Aquilegia, or catchment area
Description. An early flowering, elegant plant with openwork ornamental foliage, assembled into large sprawling rosettes, and numerous single or loose loafers on long peduncles up to 1 m high.
Large flowers, 6-10 cm in diameter, different in color - white, cream, yellow, pink, lilac, carmine, often two-colored. The corolla is five-petalled with thin elegant spurs of 5-7 cm long, directed between the sepals. It is the Spappers that give the aquilegian flower such an original characteristic look. On one peduncle there can be 8-12 flowers. Blooms from late May to late July. Split bluish-green leaves retain their decorative qualities throughout the summer. There are many types of aquilegia that were introduced into culture several centuries ago and with which the breeders are willing to work, creating all new varieties of aquilegia. Aquilegia is used in all types of floral design: mixborders, group plantings;Low grades are effective in rockers. Aquilegia is also promising for the flower arrangement of shady places. Thanks to beautiful leaves, the plant does not lose its decorativeness even after flowering. Inflorescences with graceful flowers are good for cutting, composing various floral arrangements and arrangements.
Species
Aquilegia ferriferous
The height of the bush reaches 65 cm. The plant is decorative not only during the flowering period, but also before its beginning - during the period of growing and unfolding the leaves, creating a good color effect: on the upper side they have a matte-green color, and withlower - grayish. Blossoms for a long time, about a month, from mid-May to mid-June. Flowers, although a few, but large( diameter up to 6-8 cm).The color of the perianth is brightly dense blue, but there are natural forms with white-colored inner petals.
Aquilegia easily forms hybrid forms,
because it is a cross-pollinated plant. There are many varieties that differ in the height of the bushes, the size and color of flowers, the length of the shportsev and the swing. This group combines garden hybrids of various origins with flowers of different colors and sizes( up to 10 cm in diameter).
Species
Aquilege Canadian is common in the mountainous areas of eastern America. The bush is spreading, delicate;leaves on long( up to 15 cm) petioles;peduncles up to 50 cm high;inflorescence - loose whisk. Flowers are cylindrical, two-colored outer petals - red, internal - yellow, numerous bright yellow stamens are gathered in a bundle and protruding from a flower;The spur has a length of up to 2.5 cm. It blooms profusely during the month in May-June.
Aquilegia Olympic. Her homeland is the Caucasus. One of the most decorative species of the catchment area: on densely hairy-sprouted peduncles large( up to 5-10 cm) light blue flowers with a spur 1-2 cm in length are found. It blooms from the middle or end of May to the middle of June. At the end of July - August, the seeds ripen, leaves start to die from the end of August, and in September the vegetation ends. The growth of new leaves of this species begins under snow, and in spring the plant comes out with young bright green leaves.
Cultivation and care. Aquilegia is a fairly unpretentious plant that grows well in open sunny areas, in partial shade and even shade. Aquilegia is often considered to be a shade-loving plant, since it is noted that when the plant is located on a solar patch, the flowers are diminishing, the flowering period is shortened.
Aquilegia can grow on any garden soil, but prefers loose humus. Aquilegia is moisture-loving, so the soil must be kept moist, additional waterings are needed during the summer.
Aquilegia is winter hardy, so no additional shelter is required. When the death of leaves begins in the middle of July, the above-ground part needs to be cut off, then a new growth begins in autumn and spherical bushes form in a beautiful form.
It is better to breed watersheds with freshly harvested seeds, but you can also divide a bush. Seeds are sown in the ground for the winter or grow seedlings in a greenhouse, a film tunnel, indoor conditions. Seeds of aquilegia germinate slowly, shoots appear after 20-30 days, seedlings grow slowly. On a permanent place they are planted in August. Flowering begins in early June next year and lasts for a month. Adult shrubs aquilegia short-lived, in the 3-4th year they are thinned and shallow, so planting aquileges need periodic restoration.