be pre-soaked for a day in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then dried to a loose state.
decorative bow Dark purple- Allium atropurpureum. It belongs to medium height, the height of the pedicel is up to 70 cm. The inflorescences are umbellate-spherical, the petals are dark purple.↓
decorative bow bent over- Allium cernuum. Srednerosly, one of the longest blooming. Its paniculate-umbrella inflorescences open all summer. Flowers up to 7 mm long, differ from classic onions and more like miniature half-opened tulips with protruding pistils. Petals lilac-purple.
REPRODUCTION VEGETATIVELY
Ornamental onions during vegetative propagation can bloom in the first year after planting. The disadvantage of the method is that not all types of onions are able to give "babies", and not all have rhizomes. Therefore, the way vegetative propagation selected based on the characteristics of each particular variety.
The division of rhizomes is carried out in onions over the age of 3 years. In early spring or in the middle of autumn, the plant is dug out of the ground, the rhizome is divided so that at least 2-3 healthy buds are present in each fragment, and there is a whole root system. The resulting pieces are planted in rows, trying to place them not too close to each other, as the rhizomes grow rapidly. The optimal scheme is 20X70.
Bulbous "children" are best planted in the ground in the fall at such a time that the "baby" has time to take root, but does not have time to grow much. Otherwise, it will endure wintering more difficult. For spring planting"Kids" need to be stratified.
Some varieties of ornamental onions are very convenient to propagate with bulbs. These are also small onions, only they are formed not in the ground, but in the air, on the upper sections of the stem-peduncle. They are planted in the fall so that they have time to take root. Bulbs are buried in the ground by at least 5-6 cm, and the largest by 7-8 cm. In this way, multi-tiered onions are propagated, one of the few that do not produce seeds at all.
decorative bow Dutch- A. hollandicum. A very showy species that blooms in late spring - early summer. The leaves are not drooping, but growing upwards, flat, ribbon-shaped, up to 5 cm wide. Pedicels are very strong, growing up to 1 meter in height. The inflorescences are spherical, airy, vaguely reminiscent of white fluffy dandelion heads, only in onions their color is lilac and purple. They can be 12 cm in diameter. Very popular variety Purple Surprise.↓
decorative bow Yezdansky- A. jesdianum. A very showy flower, widely used for cutting. Refers to medium-sized bows. The stem can stretch up to 1 meter, but more often it is 70-80 cm. The leaves are ribbon-shaped, up to 4 cm wide, the inflorescences are spherical, 10-12 cm in diameter, the flowers are large, lilac-lilac. Blooms in early summer.
CARE
Decorative bow loves sunny areas, but is not capricious in partial shade, for example, under trees with a not very dense crown. He needs soils that are well-drained, with a pH close to the neutral seven. If the pH is 5 or less, the soil must be limed, as the increased soil acidity
bows are not suitable. Water decorative onions as needed. These plants can easily tolerate a short drought and a short abundant waterlogging, but it is better not to go to such extremes. To make the flowers of the decorative onion larger and more saturated, it is advisable to feed it. In the spring they bring complex mineral fertilizers, and in the fall, phosphate-potassium dry mixes. During the season, you can also "pamper" the plants with liquid fertilizers containing a mixture of trace elements.
Decorative onion has a peculiarity - it gives beautiful rich greens only before flowering. After the leaves turn yellow and become unattractive. Many flower growers advise, as soon as flowering ends and the seeds ripen, dig out the bulbs. This prevents them from rotting in the soil. Store dug and dried bulbs at room temperature.
In autumn, as soon as it becomes consistently cool, but not yet cold (in many regions, including the Moscow region, this is the end of September), decorative onions are again planted in the soil. Before this, the bed is dug up and loosened. Planting depth depends on the size of the bulb and should be equal to three of its diameters. Top bed sprinkled with humus.
decorative bow molya(gold) - A. moly. This species belongs to undersized, the height of its stems does not exceed 25 cm. The leaves of the representatives of the species are lanceolate, gray-green, the inflorescences are loose, the flower petals are bright yellow. Leannine stands out because it has two pedicels from each bulb, which provides a more spectacular flowering lasting about 2 weeks in June. →
Onion Tatar(Batun) - A. fistulosum. It belongs to conditionally decorative, since everything in it, except for the bulbs, is edible. The leaves, like those of a vegetable onion, are tubular, fleshy. Pedicels can stretch up to 60 cm in height. Inflorescences are spherical, medium in size. Creamy white petals. You can eat newly growing young leaves all summer.
DISEASES AND PESTS
Ornamental onions can be affected by some types of mushrooms. The most dangerous are:
1. Peronospora destructor, causing peronosporosis. Another name for the disease powdery mildew. Its first signs are a gray-purple bloom on the leaves. Later they turn yellow and dry up. In winter, the spores of the fungus remain in the ground. For the fight, spraying onions and soil is used. fungicides
, change the place of landing.
2. Puccinia allii, causing rust. In this case, bright spherical spots appear on the onion leaves, in which spores develop. Subsequently, the leaves dry up. The fungus overwinters in the soil and in parts of the plant. Control measures - spraying onions with preparations with copper.
3.Urocystis cepulae. The lesion manifests itself not only on the leaves (dark gray convex stripes), but also on the flowers (they) are bent. Decorative bow loses all its appeal. The spores of the fungus remain to live on parts of withered plants, so they always need to be removed. Treatment and prevention - spraying with preparations with copper.
4. Heterosporium alliiax, causing black rot (heterosporium). It appears with the beginning of yellowing of the leaves at the end of flowering. The disease can be identified by multiple brown pads on the leaves. Ornamental onions affected by black rot can completely disappear (rot) if you do not use spraying with copper-containing preparations or other fungicides.
5. Cercospora duddiae, causing cercosporosis. The first signs of this fungal infection can be seen as early as early summer. Grayish spots form on leaves and pedicels. yellow border. Later, the onion rots. Sick plants are saved with fungicides.
In addition to mushrooms, some insects infect ornamental onions. Most often this golden bronze. Beetle larvae, developing in the soil, gnaw out roots and bulbs, and adults, actively flying all summer, eat flowers. In this case, the control measures are mechanical - digging the beds and collecting the larvae (they are quite large, clearly visible), collecting and destroying the beetles.
decorative bow McLean- A. macleanii. The name was given in honor of the man who brought the bulbs of this species from Afghanistan to Europe. MacLean's onion outwardly resembles a giant onion, but its pedicels do not grow more than a meter in height. The inflorescences are large, spherical, the tone of the petals is purple and dark lilac. Flowering lasts from mid-April to late May. Crossed with Christoph's onion gave a beautiful Globemaster hybrid, and crossed with Aflatun onion - a Gladiator hybrid, pleasing with large lush flowers for several weeks.↓
decorative bow Schubert- A. schubertii. undersized view with unusual exotic flowers. The height of the pedicel reaches only 30 cm, while the diameter of the inflorescence is also about 30 cm. The flowers that make it up grow on legs of different lengths, which gives the plant an unusual look. Each flower is a bit like a starfish, consists of thin, long, pointed petals of a pinkish-purple color. Of these, about 30% bear fruit. Representatives of this species look best in rockeries and alpine slides. Blooms in early summer.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Decorative bow looks good only in group landings. In isolated cases, this plant is used very rarely. By analogy with the name allium, flower beds with onions are called allarias. In their device, it must be taken into account that each individual variety of ornamental onion blooms for a maximum of 3 weeks, and more often no more than 2 weeks. Therefore, plants in allaria should be selected so that one flowering variety replaces the next, providing long-lasting beauty from spring to autumn. You also need to select plants based on their height in adulthood.
The decorative bow looks very good in the neighborhood with other garden flowers that can cover the unsightly places that form after the onion leaves die off.
The unpretentiousness of decorative bows allows you to create with their help wonderful rockeries, alpine slides
, decorate artificial small reservoirs
. Tall varieties bows look great as an accent on lawns and flower beds with low flowers of plain colors of the petals.
Medium and tall bows can be used for bouquets. And if you dry them, they will stand indefinitely.
decorative bow Bearish (Wild cherry) - A. ursinum. It grows wild in Western Europe, Transcaucasia, Ciscaucasia in deciduous and mixed forests. Its stems and leaves are edible. The height of the plant does not exceed 40 cm, the leaves are shorter and relatively wide, the inflorescences are loose umbrellas, consisting of large white star-shaped flowers.↓
There is another wild garlic - onion Victorious - A. victoris. It is distinguished by a higher (up to 70 cm) stem, more large leaves and more compact spherical inflorescences with white-green flower petals. Ramson (both one and the other) is very useful, used as an ornamental, food and medicinal plant.
decorative bow deceiving - A. decipiens. This is a child of Kazakh and Mongolian steppes, a modest and yet very effective look. It is also found in the Caucasus, as well as in the southern regions of Russia. Pedicel height from 20 to 70 cm, leaves are long ribbon, inflorescences look like a hemisphere. The flowers are large, star-shaped, with a well-defined center. Petals are purple with a pink tinge.↓
decorative bow caroline
- A. carolinianum. →
Belongs to undersized, blooms in early summer. Pedicel up to 30 cm, leaves are long, have a lanceolate shape, keep green until flowering ends. The inflorescences are small, up to 3 cm in diameter, the color of the petals is lilac.
On video: decorative bows in the garden.
Some people cannot tolerate angles in any form. illustrative example- famous round house Pierre Cardin (Palais Bulles) in the suburbs of Cannes. But we will not delve into the peculiarities of the worldview of the antagonists of this completely harmless geometric figure, and let's do a much more pleasant thing: we will select such raisin plants that will support the "round theme" of the summer cottage.
Gomphrena spherical will be harmonious in a round cottage, photo
Why do we need such plants? After all, you can simply arrange round flower beds, place them in the middle of the lawn - and that's it.
round flower bed,a photo
This simple win-win solution is quite common in parterre open areas. Garden vases of the same shape can also support a round flower garden.
Balsam in a round garden vase,a photo
But what to do when in the country every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, and the creation round flower bed- an unaffordable luxury? But you want to round everything, soften it, make it more comfortable, chamber, intimate ...
Leonotis–round beauties for a round dacha,a photo
This is where plants come in handy. In this area, the absolute favorites are spherical topiary haircuts of evergreen shrubs, but we will not talk about them. Today we will consider flower perennials and annuals with spherical and hemispherical inflorescences, which during the flowering period (and often fruiting) will support the round concept of your dacha.
In monarda, hemispherical inflorescences are visible after flowering,a photo
From a botanical point of view, the concept of "spherical" and "hemispherical" is very arbitrary, since it can be a head or an umbrella, which, in turn, can be collected in complex whorled inflorescences. In some species, even an inflorescence-basket with a convex hemispherical center of tubular flowers can support a "round" country orientation.
Echinacea purpurea with its baskets turns into a prima donna of a flower garden with round shapes,a photo
The role of such plants in contrasting compositions cannot be overestimated: thanks to them, form harmony is achieved in contrast, flower beds become more interesting.
Curly beetle (Jasione crispa), perennial beetle (Jasione laevis)
Amazing (still rare in our dachas) rosette perennials from the Campanulaceae family, which in the summer will support cold blue in the flower garden, blue scale. Next to gray stones, they will look more natural.
The first comes from Southern Spain, 10 cm high, 15 cm wide, inflorescences up to 2 cm in diameter.
The second native of Western and Southern Europe, 20-30 cm high, up to 20 cm wide, inflorescences 2.5-4 cm in diameter.
In the English reference literature, their winter temperature minimum is -15ºС, therefore, in central Russia, the landing sites must be mulched with an organic substrate, covered with dry leaves from above.
Gomphrena spherical (Gomphrena globosa)
The British call it a spherical amaranth, with which she, as a representative of the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae), is really related.
Gomphrena spherical,a photo
In addition to dwarf (up to 15 cm high) varieties of the Buddy series, the Strawberry Fields variety is interesting, 75-80 cm high, up to 30 cm wide, bright red inflorescences, up to 5 cm in diameter.
Gomphrena spherical "Buddy White",a photo. Gomphrena spherical "Strawberry Fields". Photo from freerangestock.com
Choose gomphrenu spherical with different colors of flowers in our catalog, which includes offers from various online stores of planting material. .
Craspedia spherical (Craspedia globosa)
An unusual perennial with pompon-shaped yellow inflorescences from the Asteraceae / Compositae family, which is grown as an annual.
Craspedia globular comes from distant Australia. It is 60-90 cm high and up to 12 cm wide. Inflorescences appear from August to the end of September on leafless peduncles.
Decorative varieties:
- " Billy Buttons" - Dutch line;
- "Drumstick" is an American series.
Craspedia spherical "Drumstick". Photo from amazon.co.uk. Craspedia spherical "BillyButtons". Photo from seedempire.com
Grow through seedlings. Sow in February, put in a bright place. AT open ground planted in May. Likes top dressing: 2-3 times nitrogen and 1 time full complex fertilizer. Used as a dried flower.
Onion (Allium)
Nature generously endowed spherical and hemispherical umbrellas - representatives of the Liliaceae family (Liliaceae):- Maclean's onion (A. macleanii);
- l. highest (A. altissimum);
- l. giant (A. giganteum);
- l. aflatunsky (A. aflatunense);
- l. round-headed (A. sphaerocephalon);
- l. Karatavsky (A. karataviense) and others.
Decorative bows in May,a photo
Their shape will beautifully emphasize the “round” theme of the cottage, but you just need to choose the right place for planting decorative bows. Many of them come from steppe or mountainous regions with stony or lean soils. They are accustomed to an abundance of sun and heat, to well-permeable soils. Heavy compacted earth that holds water will be fatal to them.
Ballhead Mordovnik (Echinops sphaerocephalus)
Another representative of the Aster family (Asteraceae / Compositae) with charming spherical inflorescences-heads of blue, blue and white. He comes from Central, Southern Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia.
Mordovnik spherical,a photo
With a regular haircut, it can be turned into a bluish ball, which during the flowering period will be decorated with a mass of yellow spherical inflorescences. For Santolina's preferences, see the article website:
Spilanthes
A rare annual from the Asteraceae family (Asteraceae/Compositae).
Its exotic beauty lies in spherical inflorescences-heads with a diameter of 2-3 cm. The plant is up to 60 cm high and 60-75 cm wide. It blooms from mid-summer to autumn. Extremely drought tolerant.
Inflorescence- This is a system of modified shoots of an angiosperm plant that bears flowers.
The biological advantage of inflorescences over solitary flowers is to increase the probability of pollination of flowers of anemophilous and entomophilous plants. Due to the compact arrangement of flowers in the inflorescence, the insect will visit them much more per unit of time. In addition, flowers collected in inflorescences are more visible among the greenery of leaves than single ones. Many drooping inflorescences sway easily under the influence of air movement, thereby contributing to the dispersion of pollen. Successful pollination is also facilitated by non-simultaneous blooming of flowers in the inflorescence. The number of flowers in an inflorescence can be different: from 1–3 (peas) to tens of thousands (agave) and hundreds of thousands (cattail) and even much more (corif calla has up to 6 million flowers).
Inflorescences are laid inside flower or mixed buds. In many plants (elder, lilac, hyacinth), the inflorescence appears as a single whole due to the activity of one meristem.
Any inflorescence has main axis, or inflorescence axis, and side axles, which branch into varying degrees or not branched. Their final branches are pedicels they bear flowers. The axes of the inflorescence are divided into nodes and internodes. Bracts are located on the nodes of the inflorescence, bracts are on the nodes of the pedicels.
According to the method of branching, they distinguish two inflorescence type :
1) monopodial (bothric, racemose, indefinite) inflorescences - the number of lateral branches is indefinite; the main axis is clearly expressed; the development of flowers is carried out in an acropetal order (from the base to the top) or centripetally, if the flowers are located in the same plane; monopodial branching is characteristic;
2) sympodial (cymose, apical, certain) inflorescences - the number of branches is certain and constant within the species; the main axis of the inflorescence is not expressed, but a false axis is formed, which consists of axes of various orders; flowers develop basipetally (from the top of the inflorescence to the base) or centrifugally (from the center to the periphery), if they are in the same plane, so the oldest flower in sympodial inflorescences is at the top of the axis or in the center of the inflorescence; branching is more often sympodial, less often false dichotomous.
monopodial inflorescences divided into simple and complex. In simple inflorescences, flowers are located directly on the axis of the first order (sessile) or on pedicels. In complex monopodial inflorescences, simple inflorescences are located on the main axis.
5.1. Simple monopodial inflorescences
Simple monopodial inflorescences (Fig. 18) include:
Rice. 18. Simple monopodial inflorescences:
1 - ear; 2 - earring; 3 - cob; 4 - brush; 5 - shield; 6 - an umbrella; 7 - head;
8 - basket
1) simple spike - numerous flowers do not have pedicels and sit on an elongated axis of the first order (vervain, plantain);
2) earring - drooping ear, i.e., an ear with a soft axis, bearing unisexual flowers; after flowering, it usually completely falls off (willow, poplar);
3) cob - inflorescence with a thickened axis and sessile lateral flowers; the cob is usually surrounded by a leaf, which is called a veil or wing (calamus, calla);
4) brush - flowers on pedicels of the same length are arranged spirally on an elongated axis in the axils of the bracts (lupins), or there are no bracts (cabbage, bird cherry, lily of the valley);
5) shield - a kind of brush, but the pedicels of the lower flowers are much longer than the upper ones, so the flowers are located in the same plane (pear, hawthorn);
6) umbrella - the main axis is shortened, the pedicels are almost the same length and come out of close nodes (susak, onion, cherry);
7) head - inflorescence with a shortened club-shaped extended axis of the first order, no pedicels, or they are very short (clover);
8) basket - an inflorescence with an axis expanded in the form of a disk and sessile tightly closed flowers; the axis of this inflorescence is called bed; apical leaves are crowded and form a wrapper (sunflower, chamomile, aster).