Aquilegia - a flower that is popularly known as an elf slipper, watershed, orlik or dove, is often mentioned in myths and fairy tales. Such unusual names are attached to the plant due to the original shape of the flower. The truly unusual, unlikely flowers of aquilegia will decorate gardens located in the northern hemisphere. In other parts of the globe, decoratively bred hybrid varieties are used for landscape design.
Aquilegia is most often called the catchment, it is a grassy perennial from the ranunculaceae family. The main habitat is the mountainous regions of the northern regions.
Catchment
Plant description
The perennial original flower collector, which has not undergone selection, is a low plant, reaching 30 cm during the growing season. But during flowering, under favorable weather conditions, it can grow up to 1 m up. Moreover, the stems can fall to the ground.
In most cases, the flower lives for 2 years. In the first year of its development, it forms a bud for a flowering shoot that is thrown away in early summer. By autumn, a small rosette of leaves forms, dying and overwintering. In the second year, last year's leaves are replaced with new ones.
Aquilegia on the flowerbed
Single flowering - one drooping flower is formed on a flexible flower-bearing stalk. The description of the plant will be incomplete if we do not mention that in an alpine flower the petals can have a variety of colors - white, red, yellow, raspberry, blue, as well as a combination of several flowers.
Corolla - these are 5 petals, separately located from each other. They form a kind of funnel, in which a wide hole is obliquely cut. It is noteworthy that in addition to the main petals, the flower has spurs. They are longer and narrower, bent to the stem.
Important! It is the length of these spurs, as well as the intensity of their twisting, that serves scientists to classify aquilegia.
Some varieties of aquilegia form panicles of flowers, in contrast to a single flowering plant growing in the wild.
After flowering, the fruit of aquilegia is formed. This is a many-leafed (siliculose fruit) with black shiny seeds.
Note!Plant seeds are poisonous and retain intensive germination for 1 year.
Aquilegia: outdoor planting and care
It must be borne in mind that ordinary aquilegia blooms for 2 years. Flowers are intensively thrown from the beginning of June to the beginning of August.
Aquilegia has become quite often used in the design of flower beds and lawns. If you choose the right height of the plant, you can arrange it with alpine landscape hills. It is most suitable for mixing with other plants. After all, its natural distribution area is mountainous regions. Therefore, you just need to pay attention to companion plants - and the result will surprise and please even the most demanding aesthetes.
As for tall plants, they look better when planted heaped in one place. You should not sit in a row of aquilegia, as high representatives of this genus can simply fill up flower stalks from strong winds or heavy rainfall.
Tall aquilegia combined with other colors
The main thing is to choose the right variety and then the flowers of a certain color, shape and size will be able to decorate any flower bed. Including you need to pay attention to the height of the peduncle so that he does not drown out his neighbors and does not get lost among them.
How long does the aquilegia bloom
Under favorable conditions, a suitable amount of sunlight, the proper level of humidity - this plant is able to delight the eye with its delicate and sophisticated flowers almost throughout the summer.
Note! But it is worth remembering that the hotter and more sunlight, the flowers become smaller, and the flowering period is significantly reduced.
If you want aquilegia to give intense flowering, then you should take care of planting and care in the open ground according to the following rules:
- better to choose partial shade. Otherwise, in heavily lit areas, the flowers will be smaller in size, and the flowering period may be reduced to 1 month;
- the soil should be moderately moist. To do this, water the plants as the topsoil dries. It is also worth taking care of timely loosening - this will ensure the necessary flow of oxygen into the soil. In order for the soil to become light, as aquilegia likes, it is necessary to add humus to it. Top dressing is carried out with standard mineral supplements suitable for flowering plants.
Varieties of Aquilegia
To date, aquilegia has more than 100 varieties bred by breeders from different countries. This allows you to choose a flower for any need in the formation of the original landscape variations of the garden and the design of flower beds.
Aquilegia Terry
Terry aquilegia is an unusual plant variety, which is distinguished by the largest flowers, reaching a diameter of 10 cm. It was bred artificially in order to diversify the flowers and achieve a certain effect.
A distinctive feature is multi-petalism. The flower itself is formed from narrow petals arranged in several rows. If we talk about color, the color intensity decreases as you approach the center. Shades can range from white to lilac.
On the leaves of a plant of this variety there is a specific bluish plaque.
Note! With the deduction of the aquilegia of Terry, breeders managed to achieve higher frost resistance. This makes it possible to grow a plant of this variety in more northern regions than its natural distribution area.
This is what ensured the great popularity of the variety among gardeners.
Aquilegia Terry
Aquilegia Hybrid
The name itself indicates that breeders have worked to improve both the shape and size of the flower, and the versatility of its color. Breeders managed to achieve such results due to crossing the catchment area of the Alpine and American plant varieties.
The aquilegia hybrid is tall - shoots can reach 1 m in height. And the flowers themselves are quite large - up to 10 cm in diameter. If we talk about the number of flower petals of this variety, they can be standard - 5 main and 5 spurs. In other varieties of the variety, the number of petals can be significantly larger and form a double or fan-shaped flower.
The most common color options are a combination of white with blue or red. Plain stain of a peduncle is also common.
Important! If you want to get a plentiful flowering hat on your flowerbed or lawn, then you should choose hybrid aquilegia, since they are distinguished by abundant simultaneous flowering, which lasts quite a long time.
Also, this variety is suitable for growing it in more northern regions than it usually grows - it is quite frost-resistant and unpretentious in care.
Aquilegia Hybrid
Aquilegia Ordinary
The habitual distribution area of this flower falls on the European part of the Eurasian continent.
It differs in height, ranging from 30 to 70 cm - depending on the conditions that exist in a particular region or season.
The main part of the leaves of the variety are located at the base of the petiole and much less often the leaves are found along the length of the stem. They are twice triple, with a slight bluish bloom.
Note! Flowers of this variety are distinguished by the fact that they have a small variety of color petals. Most often these are blue, purple and pink shades.
If we talk about the size of the peduncle - then it is quite average in size. Only 4, maximum 5 cm in diameter. As for the number of petals, they can be standard and include 5 main and 5 spurs. In other variations there are terry flowers.
Important! This variety can tolerate frosts quite long in time and with temperatures up to -35 ° C. Therefore, it can be planted even in those regions where winter temperatures are quite extreme or in areas that are high above sea level.
It is all of the above characteristics of this variety of aquilegia that make growing and caring for it quite easy.
Aquilegia Ordinary
Aquilegia Winky
It is most often used to decorate the garden when decorating landscaping, for interiors (as balcony flowers) or as a potted flower.
A distinctive feature of the Winky Aquilegia is a fairly compact bush, reaching a height of not more than 20-30 cm.
At the end of the stem, 20 cm long, there is one flower, which most often represents terry combinations of petals, supplemented by spurs. Coloring varies from monophonic variations of the petal, to a combination of several shades.
Such aquilegia in the country allows you to quite effectively design not only flower beds, but also the facade of the building, as designers offer to plant it in hanging pots.
Aquilegia Winky
Aquilegia Yellow
Another perennial hybrid of the plant is the Aquilegia variety Yellow. Its distinctive feature is the golden flowers of a monochromatic color, which have a fairly standard form inherent in the wild catchment.
This species is popular in North America, but, recently, it is becoming more and more popular among domestic gardeners. This is due to the fact that bright flowers of a saturated yellow hue begin to bloom quite early and continue to thrive abundantly peduncles throughout the summer.
As for the growing regions, it feels best in regions with a temperate continental climate.
Aquilegia Yellow
Aquilegia of Columbine
It is a perennial with a compact, but rather tall bush - up to about 70 cm. The variety is cold-resistant, which makes it, as well as the Aquilegia Normal, suitable for cultivation in Siberian regions.
A distinctive feature of Columbine's aquilegia is a more elongated flower shape, resembling a bell-shaped bowl. Shades of petals can vary from the lightest (white) to deep dark purple.
Aquilegia of Columbine
Aquilegia White
White watershed varieties look quite spectacular. They can become a real decoration of the garden, especially in combination with other flowers of a brighter color.
There are several varieties of Belaya aquilegia, such as Snow Queen, Tower white, White Star.
Note! Each of the varieties has a fairly long flowering period. Some of them can be planted in Siberia or in the Urals due to their rather efficient growth and frost resistance.
If we talk in general about how to care for this kind of aquilegia, then it is also unpretentious, like everyone else. The main thing is to choose the right time in order to sow seeds or plant seedlings. And also provide suitable conditions for moisture and soil quality
Aquilegia Alpine
Variety aquilegia Alpine - a small plant. In height, it rarely reaches more than 40 cm. True, if it is artificially created to create the most comfortable conditions for growth and regular feeding, then flower stalks up to 80 cm high can be driven out. True, most often the plant is quite stunted.
The peak flowering in this variety occurs in early June, late July. The flower is ordinary in shape. Unpretentious to the conditions.
But all the same, aquilegia will require specific care after flowering. In order to rejuvenate the bush, it must be transplanted until it is 2 years old. Otherwise, you can damage the root system of the flower. It is also important to maintain an attractive appearance, to rejuvenate the plant. This can be done if you cut down a faded peduncle.
Important! After seven years, the plant fades. It ceases to give color, the leaves become small and inconspicuous. Therefore, a cardinal rejuvenation of old bushes is required by planting new flowers.
Varieties that are annuals need to be planted annually.
Summarizing all of the above, it is worth noting that in landscape design the aquilegia of Colombian, Biedermeier, Hybrid, Clementine and Terry are most popular. These are ideal plants for mixborders, alpine lawns. Due to their unpretentiousness, they easily take root, do not require intensive care and frequent feeding. But, nevertheless, it is desirable that the plant be provided with partial shade - so the flowers achieve the most attractive appearance and large size. In this case, it is also possible to achieve longer flowering.
