The flower garden (in Latin leucojum aestivum) belongs to the Amaryllis family, its name is derived from two words - milk and violet. That is why his second name is white violet.
Description of the flower garden
The flower garden is a grassy plant for open ground, distributed in the middle of Europe, Iran, the Mediterranean and Turkey. This is a perennial bush up to 40 cm high. The flowering period depends on the species. Spring white flowers bloom in spring, summer flowers in the second half of May, and autumn flowers near the end of summer. Thus, if all three plant species are planted on one flower bed, flowering will last from April to September. The leaves are linear, appear simultaneously with the buds. Flowers solitary or gathered in umbrella brushes. The color is white, pink, length - 3 cm. At the end of flowering, a fruit is formed - a box with seeds. Root system - bulbs covered with brown flakes.
The flower garden is a neophyte plant, since it has appeared relatively recently in gardening.
Types of white flower, photo
In nature, there are several types of flower garden:
- spring;
- summer;
- autumn.
Based on the names, it is clear that they differ in the period of planting on the site and the timing of flowering.
Spring flower garden
It grows on the edges of forests, including in the Carpathians. Leaves up to 25 cm long, peduncle - 30 cm. Inflorescences are single or paired, with a strong aroma. Flowering period 3-4 weeks in April. The best variety among spring white flowers is Karpatikum.
Landing time
Planting material (seeds) quickly lose their germination, so they are sown immediately after harvest. The first flowers appear at 6 or 7 years. Regarding the bulbs, you should also not delay the storage, they must be planted immediately after purchase. If the bulbs are from the garden, they are divided and transplanted to a new place immediately after the leaves dry. The most favorable period is from mid-July to early autumn. Store planting material is planted no later than the second half of October, so that the plant has time to take root.
Summer flower garden
Under natural conditions, the plant is found on meadows and river banks in the territory of Transcaucasia, Southern and Western Europe.
Unlike the spring species, the summer bloom is slightly larger - the leaves and peduncles reach a height of 40 cm. The first inflorescences appear in the second half of May, the flowers form umbrella brushes with a maximum of 10 pieces. The most famous summer white flower is Graveti Dzheint.
Landing time
The optimal period for landing is July-September. In warm regions, planting operations are carried out until November.
For planting, choose heavy bulbs with a dense structure and covered with scales. It is good if roots or small shoots have already appeared. It is important that there are no mechanical damage or traces of mold on the surface of the rhizome. If, immediately after purchase, the planting material is not planted, it can be stored in a plastic container filled with sawdust.
Autumn flower garden
Blooms in the second half of summer. First, stems with inflorescences appear and only at the end of flowering leaves grow.
The height of the bush is only 12 cm. The difficulty is that this variety is not resistant to frost, therefore, such varieties are not popular. However, some gardeners store the flower in special containers in the winter. Along with frosts for the autumn white flower, destructive excess moisture, since under natural conditions the plant can be found only in sandy and rocky areas.
General growing conditions for all species
| Factor | Conditions |
| Bloom |
|
| Landing | Planting work, depending on the variety and type of plant, is carried out from July to September. |
| Lighting | Prefers partial shade. |
| Priming | Wet, drained, near water. |
| Watering | In early spring, immediately after the snow melts, the plant does not need additional moisture. Use the settled water, trying to prevent drops from falling on the flowers. |
| Top dressing | Liquid mineral complexes with a low nitrogen content, since this element contributes to the formation of a dense crown, where fungal infections develop. Helianthus needs phosphorus (introduced before flowering) and potassium (used in autumn). |
| Breeding | Bulb dividing every 5-7 years. The seed propagation method is complex, it is practically not used. |
| Pests | Scoops, caterpillars, rodents, nematodes, slugs. |
| Disease | Gray mold, rust, fungal and viral diseases. |
If it is necessary to propagate the plant as quickly as possible, daughter bulbs should be planted finely - to the depth of the child, no more. Such a shallow landing activates the growth of the root system and the rapid formation of a bush. For planting bulbs, it is best to pick up a sunny flower bed, cleared of weeds, and then move the bush to a more suitable place.
The plant feels most comfortable in the shaded area, next to shrubs and ponds. The soil needs to be moistened, but the flowerbed needs to be well drained, humus-based fertilizing is regularly applied.
Wintering
Spring and summer species of flower garden feel great in the local climate and are resistant to frost. If winter is expected to be moderately cold, snowy, the plant can not be covered. If the winter months are characterized by a harsh climate, with little snow, it makes sense at the end of November to warm the bushes with fir spruce branches.
Mr. Summer resident advises: how to plant a flower garden
The planting pattern is no different from working with other bulbous flowers.
- dig a plot;
- add coarse sand (can be replaced with gravel);
- poor soil is fertilized with rotted manure;
- to reduce the acidity of the soil, lime and peat are added.
The layer of earth covering the bulb varies from 50 mm to two diameters of the rhizome.
Diseases and pests of the flower garden
| Problem | Harm | Methods of struggle |
| Rodents | Damage the rhizome, as a result, the root system rots and the plant dies. | Bulbs need to be dug. Cut off damaged areas and dry for at least 2 hours. Flower beds are arranged at a distance of 3 m from the mouse hole. |
| Scoops, caterpillars | Butterflies and their caterpillars damage the bulbs. | The best way to control insects is to collect caterpillars in the autumn while weeding the flowerbed. |
| Slug | Appear on clay soils, damage inflorescences and leaves of the plant. | When planting, the bulbs are sprinkled with sand or treated with a special insect repellent. |
| Nematode | A small worm that settles in dead parts of plants. It affects the root system and leaves; spots of yellow and red color are formed on them. | Dig up the bulbs and carefully inspect. Affected people need to be thrown away, and healthy ones are soaked in water at a temperature of +45 ° ะก. For five years, bulbous plants cannot be planted on the vacant garden. |
| Viral diseases | Yellow and green spots form on the leaves, the surface becomes tuberous, the edges twist. | The infected plant must be discarded as soon as possible so that it does not infect other bushes. Viruses do not infect seeds, so planting material collected from diseased plants can be sown. |
| Fungal diseases | Black and brown spots appear on the surface of the leaves, sometimes the marks can be gray with a pile. Fungal infections appear in warm and humid weather. The infection spreads from the ground, hitting the bush from the bottom up, as a result, the whole plant dies. | Affected parts are cut and burned. The remaining bush is treated with fungicides. It is necessary to strictly follow the instructions. |
| Chlorosis | A sign of the disease is yellow leaves. Possible reasons:
| A solution to the problem is selected based on the reason that provoked the development of the disease. |
