Hydrangea, phlox, daisy: planting and care

Last year I purchased two new Astilba hybrid products – Heart and Soul and Stand and Deliver. Plants are quite tall, about 80 cm, very beautiful, with fluffy delicate inflorescences and large green leaves with wavy jagged edges. Hut & Soul has large light green beautiful leaves – the decoration of the bush. Against their background, bright, eye-catching inflorescences soar. Both Astilbes feel very good in the sun. In the first astilba, the color of the inflorescences is pale pale pink, in the shining rays of the morning sun – with a lilac tint, in the second – the color is more intense, bright pink.

Brunner

An unpretentious perennial grows well, does not require special care, is decorative from the end of April (the appearance of leaves) until the first frost, when the leaves die off. Young leaves appear throughout the summer, and this gives the Brunner bush always a fresh and elegant look.

New for 2008 are Jack Frost, whose silver leaves are decorated with dark green veins, and Looking Glass, with shiny, uniformly silvery leaves. Their flowers, like those of ordinary brunners, are blue. Both varieties grow beautifully in partial shade, and their spring bloom is just a fairy tale, a blue glow over the precious shimmer of leaves. Also this year, a new variety, Mr. Morse, should appear – with silvery leaves and snow-white forget-me-not flowers.

Buzulniki

Buzulniks are shade-tolerant and hygrophilous. In the garden, they develop better in partial shade, although with abundant and regular watering they feel good in the sun. Some varieties have flowers – bright yellow rather large baskets, raised to a height of 100 cm, others have elongated candles. Flowers and leaves add up well in a beautiful and durable autumn bouquet. The famous varieties Desdemona, Othello, Sommer gold and Orange Queen have been added Britt Marie Crawford. He is perfection itself: a large bush with chocolate-purple leaves and bright orange daisies pleases from spring to autumn.

Basilists

The unpretentiousness, decorativeness of flowers and foliage make this large perennial indispensable for waterlogged areas, the shores of reservoirs, shady gardens. To the well-known varieties of basil with simple flowers of white, purple, lilac-pink and dark red flowers added a variety with double lavender flowers Hewitt’s Double with long flowering in the second half of summer, in July-August, the plant is tall – up to 115 cm, winter-hardy variety, winters without shelter. Basil looks great in a bouquet, gives it airiness and lightness.

Geiger

Recently, lovers of ornamental-leaf plants have taken a great interest in Heuchera. Just as quickly, this beauty became a favorite of designers. Many hybrid Heucheras have appeared with very decorative foliage of a wide variety of colors. Particularly good are the Heucheras from the Planet Parade series – silvery-green Venus, reddish-silvery Mars, pinkish-greenish Neptune, greenish Mercury. But we are a little tired of the variegated leaves, and, as if sensing this, the originators offer this year a calmer, but contrasting combination of leaves: in the Tiramisu variety Tiramisu) – an interesting contrast between the golden yellow leaf and bright red spots along the veins.

Helenium

The main advantage of autumn helenium (aster family) is late and very abundant flowering. Looks very impressive both in group and in single landings. Helenium hybrid varieties have different heights, colors and different flowering periods. The earliest varieties bloom in July – these are the undersized red-bronze Crimson Beauty and the 2005 hit Chelsey: red-brown-yellow, it can again please with flowering in September. In 2006, a variety with double flowers, Double Trouble, appeared for the first time – a bright yellow-lemon with a center of the same color, the color is so bright that it attracts the eye in the flower garden, the bush is powerful, tall, and grows quickly. Now he is slowly conquering space in our gardens, delighting with abundant flowering. And this year is marked by the appearance of a peculiar variety of Autemn Lollipop, the flower of which looks like a yellow-brown pompom with a rare “collar” of yellow petals.

Geranium

This plant has remarkable decorative qualities: first, abundant flowering, at the end of summer, nice fruit – “crane noses” appear, and then the leaves are painted in all the colors of autumn. It reproduces well, grows both in partial shade and in the sun, varieties bloom at different times, which allows you to choose plants so that flowering lasts almost all summer. The foliage of geraniums is juicy, so the bushes do not lose their attractiveness even after flowering. There are a huge number of varieties of geraniums, but there are only a few with double flowers, these are Plenum and Summer Skies with lilac-blue flowers. This year we are promised a new compact meadow geranium with double white flowers and purple rays in the center – the variety is called Double Jewel. I hope this variety will be a real treasure in my collection.

Among the hybrid geraniums with simple flowers, there is a great variety. There are tall geraniums – Sandrine, lower – Blue Sunrise and Crystal Lake and very little ones – for example Elke, only 25 cm high.Sandrine has large dark purple flowers with a black center, and the leaves are light – yellow-green and contrast with the dark petals. Blue Sunrise has very beautiful leaves, young leaves are orange, later turn yellow and only then green, the flowers are quite ordinary – blue, and the Crystal Lake variety is very stable in winter, flowering is long – from July to frost, the flowers are very beautiful – blue with dark veins, a wonderful play of contrasts. The compact rounded Elke bush is simply charming – dark pink flowers with red veins, a light center and light tips at the edges of the petals. Very attractive Patrisia is a bright long-blooming geranium. The color of the petals is interesting, they are red-crimson with chestnut veins and the same dark center, and a relief pattern stands out on the leaves.

Bathers

They bloom in the first half of summer, when there are still not so many flowers. Therefore, their warm joyful flowers of golden shades are so attractive. The shape of the flowers is from spherical to half-open and open. Modern varieties of swimsuits are hybrids of European, Asian, Altai and large-petaled swimsuits. They are united under the name “cultural swimsuit”. We know swimsuits in orange, yellow, plain and terry. And now we are offered a light creamy lemon with semi-double semi-open flowers. The name of this beauty is Cheddar.

Daylilies

The daylily boom that hit America has gradually reached us. This is primarily due to the unpretentiousness of daylilies, an incredible variety of colors and shapes of flowers. Daylilies are not very susceptible to diseases and pests, grow early in spring, abundant foliage is decorative until frost. Among the novelties of the 2008 selection, there are many admirable large-flowered terry varieties. But the largest and brightest among them is Mose’s Fire with bright red double velvet flowers.

Lilies

More recently, we have got genuine masterpieces of selection – OT hybrids, or Orienpets. These lilies differ from others in that they have huge (up to 25 cm) flowers of a variety of very bright colors. The scent is pleasant: when they bloom, the whole garden is fragrant. OT hybrids have not yet received mass distribution, but the prospects are undeniable: they bloom much longer than other lilies, gradually opening one flower after another. The stems are so strong that I sometimes tie phlox to them. With proper care, up to 10 or more flowers can bloom on one stem. Agrotechnics are common; winter well, it is only necessary to shelter them from rain in advance in autumn.

Sedum

Its clumps with fleshy thick leaves and pink flowers, not very bright, but quite attractive, are very good. Somehow imperceptibly and gradually, new hybrid varieties began to appear; Of course, they cannot be compared with the quantity and quality of Heuchera and Echinacea, but nevertheless … Among the new products – Star Dust – Stardust with bright white flowers, very decorating the garden in autumn. It is followed by varieties with dark, almost black leaves – these are Lynda Windsor, Bon Bon, stonecrops with variegated leaves and white-pink flowers are spectacular in their own way – Pink Chablis, Lajos ( Lajos). The brightest red flowers are in the low stonecrop Red Cauli. Chamomile (Nivyanik)

Nivianik

Due to its decorativeness and variety of varieties, modest chamomile is gaining more and more popularity among flower growers. The most popular is the largest daisy and its varieties. The height of the plants is different, most varieties are 60-70 cm, the diameter of the flower is up to 15 cm, blooms from the first days of July. There are only two colors – white and yellow, and what bright varieties have appeared recently: semi-double and double petals, with curls and elongated, with rounded and ragged edges, high and low! In 2008, a replenishment of terry varieties – Fiona Coghill with a large terry pompom and a light yellow-green center, Sante – terry with a bright yellow center. There are varieties with petals in several tiers – Aglaia and Goldrausch. Goldrush has a height of only 35 cm bushes, the flower is original: around the yellow center, the first row of petals is yellow, and the second and third are white with split petals.

Peonies

Several years ago, new items appeared among peonies – intersectional hybrids called “Ito-hybrids”. They were bred by the Japanese breeder Professor Toichi Ito, who crossed tree peonies and milk-flowered peonies. He received plants with the foliage of tree-like peonies, and herbaceous properties. Flowering time and agricultural technology – like herbaceous peonies. This year it will be possible to purchase varieties: Bartzella – bright yellow terry with red blotches in the center, Julia Rose – white-pink with a dark red center, Kopper Kettle – orange-red, Sequestered Sunshine – yellow-lemon with red dusting in the center. New items bloom simultaneously with varieties of herbaceous peonies, the stems are cut for the winter, like those of herbaceous ones, which favorably distinguishes them from tree-like parents.

Boneset

Its Latin name is Eupatorium. It happened on behalf of the Pontic king Mithridates Eupator, who allegedly used this plant as an antidote. This is a legend or a reality, no one knows, but the fact that the steep is regal beautiful is undoubtedly. It is especially attractive in the second half of summer and autumn, when its lush, light purple inflorescences appear. Flowers stand perfectly in the water. It is a pity that he is not very well known in our gardens. Purple stethosis is widespread – a majestic plant from one and a half to two meters in height with fluffy purple inflorescences on very strong stems that grow without supports. The Atropurpureum variety with very dark stems is the most common variety on sale. A very spectacular Chocolate with dark bronze-purple, almost black lanceolate leaves and creamy white flowers. For small gardens, foreign companies offer on the market a new compact variety Plantom with wine-red flowers only 80 cm high.

Phloxes

Several new products are promised this year: Cosmopolitan hot pink with a darker eye, dark purple Apple Keys, hot pink with a light eye Watermelon Punch, pure white Pina Colada, white and pink with a bright beautiful star in the center of Swisley. Nothing outstanding, we already have many similar varieties, I would single out only Swizzleys.

Echinacea

Echinacea purpurea dresses in more and more fancy outfits every year. In the near future we will be pleased with new terry varieties. These are Pink Double Delight with pink flowers and Coconut Lime with white flowers. Echinacea with bright yellow petals are already known, these are Harvest Moon and Sunrise. An even brighter intense orange color in the new Sandown variety with non-drooping petals on strong stems. Judging by the descriptions, there should be an interesting echinacea, I hope that it is no worse than my favorite variety Fatal Etration. In 2008, we are promised the first green Echinacea Green Envy.

Hydrangeas

Breeders have made another revolution. Currently, new varieties of large-leaved hydrangea, or garden, have appeared. These are the most beautiful, changing the color of the inflorescences depending on the acidity of the soil of the hydrangea, but in our country, due to the harsh winters, they demanded the same shelter as roses, since they bloomed on the shoots of last year. And new varieties bloom on this year’s shoots and therefore do not require such careful shelter as before. Let’s see how they behave, given our winters.