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Aubrieta (Aubrieta) is a herbaceous perennial from the Cabbage family, order Cabbage. The name was given in honor of the French artist Aubrier, who created amazingly beautiful illustrations for botanical publications. The homeland of the flowering plant is the southern regions of Europe – part of France, Italy, the Balkan Peninsula, as well as Iran and the countries of Asia Minor. The flower is very popular, it is cultivated throughout Europe, it is also loved in Our Country. Planting and caring for a long-term shaving has its own subtleties that should be observed in order to get a luxurious floral carpet on your site.
Description of aubration
Aubrieta perennial is an evergreen flower whose shoots spread along the ground. Small buds with a diameter of 0,8-1,5 cm have many shades: pink, violet, amethyst, purple, light lavender, blue, crimson. The core is usually surrounded by either a light or darker narrow border. Stamens rich golden-green color. On the petals, radial veins-threads are clearly visible.
The stem is flexible, round in cross section, with a short velvety fluff, rich green in color. The leaves are lanceolate, depending on the variety, they can be serrated or even. They are arranged alternately and have a bright green, rich light green or grayish-green color, often with a light border around the edge.
Aubrieta perennial is able to form a continuous carpet 5-23 cm thick over a fairly large area. Four-petal buds are located at the tips of the stems, so the flowers almost completely cover the greenery. The fruit is a pod with flat, chocolate-colored bean seeds.
Aubrieta perennial has an underdeveloped root system, so its cultivation requires light, well-drained soils and mandatory regular watering. The plant tolerates partial shade, feels great on the south side at the height of summer.
Winter hardiness shaving
Aubrieta perennial tolerates the temperate and northern climate well, provided there is enough snow. She doesn’t need any extra cover.
Types and varieties of shaving
Aubrieta perennial has seventeen main species. There are also many hybrids introduced by breeders.
Deltoid
Aubrieta perennial “Deltoid” grows up to 15 cm in height, the stem and leaves have a bluish, gray-green color. The inflorescences are racemose, appear in late May-early June and fade in 25-35 days. Flowers with a diameter of 1 cm are painted in deep purple, lilac and dark blue.
The flower is perfect for alpine slides or borders along the paths
cascading
Aubrieta perennial “Cascade” refers to breeding hybrid varieties. Strongly pubescent stems and leaves have a light, gray-greenish color. In May, Aubrieta releases the first buds of a rich blue, blue or purple hue. The center of the flowers is golden yellow, bordered by darker narrow rims.
The variety is excellent in vertical compositions.
Hybrid
Aubrieta perennial cultural – one of the tallest varieties, reaches 20-25 cm in length. The leaves are light green in color, lanceolate, with lighter serrated edges. The flowers are small, reddish purple.
Hybrid perennial obrieta perfectly tolerates wintering in temperate climatic zones
Elegant
Aubrieta perennial “Graceful” – a medium-sized variety with a height of 5 to 15 cm. The stems are thin, branched. The leaves are pubescent, with a smooth and serrated edge of an emerald hue. The shape is ovoid or lanceolate. It starts flowering in May, ends in June, and can please with a second, autumn wave. The flowers are light and dark pink, purple and blue with golden “eyes”.
The ground cover perennial grows rapidly, forming a continuous green-flower carpet.
Perennial shaving in landscape design
Aubrecia is usually used to create a flower carpet on alpine slides, borders, flower beds. Aubrieta perennial looks great on vertical walls, ledges, terraces. It can be planted in crevices between stones or bricks, where it forms spectacular cascades of greenery and flowers. Fading, obrieta retains a magnificent appearance of a solid emerald or grayish-green cover.
Aubrieta perennial is excellently combined with other garden plants, the flowering time of which comes later. It can be planted next to phlox, milkweed, irises. The aubration in the flower bed is beautiful and this can be seen in the photo of the flowers.
Aubrieta perennial looks great in flower arrangements
Features of breeding shaving
Flowering perennial can be propagated in several ways, each of which has its own advantages:
- Perennial aubrieta germinates remarkably from seeds, including those collected independently, if it is not a hybrid variety. They are planted immediately in the ground in the spring. They should be placed on the surface of the prepared area, sprinkled with a layer of clean sand 2-3 cm thick, keeping a distance. After that, water periodically.
- Cuttings can be made in the middle of summer during planned pruning, when the flower has already faded. Use only those shoots on which there are no flower buds. They are buried in a soil mixture of equal parts of sand and light turfy earth, covered with glass or film. With sufficient watering, the cuttings take root by the end of summer and can be transplanted to a permanent place.
- In the spring, before the appearance of buds and in the autumn, after fruiting, you can propagate the perennial shaving by dividing the bushes. To do this, an earthen ball with roots is carefully pry off and carefully divided into several parts with its rhizome and shoots. But in this case, maximum care must be taken, since weak roots do not tolerate any traumatic procedures.
Planting shaving seeds immediately in open ground
The most popular way of planting aubration in open ground is seed, care and labor costs in this case are minimized. Aubrieta perennial is distinguished by excellent seed germination, in the presence of pre-treatment.
Deadlines
Seeds are sown outdoors in the spring when the soil is warm enough. Depending on the climate characteristic of the area, this may be the beginning of April-mid-May. Also, among flower growers, a common method of planting shaving seeds before winter, in late autumn. It is more preferable, since the seedlings have time to get stronger faster and bloom in the first year.
Site selection and soil preparation
Aubrieta perennial is undemanding to the composition of the soil and lighting. It can grow in partial shade, under the canopy of trees or in sunny areas. It prefers slightly alkaline and acid-neutral soils, therefore it is better not to add peat to the soil mixture, and neutralize acidic soil with slaked lime or wood ash. It is also sown on rocky areas, in crevices between boulders, near stone fences, between concrete slabs. Framed by stone ledges and steps.
Aubrieta perennial is very sensitive to excess moisture in the area. If subsoil waters are close, rains regularly stagnate, then its roots begin to rot, and the plant dies.
In clay and flooded areas, it is necessary to take care of good drainage and raising the level of plantings.
Before planting seeds, it is necessary to dig up the chosen place, add well-rotted compost or humus in small quantities, and clean it from weeds and roots.
How to plant shaving seeds
Before sowing the seeds in the ground, they must be dipped in a weak pink solution of manganese for 15-20 minutes, and then transferred to the growth stimulator. Moisten the soil well before planting, make shallow marks at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Arrange the prepared seeds, sprinkle with a layer of coarse sand, the thickness of which should be 3-4 cm.
When planting seeds of perennial shaving before winter, the area must be covered with dry foliage, chopped straw, spruce branches, covering material. In the spring should be protected with a film until shoots appear.
Planting seedlings shaving in open ground
Aubrieta can also be planted with seedlings, planting and care in the open field in this case have their own characteristics:
- For sowing seeds of a perennial shaving, it is advisable to use peat cups in order to disturb the delicate sprouts as little as possible.
- Landing in the ground is carried out only when the threat of frost has passed, usually this is mid-late May.
- The holes should be made in such a way that the pot fits completely, and the width is 2 times larger.
- It is necessary to maintain a distance of 8-10 cm between plants.
- On top of the planting, mulch with a layer of sand of 5 cm and water.
- Careful watering in small quantities should be done daily until the seedlings are accepted.
Features of growing aubration
Aubrieta perennial is demanding only for sufficient, but not excessive moisture. Otherwise, it practically does not require the attention of the grower.
With proper care, the long-term obrieta is magnificent
Watering and fertilizing schedule
A rooted adult perennial shaving is watered as the soil dries out. Excessive watering leads to an increase in green mass to the detriment of flower buds, and then to the death of plants. After watering, it is desirable to loosen the soil slightly, while removing the weeds that have appeared. Mulching with straw, dry grass, pieces of bark or sand gives a good effect.
Aubrieta perennial requires minimal top dressing twice a season – before flowering and in the fall after fruiting. You can use any complex fertilizer for flowers containing potassium.
Trimming
Pruning is done in the middle of summer after the end of the first wave of flowering. This measure renews the plants and stimulates the growth of autumn buds. In autumn, flowers are not pruned, so they better tolerate wintering. In order for the long-term obrieta to bloom more abundantly, wilted buds must be cut off.
Wintering
Aubrieta perennial easily tolerates harsh winters if the snow cover is deep enough. If a snowy winter is expected, plantings can be additionally covered with spruce branches, straw, dry leaves and grass.
Diseases and pests
Aubrieta perennial is characterized by increased resistance to viral infections and pests. Only weakened bushes can be affected by powdery mildew, which is expressed in a white coating on the leaves. To combat this fungal disease, a solution of colloidal sulfur is perfect.
The most dangerous for perennial shaving is the common green aphid. Ants spread it around the site, and it multiplies at a tremendous speed. Special insecticidal preparations such as Karbofos will help get rid of it. Proper agricultural practices and the destruction of anthills serve as preventive measures.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for a perennial shaving is not difficult. Even novice growers successfully cope with this task. The main enemies of a magnificent flower are stagnant water in the soil and excessive watering. Otherwise, the perennial obrieta is extremely unpretentious. It is able to grow on depleted soils, in cracks between stones, in partial shade and in the sun. The plant is widely used in landscape design to create picturesque cascades, borders and flowering carpets.