Unpretentious Perennials - A great option for planting in the country or in the garden, if you simply do not have time to carefully care for flowers. From completely different in form, height, color and texture of perennials, you can create magnificent complex compositions that will delight more than one year.
Astilba
Astilbe is a perennial upright plant in the family of stone-hem family, popular in floriculture. The name of the plant from Latin is translated as "without shine", which indicates matt leaves. In garden culture, it is valued due to low maintenance and long abundant flowering.
Plants of different varieties reach two meters in height or can be quite low. The elevated part of the bush dies off for the winter. Dissected leaves with red cuttings make the plant decorative at any time.
Astilbe blooms in the summer months. Paniculata or pyramidal inflorescences with high peduncles collected from small openwork flowers, have a variety of colors: white, pink, lilac, purple, red.
Astilba propagated by seed and division of the bush.
Astilba can be grown in the most shaded corners of the site, it does not need abundant sunshine, but it needs to provide enough water. The bush looks aesthetically pleasing in mixborders with other shade-loving perennials: lilies of the valley, irises, late tulips, and bergenia. The classic option for the site is a flower bed with astilba and host.
Important! For astilbe it is useful to mulch the earth with bark, straw, sawdust or small pebbles, this reduces overheating, retains moisture and soil looseness, creates a comfortable wintering of the plant.
Catchment
Catchment (aquilegia) - herbaceous perennial buttercup family. A watershed can grow for many years in one place with little or no care, it is undemanding to light and soil, does not need a winter shelter (except for five-year-old plants).
The development cycle of aquilegia colors is two years. Flowers have a complex bell-shaped form. The color of flowers varies in different species and varieties: there are single-colored and two-colored flowers, petals are white, yellow, rich pink, blue, and purple. Plants of many European and American varieties of aquilegia on flowers have spurs - sprouts on the petals, where nectar accumulates.
The catchment is propagated by seeds, cuttings and, in extreme cases, by dividing the bush. After flowering, the stems are cut to the rosette of leaves.
The composition of multi-colored aquilegia - a great flower bed for the lazy. Also, the catchment is planted in the foreground in combination with other plants: low forms - with saxifrage, cloves, gentian; tall - with poppies and bells.
Compositions with aquiley and irises, bathing suits, ferns, astilba by the reservoirs are very beautiful.
Dicentra
Dicentra, nicknamed by the people "broken heart", belongs to the poppy family.
This is a lush bush up to a meter tall with succulent stems. There are also dwarf species (up to 15 cm) and creepers.
The cut properties of bluish-green leaves and arc-shaped elegant inflorescences also have decorative properties. Thanks to the pink flowers, the centering cannot be confused with another plant: they are shaped like hearts up to 2 cm in diameter. At the bottom of the flower are protruding white petals. Dicentra blooms in May, the duration of flowering - a month.
Dicentra multiplies by dividing the rhizome and above-ground sprouts, the seed method is very laborious and often ineffective.
You can plant it on any soil, but it is better to choose nutritious, light, moderately moist and drained. For Dicenter fit and sunny place, and shade. In the shade flowering will be later, but long.
Care for the "broken heart" is the timely watering, weeding and loosening the soil.
Dicentra looks good in bright flower beds with spring tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, primrose, combined with forget-me-nots, host, aquilegia, ferns. It is planted on the curb and lawn, in rockeries.
Did you know? Folk names of plants are often based on the legends of unhappy love. In France, the dicenter is called "сœur de Marie" (the heart of Mary) and "сœur-de-Jeannette" (the heart of Jeanette), in Germany "herzblumen" (flowers of the heart), in Poland "serce Jasia" (the heart of Yasya), in Bulgaria " ladies srrce "(ladies' heart). In English, there is the usual name "bleeding heart" (bleeding heart) and quite unusual - "lady-in-a-bath", which means "lady in the bath."
Iris
Iris (Iris) is a perennial of the family of Iris (Iris).
Flat sword-shaped leaves are collected in bunches in the form of a fan. Large flowers are painted in different colors: lilac, purple, blue, pink, white, yellow, burgundy. Irises are notable for the shape of flowers: three petals are bent down, and three grow together into a tube at the top. Probably, for such a bizarre form in Ukraine, the iris was called "pivny" (cockerel).
Irises like light and fertile soil with good drainage (except for swamp and Siberian species that prefer moist to soil). Plant nutrition is carried out by mineral fertilizers. Most often, the irises are propagated in a vegetative way (by dividing the rhizome).
Irises of different species and varieties can be planted in monocolon - iridarium. Borders of irises along the paths or along the perimeter of the flower garden look beautiful. Bearded iris bush can be planted on the background of a shrub or lawn. Iris marsh good for decorating garden ponds. Dwarf irises are suitable for creating rockeries (hills).
Important! When planting in a flowerbed near the iris, it is better to have perennials with deep roots, since its root system is located in the upper layers of the soil.
Lupine
Lupine ("wolf beans") belongs to the legume family. The plant up to 1.5 m tall is distinguished by high inflorescences - brushes of different colors: white, pink, yellow, red, purple, violet. The brush can reach a length of up to 0.5 m.
Lupine is propagated by seeds (seedlings and sowing in open ground), less often by cuttings.
For planting lupine is suitable not too alkaline or acidic soil on the illuminated terrain. Heavy loamy and moist soil is not recommended. In shaded places, the plant is drawn out and becomes less decorative.
To care for the plant you need to loosen the soil and remove weeds, adult plants need to spud. Lupine loves abundant spring watering and moderate in other times.
Lupine is sometimes grown as green manure - nitrogen replenisher in the soil: its rotted stems and leaves become good fertilizer.
Lupine looks good in a single planting, in homogeneous groups and on difficult flowerbeds with other perennials: nivyanik, iris, host, delphinium, lily. High bright lupins are planted in the background of the composition.
Important! In developing the design of a multi-level flowerbeds, it is important to properly position the plants in height. If the flower bed is located near the fence or wall, tall plants are planted in the background, and low - in the front. If the flowerbed has the form of an island, high plants are placed in the center, and low - along the edges. High perennials can be planted alone or in small groups, and middle-grown plants can be placed next to them.
Herbaceous peonies
The peony family contains only one genus - the peony, most of which are grassy species. Peony bushes attract with fragrant lush flowers of the same or different shades (red, burgundy, pink, white) whose diameter reaches 15-20 cm. There are about five thousand varieties of peonies, they all have different characteristics. Peonies are very cold-resistant and have significant longevity. They prefer areas with good lighting and lack of drafts. The best soil for peony is loam.
Peony is propagated by seeds (more often in breeding) and division of the bush. Peony care includes infrequent, abundant watering, weeding, soil loosening, fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers.
Peonies look the most spectacular over a wide area in the middle of a lawn.. In the design of the garden, peonies can be used to add volume to the flower arrangement and create a background for the plants after flowering. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the color range. For example, plants with red flowers on the background of burgundy peonies will be lost, and the combination with white or coral will create a good ensemble.
Plant height is also important: partners must be taller (trees) or lower (plants with small flowers). It is better not to plant several different varieties of peony nearby.
Important! Between peony bushes it is better not to plant other plants, but leave this place free for loosening.
Chamomile garden
Chamomile garden called perennial nivyanik - Herbaceous plant of the Aster family (Asteraceae). Upright stem can reach up to a meter in length. Nivyanik flowers are baskets with inflorescences with a yellow center of fruit-bearing tubular flowers and long, fruitless, false-tongued flowers on the edge. In addition to the traditional white color of the petals, the plants also have yellow, pink, lilac, and brown.
Nivyanik propagated by seeds (sowing in open ground and seedlings), cuttings and division of rhizome.
To the stems of the berry are not deformed, it is better not to place the plant in the shade. Garden chamomile prefers sunny places with good drainage. Instead of sandy or clayey soil, it is better to choose calcareous or neutral soil.
Nyvyanik care consists of watering (often for seedlings and only in drought for rooted plants), weeding, loosening and feeding the soil with organic fertilizers. During flowering, faded inflorescences must be removed, and after flowering, the entire shrub must be pruned. For the winter the nivyanik is covered with dry leaves.
Simple-looking, but very ornamental flowers of the gardener are well suited for complex flowerbeds - mixborders. They can also be planted alone or in combination with other plants.
Did you know? Because of the similar appearance, a number of plants of other genus of the Astrov family are mistakenly called chamomile: gerbera, doronicum, feverfew, chamomile and others.
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia belongs to the Astrov family and has one-year, two-year and perennial species. For perennials include such species as brilliant rudbeckia, glossy orebeckia, beautiful rudbeckia, hairy rudbeckia. Plant height from 0.25 m to 1.5 m has hard, straight stems with stiff hairs.
Large inflorescences-baskets are notable for bright contrasting shades: the middle is black or dark brown, and the petals are yellow, orange and red.
Perennial rudbeckia is often propagated by dividing the bush. When planting a plant, two factors that are unacceptable to it should be taken into account: shade and poorly drained soil. Plant care is very simple and includes timely regular watering in the morning or in the evening, loosening the soil and removing weeds.
Sunny rudbeckia are wonderful unpretentious flowers for the garden in a rustic style, which involves the use of natural materials in the decor, fuzzy lines and simple plants. A bright spot of rudbeckia will create a mixborder in the background. A successful combination with rudbeckia will be purple echinacea. In the autumn, chrysanthemums and asters look beautiful alongside.
Did you know? Hairy rudbeckia is a plant symbol of the American state of Maryland.
Hosta
Hosta (Funkya) - herbaceous perennial of the asparagus family. The flowers of the host are shaped like a funnel or bell and painted white, pink, blue and purple. Assembled in clusters-brush.
Hosta affects a variety of foliage: each species and variety has its own characteristics. Radical leaves on long petioles have a lanceolate or heart-shaped form. The surface of the leaves is textured: glossy or matte, wax, with wrinkles, reaped. The color range of leaves - shades of green and blue, white and yellow.
On one sheet plate several colors can be arranged in stripes, spots, lines. Leaf color is one of the hallmarks of the classification of host varieties; the second sign is the size of the plant (from dwarf to giant).
The host is propagated by seed, dividing the bush, cuttings. Lighting different varieties of the host need different things: blue varieties like shade, plants with yellow and white elements on the leaves prefer more light. Optimal lighting for the host is half-shade. The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic, sand and heavy loam are not recommended. If the soil is fertile, fertilizing is not required for several years.
For the hosts important timely watering, it is done at the root of the plant in the morning. Due to the strong growth in the garden, the undersized host is used as a groundcover. It is often planted on the edges of garden paths, near ponds. In the flower beds of the host gives the background for other perennial garden flowers: astilbe, aquilegia, dicentre, peony, fern.
Did you know? Without a transplant host grows in one place to twenty years.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a perennial of the Aster family. In the most popular culture of Echinacea purpurea.
A plant up to 1.5 m high looks like a large daisy. A large basket inflorescence at the edges has reed purple-pink flowers, and in the center - fruit-bearing tubular flowers. Bottom leaves with long petioles and teeth along the edges have a wide oval shape. Echinacea blooms from the second year of life, in the summer months.
Thanks to the varietal variety, today it is possible to grow not only the usual bright pink, but also yellow, orange, white, red echinacea.
Did you know? Echinacea is a valuable medicinal plant with a powerful immunomodulatory effect, as well as antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory properties.
For echinacea, you need to find a bright and fertile place, as it does not tolerate shade and sandy soil. However, to drought and cold, the plant is stable. Echinacea is propagated by seeds (species of plants) and division of the bush (hybrid varieties). All that the plant requires in its care is abundant frequent watering in the evening, removal of weeds and top dressing from rotted compost with ashes from the second year of life in spring and after flowering.
Echinacea can be placed on a multi-level flowerbed of high, medium and low (ground cover) perennials.
Unpretentious perennial flowers do not require painstaking care and allow without any trouble to create a beautiful composition for the garden. The most difficult thing in working with such plants is the choice of their own specimen from a variety of species and varieties of perennials.
