Technology of cultivation of annual flower ornamental plants. Cultivation of annual herbaceous plants. Annual flowers in the country house photo gallery

2013-04-24

Every owner of a garden plot wants to see it blooming and beautiful throughout the warm season. Summer in our area is short and fast, so I want to have time to enjoy the beauty of the planted trees, shrubs and flowers.

For flower decoration of plots, it is necessary to use ornamental herbaceous plants with different biological characteristics (annual, biennial, perennial, bulbous, ephemeroids), since their combination will provide a long-term decorative effect.

Or the so-called "letniki" are grown for one season, at the end of summer these plants give seeds. Annual crops bloom for a long time, have a rich aroma and decorative foliage. Many decorative flower crops are perennial, but only in warm countries. In our country, they vegetate for one season (snapdragon, begonia, verbena).

Flower beds, flower beds, balcony boxes, parterre and carpet flower beds are decorated with annual flower crops. Group and solitary (single) plantings from annuals (sunflower, cochia, fragrant tobacco) look spectacular. Curly and ampelous annuals look beautiful when decorating balconies (sweet peas, , , ). For this purpose, profusely flowering annuals are used, which bloom well in boxes and pots (levkoy, lobelia, snapdragons).

Letniki with fragrant flowers (levkoy, fragrant tobacco, alyssum, mignonette, sweet peas) are planted in flower beds near garden houses for decorating household plots. Letniki are also good for obtaining cut material in garden plots and in industrial culture (asters, snapdragons, gaillardia, calendula). Cut flowers are available in early spring and in late autumn when growing plants in greenhouses (Shabo carnation, aster, sweet pea). A group of annuals, called dried flowers, provides material for making winter bouquets (helichrysum, acroclinum).

Annual crops are most often. But the window area in our houses is so small that it is impossible to grow everything desired through seedlings, so some annual species can be sown directly into the ground.

Seeding technology

Directly in open ground flowers such as kosmeya, nasturtium, calendula, cornflower, nigella, flax, escholzia, sunflower, ornamental grasses are sown. For sowing, you need to prepare the soil in advance.

If the land on the planned site is clayey, then it needs to be cultivated. Often, peat or compost, as well as river sand, are added for these purposes. Digging on the bayonet of a shovel, carefully choosing weeds, level the surface with a rake. It turns out fertile garden soil. Sowing seeds for permanent place carried out after May 15-20, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently. Seeds are sown on the surface of small-seeded crops (nigella, poppy, echscholzia) or buried to a depth equal to two seed diameters. Some crops must be soaked in water before sowing (sweet peas, ornamental beans, castor bean, kobe, nasturtium).

Small seeds (nigella, poppy, snapdragon, nemesia) are mixed with sand and scattered on the surface of the soil. After seedlings appear, the plants are seated or thinned out if the seedlings are thick. On square meter leave a few plants (5-15 pieces), given their growth. After these operations, the plants must be sprayed with solutions of growth stimulants "Epin" or "Zircon" for better adaptation to new conditions (2 ml per 5 liters of water).

Every 10 days it is necessary to feed young seedlings with liquid complex fertilizers in the indicated concentration. Overmoistening of the soil should not be allowed, since fungal infections (black leg, powdery mildew) develop in humid conditions. To prevent these diseases, seedlings are sprayed with Fitosporin solution in dry, calm weather and loosened. The earth between crops is loosened to avoid the formation of a crust. When the plants grow up, the agricultural technique is the same as for other annual crops.

Many annual crops can be sown in the ground in advance, even in the fall. They will overwinter and in the spring will give early friendly shoots. The flowering period of such plants will be earlier than those sown in April - May.

Grouping annual ornamental crops by sowing dates
Group annual cultures	Name	Conditions	Agricultural technology, requirements
For sowing in open ground (spring)	Alyssum, cornflower, graceful gypsophila, annual delphinium, dolichos, sweet pea, iberis, calendula, kosmeya, lavatera, flax, linaria, mallow, mattiola bicorne, poppy, nasturtium, nemophylla, nigella, sunflower, mignonette, ornamental beans, escholcia	After as warm up- all soil	With dense sowing, thinning is necessary. Sowing to a depth of two seed diameters me
For sowing in open ground (in autumn)	Gypsophila, godetia, highlander, calendula, clarkia, phacelia, malopa, escholcia	Until now captivity stable it looks like boating (October)	Set marks to indicate crops or sprinkle with sand. Sow seeds from excess seeding rates taking into account the fallout for the winter

Source: “ holiday season” №3, 2013

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TO annuals include plants that realize their life program during the 1st growing season (from sowing seeds in spring to receiving them in autumn).

General information - fast growth energy (germination in 7-10 days after sowing, grow quickly, bloom depending on biological characteristics at different times, the duration of flowering depends on their living conditions, form seeds depending on the origin and growing conditions).

Important factors that ensure the best development of these plants are the basic environmental conditions (light, heat, wealth and mechanical composition soil, air humidity, pH value for individual plants, the presence of trace elements and plant care). In accordance with the biological characteristics of each culture, it is not always possible to provide all the necessary requirements in the best possible way, therefore, a person regulates these characteristics by placing plants in a sunny place protected from the cold wind, if necessary in partial shade or creating a light shade, etc.

With respect to temperature:

plants that develop best at moderate temperatures, do not suffer from low temperatures and small frosts (levkoy, asters, sweet peas, phloxes, aconite, etc.)

heat-loving plants that do not tolerate even slight frosts (zinnia, salvia, tagetes, morning glory, dahlias, balsams, garden / Turkish / beans, nasturtium)

High temperatures have a negative effect, especially in combination with dry air and soil, on the size of the plant, the duration of flowering, and on terryness.

The regulation of the relationship of plants to temperature conditions should be carried out in a timely manner in accordance with the phases of plant development. Cold wet weather is bad for general development, the formation of buds, seeds, contributes to the disease of plants.

In relation to water:

requiring constant watering (salvia, dahlias, poppy, asters, levkoi, mignonette),

requiring moderately humid conditions (lobelia, phlox, celosia, anturrinum, petunia, alissum, matiolla),

drought-resistant (dried flowers, purslane, zinnia, verbena, tobacco, calendula, marigolds, etc.)

Moisture supply and soil aeration should always be optimal. Therefore, the best waterings are abundant, deep, but rare, with obligatory subsequent loosening. Most annuals prefer light loamy soils containing the necessary substances, loose, water and breathable, with good structure. Fertilizers are best applied gradually. The main amount of them is brought under plowing ( better in autumn) in the form of composts. In the spring, full fertilizer is applied, and then in the form of dressings during the growing season. Of the manures, cow and bird manure are the most valuable; horse - for warm greenhouses. Bird droppings are the most concentrated, they are applied in dry form 2-3 kg/m 2 . Top dressing - one part of litter to 6-7 parts of water (1/10). Fermentation for two weeks. Dilution according to 1/20 and apply 10 liters per 10 m of furrow. Peat has excellent properties. There is as much nitrogen in it as in manure, it decomposes slowly (apply from autumn), prepare compost with the addition of lime.

Agricultural technology . Seeds of flowering plants usually last 2-4 years. Sowing is carried out as early as possible (April). Podzimny sowing is possible for cosmea, calendula, cornflowers, levkoy, delphinium, and other crops can be done in boxes or other containers. Standard size box 60*30*10cm. the substrate for sowing should be light, preferably a mixture of leaf, sod and sand. Crops are done in scatter. Sowing dates: January - begonia, February - carnation Shabo, levkoy, antirrinum, March - salvia, verbena, lobelia, petunia, aster, cineraria, perilla, April - ageratum, matrikaria, purslane. Salvia, annual dahlias, marigolds, zinnia are sown depending on the timing of flowering and opportunities. Seeding rates - from the size of the seeds and further growing conditions.

Lobelia, petunia, begonia - 0.3-0.5 g per 1 box.

Antirrinum, fragrant tobacco - 1 g.

Astra, verbena - 3 g.

Zinnia and dahlia - 7 g.

The boxes are covered with glass and provide a temperature of + 18 ... + 24 0 C. After the emergence of shoots, the temperature can be reduced, increased ventilation, and after the appearance of the first true leaf, a pick is made. After the first pick, there should be 100 - 150 plants in the box. It is relatively more profitable compared to boxes to grow seedlings in greenhouses. The number of picks depends on the duration of cultivation. Stretching plants is very unprofitable and harmful, the reason is the high density and excess heat with a lack of light.

Plants with a rod system are best grown in peat pots or cubes.

Seedlings are grown indoors in compliance with the general rules and individual characteristics (ventilation regulation, watering, shade, hardening before planting in open ground - a greenhouse is opened in 10-15 days).

Individual characteristics of plants :

1) relation to frosts;

2) the ability to tolerate transplantation and dry air.

Plants that are afraid of transplanting are best grown in pots with a diameter of 7 - 10 cm, sown in a pot of 3 - 5 seeds, then break through, removing the weak ones, sowing directly into the ground.

In late spring frosts (June 5 - 10), provide shelter for seedlings. Crust formation on crops, especially on heavy soils, watering and easy handling tool, weeding, top dressing, watering in drought, pest and disease control.

Annuals: Ageratum, Alisum, Amoranth, Annual Astra (Chinese), Marigolds, Cornflower, Verbena, Gaillardia, Chinese Carnation, Immortelle, Dahlia, Gypsophila, Godetia, Delphinium, Sweet Pea, Iberis, etc.

Letniki occupy one of the leading places in ornamental crop production. Most flyers are long day plants. The period of their greatest decorativeness falls on the summer season. Letniki are planted in various phenophases of their development, even in the phase of full flowering. Letniki are less damaged by diseases and pests compared to perennial species. Most flyers have a shallow root system, so they require relatively little fertile soil to grow. These qualities make letniki the leading ornamental herbaceous crops for urban landscaping.

Most varieties of flyers are propagated by seeds. Conditionally annual species (antirrhinum, verbena, petunia, etc.), as well as carpet crops, can be propagated vegetatively (by cuttings).

According to their decorative qualities, letniki are divided into the following groups: flowering, climbing, decorative and deciduous, ground cover or carpet, dried flowers. Letniki are widely used to create flower beds, borders, borders, in rockeries, for cutting.

According to the length of the growing season, letniki are divided into the following groups:

• 1) with long growing season(130-180 days): ever-flowering begonia, verbena, lobelia, etc., seeds are sown in protected ground in January-February;
• 2) with vegetation of medium duration(100-130 days): ageratum, antirrinum, callistefus, etc., seeds are sown in March, in protected ground;
• 3) with short growing season(less than 70 days): calendula, matthiola, escholzia, etc., seeds are sown in protected ground in April, in open ground - in early May.

Letniki are grown in seedling and seedless methods ((?.)> Fig. 288).

Seedling method of growing flyers. Seedlings are used for landscaping various objects of garden and park construction. Seedlings are planted in the phase of budding or the beginning of flowering, which allows short time create the desired decorative effect.

For growing seedlings, a mixture of soddy soil, leaf humus and sand is used as a substrate in equal proportions. Sowing seeds is carried out in cassettes or flat containers at a temperature of 18-20 °C. After the emergence of shoots, the temperature is reduced to 15 ° C.

The optimum temperature for growing seedlings of cold-resistant crops (carnation, callistefus, levkoy, etc.) is 12-14 ° C, while active air ventilation in the greenhouse is recommended. Seedlings of heat-loving crops (tagetes, petunia, zinnia, sage) are grown at a temperature of 20-22 ° C.

In most summer shoots, seedlings appear 8-12 days after sowing. With early sowing of seeds, as well as with the appearance of very small seedlings (begonia, lobelia), seedlings dive several times into dive boxes of 100 pcs. in a box at intervals of one month. Most flyers dive once into pots with a diameter of 7 or 9 cm.

Seedling care includes the following works: 1) removal of weeds; 2) loosening the soil; 3) watering; 4) top dressing; 5) for some crops - pinching the stems.

Seedlings are fed twice: in the first feeding - with nitrogen fertilizers, in the second - with complete mineral fertilizers. Pinching of the stems is carried out to enhance branching (anti-rrinum, rank).

From the beginning of May, summer seedlings are hardened in greenhouses, watering is gradually reduced and ventilation is increased, greenhouse frames are removed from mid-May to adapt plants to fluctuations in night and day temperatures.

Planting seedlings of letniki begin from the third decade of May and end in the first decade of June. First, cold-resistant crops are planted, after 2-3 weeks - heat-loving. The scheme of planting seedlings depends on the size of the plant and the type of flower bed. On average, undersized, compact plants are planted after 15-20 cm, medium-sized - after 25-30 cm, tall - after 40-50 cm.

Since letnikov seedlings have a superficial root system, systematic and frequent watering is required after planting.

A seedless way of growing flyers. In the temperate climate zone, seeds of such crops are sown in open ground, which are characterized by rapid growth and development, as well as high germination. To increase the germination of seeds and accelerate the growth and development of seedlings, it is recommended to treat the seeds with solutions of growth stimulants and microelements, as well as to influence the seeds with variable temperatures.

Sowing is usually done by hand. The following sowing times apply:

• 1) early spring(second half of April) - sow cabbage seeds (matthiola, iberis, etc.) and other cold-resistant crops (cornflower, calendula, kosmeya, escholcia, etc.);
• 2) late spring(first decade of May) - seeds of heat-loving crops (tagetes, nasturtium, etc.) are sown;
• 3) subwinter(late October - early November) - seeds of cold-resistant crops are sown in frozen soil with mulching with peat or humus (1-2 cm) - antirrinum, cornflower, godetia, calendula, kosmeya, etc .;
• 4) winter(during winter) - seeds are sown in snow, the layer of which is 15-20 cm with peat mulching - the same kind as for winter sowing.

The soil for sowing summer seeds should be light, leveled, cultivated. Before sowing seeds, organic fertilizers must be applied. Letniki are divided into three groups according to the need for organic fertilizers: 1) with low demand (2 dm 3 /m 2) - Godetia, Clarkia, etc .; 2) with an average need (3 dm 3 / m 2) - helichrysum, calendula, etc .; 3) with a high need (5 dm 3 / m 2) - antirrinum, aster, kosmeya, levkoy, zinnia, etc. Some letniki do not tolerate the introduction of fresh manure into the soil - ageratum, verbena, nasturtium, etc. With an excess of organic matter most annuals intensively develop vegetative mass to the detriment of flowering.

Usually, seeds are sown in a nested way (3-5 seeds per hole), the distance between seed nests depends on the size of the plants. The depth of seed placement is 1-1.5 cm or on the soil surface with peat mulching with a layer of 1-2 cm. Seedlings need to be thinned out 2-3 times. The first time - in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, the second and third time - after 2 weeks, in the phase of 3-5 true leaves. After the last thinning, 1-2 plants are left in the nest.

Caring for letniki in flower beds. In flower beds, the following agrotechnical work is carried out to care for plants: top dressing, watering, loosening the soil, weeding, protection against diseases and pests, pinching, pinching.

Top dressing. In 1 liter of garden soil suitable for growing letniki in open ground, it should contain (according to X. Drews): 100-150 mg of a.i. nitrogen, 175-300 mg a.i. phosphorus, 350-550 mg a.i. potassium. The lower limits are recommended for young plants, the upper ones for adults. The optimum acidity of the soil is 6-6.8. Usually flyers are fed three times. The first feeding is carried out after the seedlings have taken root, with complete mineral fertilizers (for example, 5 g / m 2 ammonium nitrate, 10 g / m 2 superphosphate, 5 g / m 2 potassium sulfate). The second top dressing is carried out during the budding period, the third - at the beginning of flowering. When carrying out the second and third dressings, phosphate and potash fertilizers are used (for example, 15 g / m 2 superphosphate, 6-9 g / m 2 potassium sulfate). They are fed with either dry or water-soluble fertilizers, usually by hand.

Watering. The need for water depends on the biological characteristics of plants, soil and climatic conditions, and the pheno-phase of plant development. Most flyers are moderately moisture-loving. Optimum soil moisture is 50-60% of NVP. The annuals experience the greatest need for water during the period of intensive growth and budding. With the beginning of flowering, it decreases, by the time the seeds ripen, it is reduced to a minimum.

Soil loosening and weeding. To destroy weeds and improve the air regime, the soil is regularly loosened, especially during the period when the aerial part of the aerials does not close. Herbicides can be used to control weeds.

Protection from pests and diseases. Protection can be carried out by agrotechnical, physical-mechanical, chemical and biological methods. Agrotechnical methods: proper crop rotation, deep autumn plowing, liming, phosphorus-potassium fertilizing. Physical and mechanical methods: steaming garden soil, heat treatment of seeds. Chemical methods: application of fungicides and insecticides. Biological: use of biological preparations, insect traps.

Pinching and pinching. Pinching and pinching regulate growth, branching of stems, flowering, fruiting, ripening and sowing qualities of seeds.

Collection of seeds. The collection of seeds of annuals is carried out in the second half of summer or autumn, when the seeds reach biological maturity. In crops with an extended fruit ripening period and easily opening fruits (ageratum, aster, calendula, kosmeya, petunia, salvia, tagetes, etc.), seeds are collected selectively and repeatedly. In cultures with friendly ripening and strong fruits (nasturtium, etc.) - once. The fruits and seeds are usually harvested by hand. After threshing, the seeds are separated from impurities and calibrated for size and specific gravity. Small batches of seeds are stored in bags, large - in bags.

The classification of letniki by decorative qualities is given in Table. 10 (prepared by A. V. Isachkin).

Table 10

Classification of letniki by decorative qualities

decorative group qualities	Family
		Callistephus - callistephus	Callistephus chinensis - Chinese callistephus
			Cosmos bipinnatus - kosmeya twice-
			Gazania rigens - sparkling gazania
		Tagetes - tagetes	Tagetes erecta - upright tagetes
			Tagetes patula - tagetes rejected
			Tagetes tenuifolia - thin-leaved tagetes
			Zinnia elegans - elegant zinnia
	Begoniacecae - begoniae	Begonia - begonia	semperflorens - evergreen begonia
			Begonia tuberhybrida – tuberous begonia
	Brassicaceae - Brassicaceae	Lobularia - lobularia	Lobularia maritime - sea lobularia
		mattiola	Matthiola incana- mattiola gray-haired
	Campanulaceae - bellflowers	Lobelia - lobelia	Lobelia erinus - lobelia erinus
	Lamiaceae		Salvia splendens - salvia sparkling

decorative group qualities	Family
	Rarauegaseae - poppy	escholzia	Eschscholzia californica - echscholzia california
	Polemocaseae - cyanotic	Phlox - phlox	Phlox drumondii – Drummond's phlox
	Bsgorlyagtseae - burrows	antirrinum	Antirrhinum majus- antirrinum
	Byapaseae - nightshade	Petunia - petunia	Petunia x hybrida - hybrid petunia
		Nicotiana - tobacco	Nicotiana alata - winged tobacco
	Verbenaceae - verbena	Verbena - verbena	Verbena x hybrida - hybrid verbena
tivno-list	Vgazzuaseae - cabbage	Brassica - cabbage	Brassica oleraceae van acephala – curly leaf cabbage
	SyeporosPaseae - haze		Kochia scoparia - broom kochia
		Pyretrum - pyrethrum	Pyretrum parthenium - feverfew
		Senecio - godson	Senecio cineraria – ashy ragwort
Carpet	Atagap1Iaseae - amaranth	Alternantera - Alternantera	Alternantera amabilis – pleasant alternantera
			Alternantera amoena – lovely alternanthera
			Alternantera metallica - metallic alternantera

decorative group qualities	Family
			Alternantera paronychioides - Alternantera paronychioides
			Alternantera versicolor - Alternantera versicolor
		I resine - irezine	Iresine Lindenii - Linden's iresine
	Boraginaceae - borage	Heliotropum - heliotrope	Heliotropum peruvianum - Peruvian heliotrope
	crassula	Sedum - sedum	Sedum acre - caustic sedum
			Sedum album - white sedum
			Sedum carmeum - pink sedum
			Sedum coeruleum - blue sedum
			dasyhpyllum - thick-leaved sedum
			Sedum spurium - false sedum
		Echeveria - echeveria	Echeveria agavoides - agave echeveria
			Echeveria dcsmeciana - Desmeciana echeveria
			Echeveria metallica - metallic echeveria
			Echeveria secunda - gray echeveria

decorative group qualities	Family
	Giraniaceae - geraniums	Pelargonium - pelargonium	Pelargonium zonale - zonal pelargonium
	Lamiaceae	Coleus - coleus	Coleus Blumei - Blume's coleus
	Onagraceae - fireweeds	Fuchsia - fuchsia	Fuchsia hybrid - hybrid fuchsia
curly	Fabaceae - legumes	Phaseolus - beans	coccineus – fiery red bean
		Lathyrus - rank	Lathyrus odoratus - fragrant rank
	Tropaeolaceae - capuchins	Tropaeolum - nasturtium	Tropaeolum x cultorum - cultural nasturtium
dried flowers	Amaranthaceae - amaranths		Celosia argentea - silver celosia
	Asteraceae - Asteraceae	Helipterum - helipterum	Helipterum roseum – pink helipterum
		Helychrisum - Helichrisum	Helychrisum bracteatum - helichrisum bracts
	Plumbaginaceae - guinea pigs	Limonium - limonium	Limonium sinuatum – notched limonium

Control questions

• 1. At what time is the sowing of seeds of annual crops carried out with seedling method cultivation?
• 2. What are the main schemes for planting seedlings in the open field do you know?
• 3. What groups are letniki divided into according to the need for organic fertilizers?
• 4. What are the differences between annuals and annuals?

Not every amateur florist knows: when and how to sow flowers, what seeds of flower crops can be planted immediately in open ground, so that without the hassle of seedlings beautiful flower bed With continuous flowering. Only seeds of winter-hardy plants can be planted in the ground before winter, and also until the end of spring frosts (even earlier - right in the snow); seeds of heat-loving flowers are planted a little later. Carefully read and take note of the information on the bags of seeds: at what time is recommended sowing, at what distance and depth the seeds should be planted in the soil, what will be the height of the flowers, whether these plants are cold-resistant or heat-loving.

In a seedless way, during spring sowing, you can grow annuals: arctotis, acroclinum (helipterum), ankhuz, bartonia, marigolds, tricolor bindweed, annual hibiscus, dimorphoteca, annual delphinium, sweet pea, ornamental sunflowers, Chinese carnation, venidium, centranthus, coreopsis, xerantemum, nemesia, nemophila, malope, molucella, lavatera (hatma), nigella, limnantes, skerda, tar (viscaria), flaxseed, cosmea, chamomile, mignonette, annual rudbeckia, ursinia, nasturtium, ornamental beans, zinnia, annual gaillardia, etc.

You can resort to both spring and winter sowing of such cold-resistant flowers as agrostemma (cockle), adonis, amaranth, cornflower, hylia, graceful gypsophila, godetia, iberis, calendula, clarkia, flax, lobularia (alissum, or beetroot), poppy self-seed, nikandra, phacelia, chrysanthemum, sage, escholcia, bruise (echium), malcomia, etc.
Seeds of biennials (mallow, daisies, bluebells, lakfiol (heirantus), Turkish cloves, foxglove, lunaria (lunar), mattiola, forget-me-nots, pansies(viola), etc.) are usually planted in summer.

For very early and long flowering, many flowers are grown through seedlings, these are: ageratum, marigolds (tagetes), aster, sweet peas, snapdragons, salvia, calceolaria, gazania, helichrysum, heliotrope, fragrant tobacco, nasturtium, petunia, salpiglossis, celosia, cleoma, kobeya, dahlia (dalia), thunbergia, morning glory, matrikaria, mimulus, levkoy, limonium (kermek), mesembryanthemum, annual phlox (Drummond), purslane, scabiosa, verbena, etc. Seedlings of these flowers are planted in the ground no earlier than spring frosts will pass. During the summer, if desired, you can cut some flowers (for example: ageratum, begonia, heliotrope, balsam, petunia, purslane, viola).
Grown seedlings of heat-loving perennials (begonias, balsams (touchy) dahlias, etc.) are also planted only after the threat of frost has ended, and they are dug up before the onset of autumn frosts.

To obtain a magnificent flowering, it is important, before planting cultivated plants in the soil, to process and prepare it according to all the rules of agricultural technology: loosen, add mineral and organic fertilizers in the proportions and quantities necessary for this soil. The loosening and moisturizing compounds of both organic and inorganic origin make the soil cultivated. The soil in the garden is improved by filling it with green manure, sawdust, rotted manure, compost, sand, low-lying peat (or rotted riding peat), mineral fertilizers (a tablespoon of granular N, P, K per square meter). Cultivated soil has a “sausage property”: a “sausage” made from moist soil must be bent in the hands - it should not crumble, but only crack slightly when bent. It is especially important to prepare a highly nutritious and well-drained substrate for planters and hanging baskets. Then, in this well-prepared soil, the plants you need and so dear to your heart are planted.

For the good growth of flowers, it is important to maintain the necessary moisture of the substrate so that bacteria useful for plants and their roots can exist in the soil, processing manure into smaller particles. The soil in which flowers grow should never be dry to a crumbling state.

Now materials have appeared that make it possible to irrigate less often - when they are introduced into the soil, they first accumulate soil moisture in their excess, and then give moisture to the substrate as water evaporates from it. This is especially true in dry summers and when flower growers are busy, when there is no way to water the flowers on time, and there is only hope for rain. Of the natural materials found in nature, clay has such properties, and of the artificial substances that condition moisture in the soil, these include expanded vermiculite, hydrogel, used "oasis" (porous material for cut flower arrangements).

The frequency of watering plants is necessarily regulated taking into account the requirements of this type and soil properties, depending on weather conditions; the same plants, taking into account many factors, have to be watered more often, sometimes less often. Moisture-loving plants for good growth and flowering need more moisture, they have to be watered regularly in the absence of rain. WITH big amount rainfall there is a risk of fungal diseases of plants, so it is important not to thicken the planting of flowers.

It is possible to extend the life of heat-loving plants in open ground, in flowerpots and hanging baskets by protecting them from temporary cold weather with the help of covering material, spruce branches and mulching with heaters (sawdust, dry peat, etc.).

The first months of the new year are the time to plan out new flower beds. Not everyone flowering plants require incredible effort and growing seedlings. We have selected a reliable assortment suitable for sowing immediately in a permanent place

Many types of annuals can be sown outdoors starting in mid-April, which means you don’t have to mess around with seedlings and take up priceless windowsill space.

Annual plants will wrap the gazebo, divide the space into zones, beat the flower bed, disguise the lower stems of plants in mixborders and help stylize the garden.

The picture can be changed every season. Creating a whole flower bed of unpretentious letniki is not a problem, and it does not necessarily turn out to be catchy, bright and “too much”. Remember: what is good for public landscaping is not always suitable for a garden, which means that you need to be guided by a sense of proportion and the rules of combination in terms of color, size, decorativeness of leaves, and the shape of inflorescences.

Select a site and experiment to your heart's content. If the territory allows, it is good to plant flyers in curtains. If there is not enough space, limit yourself to a small flower garden and keep in mind that the smaller the size of the color spots, the more carefully you should select the shades.

Annual plants look interesting in containers: be sure to pick up accent, paired, voluminous and cascading species or varieties.

Annual climbing vines are able to gracefully hide outbuildings, decorate the entrance, arch, they can twine a gazebo or use it as a ground cover. Creepers on trellises divide the garden into zones.

Many annuals are good to plant next to recreation areas: patios, gazebos, benches and along walking paths.

Stylization

Some letniki became so fond of us that they became an accessory of a certain style: for example, kosmeya comes from Mexico, but by planting certain species and varieties, you will instantly find yourself in a Russian front garden or a village garden. Sunflower, ornamental cabbage, which will be a marvelous decoration, are also appropriate here. autumn garden up to frost.

To simulate a meadow, plant cornflower, escholcia, cosmea, calendula, pharmacy chamomile, summer adonis, sowing and large-flowered flax.

The ratio of annuals to light and soil

They put up with partial shading: always flowering begonia, hybrid coleus, winged tobacco, ornamental cabbage, seaside cineraria.

Under straight lines Sun rays they do not plant balsams: Waller ("Wet Roly"), balsam and New Guinea - they love the northern sides. Balsam is ideal for growing in the shade, but in the sun, on the contrary, it develops more slowly.

They are not afraid of a shaded place: begonias, fragrant tobacco and Sandera, lobelia. Most annuals are photophilous, they need to be planted on the south side. They are not afraid of the hot sun: verbena, forbitis, cineraria, decorative strawberries.

Annual plants do not make excessive demands on the soil, but castor bean, amaranth and ornamental cabbage are best grown on highly fertile soils. On the contrary, on rich soils they "fatten", increase the green mass to the detriment of the flowering of kosmeya, ageratum, nasturtium, alissum (sea lobularia).

See also: Annuals: sowing or seedlings

Seedless growing method: sowing dates

The most cold-resistant annuals are sown from April 20 to May 1. These are calendula, kosmeya, poppy self-seed, escholzia, mountain cornflower, lobularia, summer adonis.

From May 1 to May 15, asters, godetia, one-year-old delphinium, lavater, sweet peas, chrysanthemums are sown.

To prolong flowering, cold-resistant species are sown in June-July, which will bloom again in August.

Some annuals are best sown before winter: firstly, in summer they will bloom earlier, and secondly, you will create Better conditions for their development: the seeds will wake up in early spring, when the ground is still wet and cool.

Before winter, they sow: godetia, calendula, summer adonis, cornflower, Ajax delphinium, Drummond's phlox, clarkia, cosmos twice pinnate and sulfur yellow, lavatera, lobularia, self-seed poppy, matthiola bicornu, Californian escholcia, chrysanthemums.

Usually sown in two terms: in late October - early November or in December-January. When sowing in winter, it is important to observe several conditions: sow on completely frozen soil, otherwise the seeds may hatch in the thaw and die during frost, prepare the soil and the plot in advance so that the melt water does not wash away the seeds in spring. Crops from above are mulched with soil mixture (compost, humus with sand, peat with sand), covered with snow to protect against birds.

How to sow annuals immediately in the garden

In general, letniki are unpretentious, but have their own requirements. To know where to pour the treasured package of seeds, see the basic rules.

For spring sowing large seeds (nasturtium, calendula, balsam) should be pre-soaked and germinated in a damp cloth. Seeds are sown in grooves in a checkerboard pattern or in nests (square-nested planting method). For small seeds, the depth of the groove is -1.5-2 cm, for medium and large - 3-5 cm.

The distance between the grooves is determined based on the ability of plants to grow. For example, for nasturtium, it should be at least 30-50 cm.

Small seeds are sown in the nests - 6-8 pieces in each nest, medium - 4-5 pieces, large - 2-3 pieces.

After watering, the crops are covered with non-woven material. Shelter is removed when shoots appear. Godetia, clarkia, ornamental cabbage are left under cover, as cruciferous fleas can destroy seedlings. After the appearance of the first 2-3 true leaves, seedlings are thinned out at intervals of 10-14 days, until the required amount remains per 1 m2 (different for each species, usually written on a bag of seeds). Shoots are regularly watered and fed.

Caring for annual flowers: simple but still necessary

Annuals will fragrant and bloom longer if they are watered, loosened and weeded. Remove faded buds so that seeds do not ripen and flower buds continue to form. If the plants are fed with nitrogen in August and September, flowering can be extended.

9 unpretentious annuals for a flower garden

Nasturtium large grows well retaining walls where few plants survive. It tolerates any weather conditions, has a pleasant aroma of flowers and decorative leaves.

Bindweed tricolor spreads along the ground and does not need supports. It is planted on rocky hills, and is also used in mixboards, discounts. For containers and hanging pots, the Mauritanian vyonok is ideal.

A climbing liana with delicate moth flowers is familiar to almost all gardeners: sweet pea often used for vertical gardening. Like other plants of the legume family, peas live in symbiosis with nodule bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere, which means that it feeds itself and, in addition, enriches the soil.

At matthiola bicorne small, inconspicuous inflorescences, but they smell wonderful, and the aroma intensifies in the evening. In the flower garden, matthiola gray-haired varieties are good: among dense and more decorative neighbors, near patios and arbors.

Fragrant and delicate winged tobacco also planted next to a recreation area, an array or in containers.

The three-month-old Lavatera is very pleasing to the eye and the sense of smell: at a distance close to the view point and in those places where guests stay for a long time. Its large funnel-shaped flowers with a delicate aroma are interesting to look at up close. This is a honey plant.

Another honey plant - marine lobularia- widely used as a border for flower beds, in borders and discounts. It branches strongly, grows into a dense clearing and smells good. The plant is also suitable for hanging baskets - white varieties look like a "cloud". Eschscholzia Californian blooms profusely, has decorative foliage, is resistant to drought and wetting, does not fade in the bright sun, dissipates at cosmic speed.

Godetia even when withering, it looks neat and does not spoil the look of the flower garden. Breeders have bred many varieties, different in height, color, flower shape. Beautiful compositions with smooth transitions are obtained if you choose varieties of the same color, but in different shades.

Annuals - photo

Annuals are good already because they are fast. Sow in the ground, they immediately sprout, endure the spring cold and bloom quickly. No need to waste time on seedlings, you just need to find a winning place for them in the garden in advance. They will show themselves in all their glory.

In central Russia, the sowing of seeds of the annuals we named is carried out in the first decade of May, in the northern regions a week or two later. Also, decorative pumpkins or beans are sown 7-10 days later. Crops with a short flowering period (for example, gypsophila) can be sown at several times, with a difference of 2 weeks.

Species such as bidens, blue cornflower (although it has many varieties and mixtures with other colors of inflorescences), annual flax, self-seed poppy, helipterum, nigella, or a girl in greenery, cynoglossum can be sown in curtains in a mixed flower bed or front garden. Or, by mixing their seeds, you can make a cheerful, colorful annual flowering lawn on the front lawn or along the fence.

Flowering garden - among vegetables, green crops, poppies, decorative sunflower, motley flax, cynoglossum, cornflowers, decorative pumpkin, beans and other species always look great.

For good development and abundant flowering, it is important that the soil around the perennials is always loose, and the flower beds are clean of weeds. And they will delight you with flowers from the beginning of summer until late autumn.

At the bench and gazebo, near the recreation areas, garden benches fragrant flowers such as mignonette, mattiola or low varieties of sweet peas can be sown. And near supports, terraces, arbors, walls of buildings, you can sow climbing letniki, such as sweet peas ( tall varieties), morning glory, decorative bright red beans, echinocystis and others. Lavater and Godetia, Iberis, Coreopsis are perfect along the paths for curbs and ridges along the paths.

For flowerpots and hanging boxes, annuals are best suited, such as, for example, nemesia, nasturtium, low sweet peas, you can decorate garden flowerpots and containers, as well as balcony boxes and even hanging planters.

Instead of faded bulbs, low species, such as gypsophila, iberis, escholcia, bush, low varieties of nasturtiums and sweet peas, are best suited.

Annual Care

1. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed, if necessary, drink. Thick crops are thinned out by pulling out excess plants or, having previously shed the soil well, they are carefully dug up and transplanted into free places. Transplanted plants need to be watered and covered from the bright sun until they take root.
2. A couple of weeks after germination, crops can be fed with complex fertilizers, repeated 1-2 times with an interval of 2 weeks.
3. Letniki are watered in dry weather, if necessary, early in the morning or in the evening.

Sowing features

The soil is dug up or deeply loosened, grooves are made. Seeds are sown sparsely, in rows or scattered. Sprinkle with soil or mulching material (peat, compost, humus) with a layer exceeding the size of the seed in height by about 3-5 times. Then the soil from above is lightly pressed with a hoe. Crops are watered from a watering can or a hose with nozzles for a medium-sized spray. In hot, sunny weather, it is advisable to cover the sowing sites with covering material so that the soil does not dry out.

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Ode to annuals

Summer residents who have recently joined the ranks of flower growers, as a rule, start from the same thing - from visiting all kinds of garden centers, Internet sites, exhibitions, collectors' sites. After all, there are so many interesting plants (mostly perennials) on offer, which “well, you just can’t pass by”!

Alas, the “buying rage” at the same time is often far ahead of planting planning and understanding which plants will actually feel good and look beautiful in your garden.

Therefore, the first advice to gardeners (and especially beginners): do not rush to immediately acquire a lot of perennial flowers! Limit yourself to those whose landing sites have already been prepared. And the craving for diversity can easily be satisfied by annuals. Most of these crops are easy to grow and can be restocked annually to change the look of the garden - a great planning aid! In addition, annuals are so bright and beautiful that it is difficult to imagine any garden or flower garden without them: from the simplest to the most sophisticated.

These luxurious dahlias can be grown from seed! F1 ‘Hello Gorgous Shades’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Raising the "virgin"

Letniki are especially useful when you are about to plant a flower garden on a new site with uncultivated soil. Many novice flower growers have an opinion that it is better to start with perennial plants: they say, planted once - and no worries. But what is really happening? After all, even if you don’t get involved with capricious crops, of which there are quite a few among perennials, but plant the most undemanding species and varieties, but in a poorly prepared place, then:

- in flower beds from perennial plants, you do not have the opportunity to deeply dig the soil with the application of organic fertilizers and thereby improve it;

-weeds, seeds and pieces of rhizomes of which are difficult to get rid of in one digging of the soil, are intertwined with roots with cultivated plants, and it can be very difficult to remove them;

- in new areas it is difficult to immediately plan flower beds, and moving perennial bushes from place to place is often not very easy.

The second advice naturally follows from this: “development of virgin lands”, start with the planting of annual flowers. Indeed, as a result of autumn or spring digging of flower beds with the introduction of organic matter, it is possible to significantly increase the fertility and structure of the soil and clear the site of most weeds.

Convinced? Already going to the store for seeds? And for what?

Calendula medicinal series ‘Pacific’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

The smart choice

Choosing flyers for spring planting, you should not buy all the bags of seeds with the photos you like in a row. First evaluate your capabilities: can you grow them without too much hassle?

It is better for an inexperienced or busy grower to pay attention to those species that are sown directly into the ground. These are: helipterum pink (acroclinum), calendula, cosmos, clarkia, lavatera, annual poppies, mattiola, blue cornflower, godetia, dimorphoteka, escholcia, venidium, nemesia, iberis, mignonette, etc. In central Russia, you can immediately go to the flower garden sow some "seedling" crops - callistefus (annual aster), marigolds, especially - b. rejected, helichrysums, zinnias, Drummond phloxes, sweet peas and some other species, but their flowering in this case will come late, only in the second half, or even at the end of summer.

Crops grown through seedlings are somewhat more complicated than the previous ones. However, they, in turn, can also be divided into several groups. Seedlings of species such as marigolds, zinnias, amaranths, annual dahlias, coleus, celosia, annual chrysanthemums are easiest to grow. Their seeds are sown in boxes (on window sills, loggias) or in the soil of greenhouses in mid-April, and planted in the ground at the end of May, when the threat of return frosts has passed.

The next group of flyers has a longer period of getting quality seedlings and requires a little more patience and experience. Their seeds are sown about a month earlier - in mid-March, boxes with crops are placed on bright windowsills or in greenhouses, greenhouses. Such crops include ageratum, alissum, arctotis, annual aster, verbena, gazania, Chinese carnation, helichrysum, sweet pea, cochia, levkoy, lobelia, snapdragon, perilla, petunia, salvia, fragrant tobacco, Drummond's phlox.

And finally, the last group includes species that have the longest period of development in seedlings. They are sown in January - February in heated greenhouses or in room conditions on special racks with light installations. For the first month or two, boxes with crops and seedlings must be illuminated with special lamps, otherwise the seedlings will stretch and die. These crops include: Shabo carnation, tuberous begonia, viola (Vitrocca violet), statice, heliotrope, fuchsia and some other species. I would not recommend inexperienced flower growers to grow them from seeds.

living rainbow

Let's get acquainted with the most interesting and relatively uncomplicated annual flower crops for beginner flower growers.

Calendula

Calendula officinalis (Calendula officinalis) is one of the most common and well-known plants that blooms in many flower beds and rural front gardens. Over many centuries of cultivation, dozens, if not hundreds, of calendula varieties have been created, differing in plant size - from low, curb, about 25-30 cm tall, to large bushes up to 80 cm high; the form of inflorescences, which can be non-double, chamomile, and double, tiled and even anemone. But the greatest variety is in its color: from common yellow, orange, apricot to cream, dark brown, burgundy, pinkish or greenish, plain or variegated.

Calendula officinalis ‘Apricot Twist’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Where to plant?

In the garden, calendula looks good in front gardens, mixborders, in flower beds, in ornamental gardens, on annual flower lawns. Low-growing varieties can be grown on balconies and in containers, made into borders and borders. In addition, its inflorescences are excellent for cutting.

If you do not have the desire or ability to grow seedlings of annual flowers yourself, then it can be purchased at numerous markets and garden centers.

How to grow?

Calendula is an extremely undemanding and easy-to-cultivate culture. Its seeds are sown in open ground from April to June inclusive, as well as before winter - in November. It is better to choose a bright place for her, but she is undemanding to soils, although she prefers neutral loams. If the seedlings turned out to be too thick, it is advisable to thin them out to a distance of 5–10 cm. Plants should be watered moderately, only in dry times. On nutrient-poor soils, it is advisable to feed them once every 2-3 weeks with complex mineral fertilizers. Flowering of plants begins 45–50 days after sowing and continues until late autumn.

What's in a name?

At home, in the Mediterranean countries, calendula blooms all year round, for which it got its name: calendae in Latin means "the first day of each month." The Russian name - ‘marigolds’ was given to the plant for the shape of the seeds, which really resemble the claws of animals and birds.

Calendula officinalis ‘Orange Button’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova Calendula is valuable medicinal plant. Gargling with an infusion of its inflorescences perfectly heals a sore throat, compresses with calendula decoction will help heal wounds, bruises and dislocations faster, and calendula extract is widely used in skin and hair care cosmetics.

kosmeya

Cute multi-colored "daisies" of cosmos, or space (Cosmos), can often be found in home gardens and rural front gardens. They have long won the hearts of flower lovers with their cheerful disposition, diversity and unpretentiousness.

Currently, two types of cosmea can be found in our gardens. The most famous and familiar to us species is double-pinnate (C. bipinnatus) forms powerful (or not very) branched bushes 50–120 cm high, with strongly cut leaves and rather large inflorescences (from 5 to 12 cm in diameter) chamomile-shaped. The color of reed flowers can be white, pink, red, burgundy, the disc of tubular flowers is yellow.

Another species that appeared with us relatively recently, but quickly gained popularity among flower growers, is gray-yellow cosmos (C. sulphureus). It has smaller inflorescences (4-7 cm in diameter), the petals of which are slightly bent inward in the form of a rose and are colored yellow-orange-red. Plant height can be from 30 to 150 cm.

Cosmos is double-pinnate terry. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Where to plant?

In terms of application in the garden, cosmeas are very similar to calendula. They are grown in flower beds and in mixborders, in the front gardens of rural houses. It is convenient to make scenes from high grades of kosmey, decorate fences and walls of buildings with them. From low grades, especially sulfur yellow, you can create borders, decorate containers and balcony boxes with them. Low, small-flowered forms of double-pinnate are often included in annual flower (Moorish) lawns.

Cosmos is doubly pinnate, a mixture of colors. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

How to grow?

Cosmos double-pinnate - a plant that is cold-resistant and light-loving, to. sulfur-yellow - is more thermophilic and feels good only in relatively hot summers. Both species are drought-resistant and undemanding to soils, but grow better on loose, not too nutritious - "overfed" plants grow powerful, but bloom poorly.

Just like calendula, cosmea is sown in open ground starting in April.

What's in a name?

Сosmos is translated from Greek as "decoration". Indeed, the name matches the plant!

Space yellow. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Lavater

The bright three-month-old lavatera, or khatma (Lavatera trimestris), always attracts attention in the garden. But not only for this, gardeners love her so much, but also for her long, abundant flowering and complaisant nature. Lavatera is a rather powerful, branchy, fast-growing plant with a height of 60 to 150 cm. At the time of flowering, from the end of June until autumn, it is covered with large (6–10 cm in diameter), funnel-shaped flowers, painted in white, pink or red.

Lavatera three-monthly ‘Novella’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Where to plant?

Long, generous, bright flowering and unpretentiousness make lavater desirable for any flower garden - flower beds, borders, borders, mixborders. The flowers are well cut. Compact varieties can be arranged in containers or garden vases.

Lavatera three-month-old ‘Mont Blanc’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

How to grow?

Lavatera is cold-resistant, photophilous, drought-resistant, does not like waterlogging. It grows well on various soils, but feels better and blooms more abundantly on light fertile soils.

Seeds are sown directly into the ground in early May, in nests of 2–3 seeds at a distance of 25–30 cm. It is also possible to sow seeds in a row at a distance of 10–15 cm from each other. In dry weather, plants must be watered, otherwise their growth will slow down, and flowering will not be plentiful. In May - June, it is advisable to carry out 3-4 top dressings with complex fertilizers at intervals of 10-15 days.

What's in a name?

Lavater got its name in honor of the Lavater brothers, famous German doctors and naturalists.

Eschsolzia

The multi-colored silky flowers of the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) are very similar to small poppies, for which they received the popular name California poppy. The plant forms a low branched shrub 15–30 cm high with numerous, rather long (up to 60 cm), decumbent shoots. At the top of the shoots are bright, shiny, large (up to 5-8 cm in diameter) single flowers: double or non-double, with smooth or corrugated petals of various colors - creamy white, yellow, orange, salmon, red. The leaves of the escholzia are also exceptionally elegant: strongly dissected, openwork, covered with a bluish wax coating.

Eschsholtzia Californian terry. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Where to plant?

California poppy can be grown in flowerbeds, in flowerbeds, mixborders, made from it borders, planted in patches on lawns, rockeries, ornamental gardens. They look beautiful in vases, containers and balcony boxes. Eschsholzia is often included in mixtures for annual flower ("Moorish") lawns. The flowers are well cut.

How to grow?

Eschscholzia is cold-resistant, photophilous, drought-resistant and very unpretentious. Prefers dry, sunny places and does not tolerate excess moisture. Blooms better and stays compact on the poor nutrients soils. In rainy weather, the flowers close.

Propagated by seeds, which are sown in early May in open ground. In areas with light soil, winter crops can be done. It is desirable to thin out too dense seedlings at a distance of 5–10 cm. Flowering begins in the first half of July and continues until frost. Some varieties of escholcia can produce abundant self-seeding.

What's in a name?

Eschsholzia is named after Dr. I. F. Eschsholz, a naturalist from the Baltic states, who lived in 1793-1831.

Eschsholzia Californian ‘Apple Blossom’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Marigold

Marigolds, marigolds, tagetes (Tagetes) are one of the most famous and beloved by many annuals.

In horticulture, two types of marigolds are most often used: b. rejected, or French (T. patula), - with a highly branched, spreading form of a bush 15–50 cm high, with non-double or double inflorescences of a single or variegated color, and b. erect, or African (T. erecta), - with more powerful and less branched plants 30–120 cm high and densely double inflorescences of a single color with a diameter of 10–15 cm. Recently, one more species can be found in gardens more often - b. thin-leaved, or Mexican (T. tenuifolia, sin. T. signata), with thin stems 20–60 cm high, graceful strongly dissected leaves and a huge number of small non-double inflorescences 2–3 cm in diameter. Monochromatic or with a contrasting spot in the center, they painted in bright yellow, lemon, orange tones.

Marigolds rejected ‘Carmen’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Where to plant?

Marigolds look harmonious in any flower beds, flower beds, borders, mixborders, ornamental gardens. They can be used in containers and hanging baskets, planted in balcony boxes. Despite their love of light, they can tolerate slight shading, so they can be used to decorate areas on the north side of buildings. In addition, they have a sanitary effect on the soil, destroying or repelling nematodes with the secretions of their roots. For the same purpose, crushed marigold leaves can be added to the soil.

Marigolds are thin-leaved, a mixture of colors. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

How to grow?

All marigolds are thermophilic (do not withstand even small frosts), photophilous (but can tolerate slight shading), drought-resistant and very undemanding to soils. They easily tolerate transplanting in any phase of development, even during the period of full flowering.

Propagated by seeds, in the conditions of central Russia - through seedlings, in the southern regions - by sowing in the ground. For seedlings, seeds are sown in the second half of April in greenhouses, but for earlier flowering, sowing is possible in March and even in February. Seedlings dive into boxes, pots or into ridges of greenhouses at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other. During the period of growing seedlings, it is desirable to make 2–3 fertilizing with nitrogen or complex mineral fertilizers with an interval of 7–10 days.

Seedlings are planted in open ground in early June, when the threat of spring frost has passed. The distance between plants during planting is from 15 to 40 cm, depending on the variety. Care consists in weeding and loosening the soil around the plants, and on weakly fertile soils, another 1-2 complex top dressing is carried out.

Flowering at b. rejected begins 2–2.5 months after sowing, b. upright - after 2.5-3 months and b. thin-leaved - after 2 months.

What's in a name?

The common name - marigolds, or marigolds, was given to these plants for the velvety petals of flowers, especially in dark-colored varieties, and they received the scientific name Tagetes in honor of the Etruscan god Tages, famous for his beauty and ability to predict the future.

Marigolds are upright. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

dahlias

Who does not know the slender beauties of dahlia (Dahlia) with huge bright inflorescences that bloom in our gardens in late summer and autumn? True, most large-flowered varieties are perennials, and their tubers must be dug up and stored in cool rooms before the onset of cold weather. But doing this is not always possible, so annual dahlias can be a great substitute for them.

For a long time it was believed that annual dahlias are medium-sized plants with medium-sized non-double flowers, painted in various shades of white, yellow, orange and red. The people called them that - "Merry Fellows", after the name of the most famous, old variety. To date, many annual dahlias have been created, which are not inferior in beauty and variety to their perennial relatives.

Dahlia is an annual, collar form of inflorescences. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Where to plant?

Annual dahlias are planted in flowerbeds, in discounts, and arrays. Low grades can be grown in containers and balcony boxes.

How to grow?

Dahlias are a rather demanding crop in terms of cultivation conditions. They are very thermophilic, love fertile, moderately moist soils and sunny, windless areas.

Dahlia annual ‘Art Deco’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Seeds are sown in boxes in the first half of April, later seedlings are planted at a distance of 7-8 cm in pots or boxes. Young plants tolerate transplanting well. They are planted in open ground in early June. The distance between plants depends on the variety and can be from 20 to 40 cm. It is very important to loosen the soil around the bushes in a timely manner, in hot weather - water abundantly and periodically, once every 2 weeks, feed with complex mineral or organic fertilizer. In August, feeding is stopped. Annual dahlias bloom in the first half of July and bloom profusely until the first frost.

What's in a name?

Dahlias, natives of Mexico, appeared in Europe in the 18th century, where they received two names at once - dahlias and dahlias. The first of them was given in honor of the famous Swedish botanist A. Dahl. And in 1803, the German botanist K. L. Vildenov gave the plant another name - dahlia (Georgina), in honor of his friend, botanist J. G. Georgi. Both names existed together for a long time, but recently the name of dahlia has become the official botanical name of the genus. The name "dahlia" has taken root only in our country.

Aster

Annual aster, or Chinese callistefus (Callistephus chinensis), is perhaps the most beloved "folk" flyer in our country. In nature, this plant is about 80 cm high, with chamomile inflorescences of lilac-lilac color. However, over several centuries of cultivation appearance this culture has changed a lot. Many hundreds of varieties have been created, differing in plant height (from 20 to 100 cm), bush shape (spherical, oval, columnar, pyramidal, sprawling), leaf color (from light green to dark green with a purple bloom), flowering time ( from early, blooming on the 70th day after germination, to late - on the 120th-130th day).

But the inflorescences of callistefus have undergone the greatest changes - in color, shape, size, doubleness, their number on the plant, etc. What colors are they not painted in! White, pink, red, salmon, yellow, blue, purple - almost every color of the rainbow, except for bright orange and black. There are varieties with two-color inflorescences.

According to the method of application, asters can be divided into casing (border) - low, compact, abundantly flowering, cut - high, with long strong peduncles and universal - suitable for both landscaping and cutting. Most varieties of asters belong to the latter group.

Callistefus chinensis, ‘Milady’ series. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

Where to plant?

On garden plots annual asters are planted in flowerbeds, rabatka, in mixborders, low varieties - in borders, containers, balcony boxes, rock gardens. Dwarf varieties are used as a pot culture. And, of course, do not forget that annual asters are one of the best garden cut crops.

Callistefus Chinese ‘Gala’. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

How to grow?

Most of all, asters varieties differ in the shape of inflorescences. On this basis, they were combined into more than 40 variety types, or garden groups. One of the main reasons for the huge popularity of the annual aster is its undemanding nature. This plant is cold-resistant (it can endure frosts down to -3-4 ° C), photophilous, prefers sandy or loamy, loose, nutritious soils with a neutral reaction.

Astra is propagated by seeds both in seedlings and in seedlings. In the first case, the seeds are sown in late March - early April. Seedlings can be planted in open ground from mid-May. With seedless cultivation, seeds are sown in the ground in early spring, as soon as the soil is ready. In the phase of 2–3 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out or seated at a distance of 10–15 cm.

Depending on the variety and method of cultivation, asters begin to bloom from late June to mid-August and continue until frost.

Callistefus Chinese ‘Minuet’, a mixture of colors. Photo: AiF / Elena Kolesnikova

What's in a name?

The name callistefus was given to this flower by the French botanist Antoine Jussier: translated from Latin, it means “beautiful wreath”.

You might be interested: Datura flower, how and when to sow seedlings →

Annual flowers are always pleasing to the eye with their bright colors and various forms of their flowers. Therefore, with their help, you can turn your little garden into a little piece of paradise. With the help of annual flowers, the design of your garden can be changed from year to year and every time it will look different.

You can pick up flowers in one color scheme, for example white, and all the flowers from the edge of the flower bed to the curly ones located in the background blooming in white will fascinate the eye - white on a green background of foliage as a symbol of immaculate beauty.

And you can make mixed flower beds, they will look summery colorful and beautiful. The main thing is that all annual flowers for giving will bloom until frost.

• Annual flowers for giving with photos and names
• Annuals in the garden - my own experience
• Annual flowers in the country house photo gallery

Annual flowers for giving

Mirabilis

This flower is also called the night beauty. This name was given to him because his beautiful flowers bloom after sunset and the bush is strewn with bright colors and fragrant all evening and night.

Flowers, it has a variety of colors ranging from white to pink, yellow and crimson. Due to the fact that its root system grows in the form of a tuber, it easily endures the dry season.

Mirabilis

reproduction

This wonderful flower can be propagated by seeds or by dividing the bush. Seeds for better germination are soaked in warm water for a day. Seeds are sown in two pieces in each cup filled with soil for seedlings. Seeds should be sown thirty days before planting in open ground. When seedlings appear in a pot, only one strongest shoot is left. Transplant it to a flower bed only when the threat of return frosts has passed.

Cuttings can be rooted in peat tablets, but it is still easier to grow it by seed propagation. Although if you save the tubers, then such a bush will develop much faster and will be much larger than grown and seeded. When the tuber is preserved, the shade of the flowers is preserved. Tubers should be stored in a dry, dark place with a temperature of at least 5 degrees Celsius.

Care

Often these annual flowers for summer cottages are planted along the paths or in the center of the flower bed. Since, with proper care, they grow up to one meter in height and have the same diameter. Watering should be done at least once a week.

If you grow these bushes in containers, then in two liters it will be small no more than 50 cm. In order for the bush to bloom richly, it requires landing in a sunny place. The soil for the flower should be fertile and without stagnant water.

There are several varieties of Mirabilis that differ from each other. colors buds.

Marigold

These flowers grow, depending on the variety, from 15 to 80 cm. They are also called tagetes. This flower is very drought-resistant and therefore very common among lovers of annual flowers. The color scheme pleases with all shades yellow color, white and there are varieties where the petals are even colored in stripes.

Marigold

Reproduction by seeds

Seeds are collected in late July and August. You can sow immediately in open ground when the soil warms up enough, depending on the region, these dates are shifted. Seeds should not be buried deep enough and 2 cm shoots appear already on the 7th day. Buds begin to appear only two months after sowing the seeds. Therefore, several bushes need to be grown through seedlings. Transplantation with marigolds is remarkably tolerated, and they can be transplanted at any age.

Seedling

Seedlings are sown in a bowl in early March and after 10 days the seeds begin to germinate. After the appearance of two true sheets, they dive into separate cups, and then they grow at a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius. They are planted in flower beds when it is warm enough. Between small-sized varieties, 20 cm are left between the bushes during planting, tall ones are planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other.

Care

Marigold care comes down to watering and weeding, in the first half of summer they will respond well to full mineral fertilizers. When planting seedlings, you need to know that the flower prefers sunny places. He will also live in the shadow, but beautiful flowers may not wait.

When flowering is gaining strength, it will be necessary to pick off drying flowers, this will stimulate more lush flowering.

There are many varieties of marigolds:

• Anise;
• Rejected;
• upright;
• Thin-leaved.

Snapdragon

This is actually perennial, but in our latitudes it does not hibernate and therefore is grown as an annual plant. They plant it along the curbs, in groups in the middle of a green lawn. Now they have brought out ampelous forms of snapdragons, which successfully grow in tall flowerpots.

reproduction

Seeds do not lose their germination for several years. It is necessary to sow seedlings in the first decade of March in prepared containers with loose nutrient soil. Seeds are laid out on the surface and lightly sprinkled with coarse sand. Watering is done with a spray gun, spraying warm water from a fine spray. Then all this is covered with a transparent lid.

At a temperature of 24 degrees, sprouts will appear in 15 days. After the appearance of the first shoots, the container is transferred to where direct sunlight does not fall in order to avoid seedling burns. After 4 days, you can completely remove the glass.

Seedlings grow slowly at first and, moistening it, do not flood the plants. Those flowers that have fallen to them can no longer be helped and they are removed with tweezers. When the first true leaf plates appear, the seedlings dive into separate containers. Then they should grow in a warm and bright place. When 5 leaves appear, the central shoot is pinched to increase bushiness.

At the end of May, it is planted in flower beds, the location of which must be sunny and without stagnant moisture.

Snapdragon

Care

This plant does not require special care. It only needs to be watered and loosened after watering. Removing weeds in time contributes to a healthier plant appearance. If tall varieties are planted in the flower bed, then they will need a timely garter to the support.

Snapdragon seeds are harvested only in their incomplete maturity and put in a shady place for their ripening.

Datura

This fabulous flower growing in a bush about a meter high has green oval leaves and single flowers resembling bells. Flowers in length reach 20 cm. They bloom in yellow, white and blue.

reproduction

Seeds have poor germination and therefore they need a lot of moisture to germinate. Before sowing, they are soaked for 10 days. And for growth, they need a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. Shoots from the ground appear very slowly and can germinate for more than a month.

Datura

Care

This plant prefers sunny places and fertilized soil. He loves watering and if there is no rain, then you definitely need to water it. At the slightest drying, it drops the buds.

Zinnia

This flower will brighten up any garden with its variety of colors and bud shapes. But this flower will not grow in the shade. It has a stem height from 20 cm to 100 cm. It all depends on the variety of the flower. Flower baskets are located at the top of the stem.

The tongue-shaped petals are arranged in several rows around the middle of the flower. Blooms from June until cold weather sets in. Very heat resistant. It is grown as a garden ornament and looks great as a cut flower.

reproduction

Propagated by sowing seeds for seedlings. First, they are checked for germination, and then soaked in any growth stimulator for a day. Even old seeds germinate within a week. Since this flower does not like picks, it must be planted immediately in peat cups.

Planting begins in March throughout the month. If the seedlings are stretched too far, soil can be added to make the seedlings more stable. It is planted in the ground after return frosts.

Zinnia is the most common annual for summer cottages and gardens.

Care

Requires timely watering and removal of weeds. But watering should not fall on the stems and plants. Zinnia does not need support, as it has strong, straight stems. If plants are planted not only for beauty, but also for cutting, then you should not pinch the stems.

kosmeya

These annual flowers grow up to a meter tall and come in all shades of pink, white and blue. Due to the fact that its leaves are very openwork, the flower resembling dill looks very delicate and airy.

reproduction

Reproduction of cosmos occurs with the help of seeds. Seeds are sown immediately into the ground as soon as the snow melts. It is not necessary to dig them deep, even one centimeter is enough. It can also be sown in late autumn. Actually, if the kosmeya has taken root on the site, it successfully reproduces further by self-sowing.

It is not rational to grow it in a seedling way. But if everything is necessary, then it is planted for seedlings in early spring.

kosmeya

Care

Care is not difficult even for beginners. Once a week it is necessary to water abundantly and weed from weeds. You can fertilize the flower, but you must remember that fertilizing should be carried out in moderation so as not to overfeed the plant. To prolong the flowering time, dried inflorescences must be removed.

Gazania

This is a low plant with a variety of leaves and flowers similar to chamomile. The coloring is different - red, yellow, orange flowers.

reproduction

Seedlings are planted in early May. Seeds are sown in loose soil in early March, slightly moisten the ground and cover with glass. After 2 weeks, the first shoots appear. And two weeks later, the first feeding is carried out, and the seedlings dive into separate pots. Since the roots of the gazania seedlings are tender, it must be carefully transferred to a permanent place of residence in a flower bed. The sprouts may not survive a secondary transplant.

Gazania

Care

It is quite unpretentious to the composition of the soil and grows well on any. But it is good for any top dressing in the form of mineral fertilizer.

By watering on time and removing weeds, you can achieve lush flowering gazania. Since the plant has a tap root, it is more drought-resistant, but still, when there are strong breaks between rains, it will not refuse good watering. In our climate, the flower does not hibernate.

Nasturtium

It is an annual semi-shrub with rounded leaves and single flowers. The flowers are bright shades of red and yellow. It grows up to 30 cm in height. Abundant flowering continues all summer until the very frost.

Nasturtium contains a lot useful substances and it is used in traditional medicine. It also used to be used in cooking, adding to various dishes.

Annual flowers for giving - nasturtium

reproduction

Well propagated by seeds. They can be sown directly into the ground in mid-May, or they can be grown through seedlings. But before any landing you need to fill hot water seeds for 30 minutes, and then soak for a day. Lay out three seeds in each hole (cup) and wait for seedlings,

They appear within 14 days. Seedlings are transplanted into a flower garden with the help of transshipment, leaving a clod of earth.

Care

It prefers non-greasy soils and sunny places, if you overfeed the plant with nitrogen fertilizer, it will stop throwing out buds and turn into a green bush without flowers. Until flowering, the seedlings require constant watering, but after the dissolution of the buds, watering is reduced. To prolong flowering, dried inflorescences should be cut off regularly.

Annuals in my garden - personal experience

How I love summer!!! How I look forward to it!!! How you want to quickly go to the garden, dig in the beds, bring beauty to the flower beds. This year I planted different annuals. At the end of last summer, I collected seeds of beautiful flowers wherever possible, this year they sown them, not even expecting such a variegation to turn out in our beds.


I never bother with flower seedlings, I don’t grow them myself, I just buy something in the market, my friends share the surplus, I just sow something in the ground.

Here are some annuals blooming today in our garden:

1. Phlox annuals

What wonderful flowers these are. A friend shared seedlings with me, they sprouted from her by self-sowing from last year. The sprouts were small, only 3-5 centimeters high, so small that I thought they would hardly survive. For some time they just stood frozen and did not grow, but then they quickly began to grow. At the end of June they bloomed, and now I delight us with their variety of colors.

Phlox annuals

2. Annual dahlias

They also have a beautiful name: funny guys. I bought seedlings in the market, a kind woman "dumped" me a whole bunch for 50 rubles. The plants were strong and tall. They planted them in a long bed behind marigolds. They have sprouted, grown and are beginning to bloom. Flowers of different colors, terry, elegant. Exactly - funny guys! All summer we will admire their beauty.

annual dahlias

3. Lenok

I love this plant. Such thin and delicate branches with very bright small flowers of red-crimson color. At night, the flowers fold their petals. The plant begins to bloom in June and blooms all summer. We planted it with seeds, just sown in the ground in early May. The seeds sprouted quickly and amicably, the plants grew and now, just as amicably, they bloom.

4. Petunia

Although I do not really like petunia in the garden, but, nevertheless, this time I could not resist and planted it. I bought seedlings, and a friend gave me more. The seedlings were small but strong. Quickly gained strength and began to bloom.

Petunia - annuals for summer cottages

Petunia is, of course, a flower with a wide variety of colors. There are both simple and terry flowers, so many different varieties were bred that now I think how we lived without petunias before. I like petunia more in city flower beds, on balconies, in hanging planters on the street. But even in the garden, it looks quite harmonious, it has only grown so much that it “hammered” the growing flowers nearby.

Such annual flowers are now growing in our garden, delighting us with their flowering, cheer up not only us, but also passers-by. All of them do not require much care, only watering and a little organic fertilizing. Treat yourself too, plant annuals in the garden, if you don’t have them yet.

Choosing annual flowers to decorate the site video

Flowers - annuals without seedlings

Annual flowers in the country house photo gallery

Classification of annuals

The concept of annual flower crops

Topic 5.1. annual flower crops

Tavlinova G.K. "Floriculture" Floriculture, pp. 4-50

Letniki (annual ) - plants that reach their decorative value, give mature seeds and are cultivated for one season.

Due to a very wide variety of colors, flower shapes, bush habit, flowering duration, good survival rate when transplanted in different phases of their development, etc., letniki occupy one of the leading places in floriculture. Letniki are used very widely: for the arrangement of flower beds, rabatok, groups and other elements of flower beds, as tapeworms, landscaping balconies and window sills, wall plantings. They are also used as potted crops for early spring or autumn flowering. Many of them provide excellent material for cutting.

Classification by cultivation method :

- seedling: “+” immediately beautiful, “-” effeminacy, the root system is well developed, but it is superficial, and additional watering is needed.

- reckless.

When growing seedlings, it is necessary to take into account the different growing seasons of letniki, so they are sown at different times so that by the beginning of the summer season the plants are prepared for flowering.

Classification according to the duration of the period from sowing to the beginning of flowering :

- 130-180 days- sowing period - January-February: always flowering begonia, Shabo carnation, verbena, lobelia, fringed petunia, cineraria, etc.

- 100-120 days– sowing date – March: ageratum, levkoy, snapdragon, zinnia, tobacco, sweet peas, summer phlox, marigolds, petunia, annual chrysanthemum.

- about 70 days- sowing period - April-May: godetia, calendula, kosmeya, poppy, mignonette, tagetes, clarke, etc. Can be sown in open ground.

Classification in relation to heat :

- thermophilic(do not tolerate temperatures below 0 0 С, the landing period in the ground is after June 5-10): ageratum, tagetes, balsam, begonia, salvia, morning glory, nasturtium.

- cold-resistant(tolerate short-term temperature drops to -3-4 0 С, landing time in the ground is the end of May - the beginning of June): godetia, levkoy, adonis, asters, alissum, antirrinum, carnation, sweet pea, calendula, levkoy, poppy, mignonette, escholzia.

Height classification:

Classification by the nature of growth :

Flower color classification :

Smell classification :

- with fragrant flowers: ageratum, nasturtium, aster, mignonette, fragrant tobacco.

- with fragrant leaves: geranium, artemisia, marigolds.

Classification according to the shape of the flower: bell-shaped, terry, moth, etc.

Classification by type of use:

1. Beautiful flowering letniki (valued for the duration of flowering, brightness and shape of flowers or inflorescences) - for decorating flower arrangements - flower beds, discounts, mixborders, group plantings, for cutting, etc.

2. Curly, or climbing, - for vertical gardening: walls, balconies, trellises, arches, pyramids, columns, etc.

3. Dried flowers-leaves of the inflorescence wrapper are dry, brightly colored - for winter bouquets.

4. Carpet plants - to create carpet flower beds or lawns and decorative compositions (flower beds, rabatok, etc.).

5. Ornamental leafy plants - for planting in small groups and in the form of single plants: amaranth, buckwheat, ornamental cabbage, summer cypress, castor bean, hemp, lavatera, quinoa, chard, nightshade, perilla, wormwood, etc. Kochia is easy to cut , which makes it possible to create low decorative hedges or tapeworms of various shapes from it. Perilla form tall dark red borders or create a backdrop for brightly flowering low flyers.

6. Potted plants used outdoors in summer time- zonal pelargonium, tuberous begonia, heliotrope, etc.

Seedling method of growing annuals

Most plants prefer light loamy fertilized soils in open areas. In order for annual flower plants to grow and develop well, to reach the highest decorative effect, they must be grown in cultivated, deeply cultivated, nutrient-rich soils. Otherwise, the plants will look weakened, branch and bloom poorly, form small, non-double flowers.

Top dressing is carried out every 10-14 days with NPK, 1 time with microfertilizers.

Not all plants respond equally well to transplantation: poppy, mattiola, mignonette, etc. poorly or do not tolerate it at all, so they are grown by sowing seeds directly into the ground or into pottery or peat-humus pots ranging in size from 7 to 9 cm. Sweet peas are planted one seed per pot, petunias - two plants dive, snapdragons - three.

Asters, calendula, kosmeya and many others tolerate transplanting well with sufficient watering.

Seedlings are planted in the ground in the phase of 3-4 true leaves in cloudy weather or in the evening. Before removing seedlings from greenhouses, it is plentifully watered.

Growing seedlings of letniki is very expensive.

Seedless method of growing annuals

The vast majority of letniki can be sown directly into the ground, which significantly reduces the cost of flower production compared to growing seedlings. Letniki grown by sowing in the ground can be widely used for cutting, when arranging discounts (along highways, streets, alleys, gardens, parks), simple flower beds, etc.

For sowing, you can use four terms:

Podzimny sowing when the soil is completely frozen. Seeds are sown in late October - early November in such a way that they do not have time to germinate before the onset of stable cold weather. Seeds are sown in pre-made grooves 1-3 cm deep and cover them with previously harvested mulch (organic material). The distance between the rows is 20 cm. The consumption of seeds when sowing in the ground is 3 times more than when growing seedlings.

winter sowing- with a snow cover height of 15-20 cm (December - January) into previously prepared soil. The snow is trampled down and the seeds are sown in the snow, at the same time covering them with loose, unfrozen mulch 2-3 cm.

Positive points winter and winter crops: plants are more cold-resistant, more resistant to diseases and pests, flowering simultaneously with annuals grown through seedlings.

Negative points: increase in seed consumption by 3 times compared to seedlings.

early spring sowing- as soon as the soil warms up (end of April - beginning of May). The plot has been prepared since autumn. In the spring, the soil is harrowed and leveled, then the seeds are sown.

Plants sown in the ground bloom 1 month later than plants grown from seedlings, but they are healthier.

Spring - after harrowing and leveling (end of May), seeds of heat-loving crops are sown: zinnia, tagetes, balsam, nasturtium, godetia.

Shoots are thinned out 2-3 times with an interval of 2 weeks, and not all at once, because. one remaining plant may die due to exposure to wind, sun, pest and disease damage, etc. Seeds in open ground must be sown in rows or in nests, and not randomly. Seeds of crops sown in open ground should be medium, large or very large in size.

Homework: table of annuals