Aquilegia - cultivation and varieties

If you look at the flower, you can see,that its sepals alternate with narrow petals in the form of a funnel - for the catchment area. Flowers of aquilegia (photos of which can be seen here) are very different - yellow, soft blue, lilac, pink ... Unusual exotic appearance, and unpretentiousness in terms of care make the plant extremely popular among gardeners-flower growers.

Aquilegia - cultivation

It should be remembered that this miracle of nature is absolutely"It is not" capricious "to the composition of the soil and the presence of lighting. However, it is not recommended to grow on open sunny areas, since this will affect the size of flowers - they will be small. The flowering period of the garden beauty is from May to July. Drainage from seeds. For sowing we use the seeds of autumn harvesting.

With the onset of April, we start seeding inopen ground, for which we first prepare the soil (temperature +16 degrees). A few weeks later, you can expect the first shoots. How to achieve good germination? For this, preliminary preparation of seeds should be carried out, which are placed in the refrigerator for 5-6 weeks or, conversely, in a room with a temperature of up to +36 degrees.

Before sowing, it is necessary to moisten the soil, andthe distance between the seeds should be approximately 30 cm. Then the area is covered with a film, we create an optimal temperature regime + 14-19 degrees and provide lighting. When a pair of leaves appear, we make a picking (the distance between neighboring plants is about 5 cm).

When the May warm weather is established,We make the landing of aquilegia already on a permanent place. Reproduction by bush dividing. This method is used to preserve decorative qualities, in the event that the aquilegia has reached the age of three years from the moment of sowing. At the same time, we make sure that the detachable part of the plant has kidneys and a well-developed root system. The division is made in August, before the onset of cold weather.

Aquilegia - care

How beautiful is the flowerbed with flowering aquilegia! If you want to achieve the appearance of early flowers, you need to take care of planting out. In autumn, the rhizome is transplanted into a flower pot or box, which we place in a dark place and expect the onset of cold weather. The period till January-February our root will spend in a cold cellar, and then - in a warm room (it is necessary to organize lighting). If you comply with these conditions, you can enjoy the appearance of flowers in early April.

Aquilegia - varieties

Let's look at the popular varieties of this unpretentious humble beauty.

• Barlow Aquarium has a thick rod root, whichcan penetrate into the soil by 60 cm. The shape of the leaves is pinnate, there is a bluish coating. Bright flowers reach a diameter of up to 10 cm. It grows in areas with high humidity, in shaded areas. As for the soil, here the plant is absolutely unpretentious, and if there is humus, it is generally excellent.

• Aquilegia Clementine mixture. Double flowers resemble clematis - hence the name. Very nice looks plentiful scattering of fragrant "stars" in your front garden or yard garden. After the second year from the moment of planting, you will be able to admire the exquisite flowering.

• Blue Aquilegia. This beauty can be found on the Alpinemeadows and forests. A plant of unparalleled beauty grows up to 70 cm in height, and its stems are arranged in the form of a bush. The leaves are large, gray-green in color, and the flowers have pointed sepals and spurs up to 5 cm of lilac shade. The name of the variety speaks for itself - the flowers are light blue, lilac. This alpine miracle blossoms for about a month, beginning in June.

Did you like aquilegia? Cultivation will not cause trouble, but for many years you can enjoy an exquisite flower garden in your garden. The plant is perfectly combined with ornamental grasses and ferns, and using stones as decoration will only decorate your composition.