When in April is still snow, reveals its delicate petals of a flower bluebell, which is often mistakenly referred to as a blue snowdrop.This beautiful and elegant flower gardeners love for a long time in many countries, it is widely use in the decoration of rock, rocky gardens, flower beds and groups.
Prolesok (flower): description
blooming very first spring Proleski have another name - Scylla.All the variety of species of flowers, which botanists have counted more than 80 are, according to the latest scientific data, to the family of asparagus and lily or Geacintov not, as previously thought.This herbaceous perennial bulbous plant with several narrow basal leaves.Flower bluebell produces a leafless stems.It has a small star-shaped flowers or bell shape.They may be single or grouped in the brush.Painting colors may vary: blue, blue, pink, purple and white.Flowers Scilla - Scilla - Low bushes form a maximum of height rarely exceeds 13-15 cm.
Botanical especially
All Proleski that bloom in the spring and autumn are ephemeroids.This means that in a very short time, less than a month, they manage to not only increase the aerial parts and flourish, but also to form seeds.Then, the plant goes into a resting phase and blossom bluebell clears leaves and its bulb underground to sleep until the next season.
diversity of species in the genus
Scilla there are more than 80 different species found mainly in the regions of Asia, Europe and North Africa with a mild and cool climate.In horticulture are not used to all kinds of famous scientists.The conditions of our median strip it is possible to choose the types and varieties of Scylla so that they are pleased with their flowering early spring until autumn.
Scilla Mishchenko
in the now empty after the winter garden of the first spring flowers appear Proleski Mishchenko.This miniature, height only 10 cm Scylla, white blooms with a light blue veil flowers.It produces 2 to 4 stems, the height of which varies in the range 8-12 cm. Each inflorescence is 3 to 5 bluish-white flowers with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm. Flower bluebell Mishchenko, depending on weather conditions, blossomsin the mid - late April.It blooms for 15-20 days.This kind of one of the earliest and large-was described in 1927.His birthplace - the north-west of Iran.In horticulture, it was used in the Netherlands since 1936.This kind of unpretentious and is widely used in European gardens.It prefers sunny areas with loose, but not very easy to land.
Scilla flowered
Around the same time, blooms and higher, about 15 cm, elegant flowered Scylla.Just opened, its flowers are painted in pale blue and eventually brighten.For each petal they decorated the central streaked blue anthers and bright blue shade.
Scilla bifolia
At the beginning of May, spectacular blooms even before flowering Scilla bifolia.From rich burgundy foliage grows racemose, like braided in a braid inflorescence.Over time, the spike is pulled up, and turns into a braid shield consisting of 6-9 medium-sized wide-open flowers thick blue.They can retain freshness to ten days.For more than five centuries, it is known for this kind of Proleski.Flowers, growing of which does not cause too much trouble, cultivated in European gardens of the XVI century.Today, there are forms with delicate pink and white flowers.
Scilla Siberian
Following the Scylla of a two-sheeted blossoms in the gardens of the most common and unpretentious Scilla sibirica (Siberian squill).It produces flower stalks in height and 15 cm, in which there are two or three flower diameter of 2 cm. Stained they usually blue or azure blue.In the gardens of this kind Proleski grown from the XVIII century.Modern breeders have created several varieties of Siberian Scylla, it compares favorably with the original form more large flowers and bright colors of petals:
- violet-blue polyanthous Spring Beauty;
- rich azure-Vazlav;
- bright cornflower Sapphire;
- Alba - at this Proleski flowers white.
Scilla pushkinevidnaya
This kind of catches the eye of the gardener its flowering at around the same time as Scilla Siberian.Scilla puschkinioides homeland are mountain systems of Pamir and Tien Shan.On its racemose inflorescence is 5 to 7 pale blue flowers with a diameter of up to two centimeters.
Scilla Rosen
At the beginning of May and the latest blooms bluebell - Rosen.The wide dark green leaves are arranged around the funnel powerful stems, each of which is 1-2 large, up to 4 cm in diameter flower resembling cyclamen.Perianth leaves are painted in soft, lilac-blue hue, almost white at the base and decorated with long stamens with anthers bright blue.
Other
As mentioned above, in addition to prolesok delight us with their blooms in the spring, there are species that bloom in the summer and even fall.In June, he reveals his small violet-blue flowers, gathered in spicate inflorescence Scylla Italian.Somewhat later, many-flowered blossoms, bluish-purple bluebell Litarde.In late July - early August comes the time of flowering Proleski Scythian, often called autumn.
create the conditions
No matter what kind of prolesok you are going to grow on the site, you need to create at least minimum conditions for the growth and flowering of this undemanding perennial.Well Scylla shows its decorative qualities to good soil rich in humus with a mean value of acidity, but most species of this plant is so unpretentious that thrives on heavy clay soils, slightly "seasoned" leaf mold or rotted compost.Proleski can grow in the sun or in the shade.For spectacular flowering experts recommend before planting to make every square meter one - two tablespoons nitrophosphate and 3-4 kg of peat-compost mixture.Fertilizers should lay at a depth of 10-12 cm.
How to multiply?
At one point bluebell can grow 4-5 years if properly cared for forming dense thickets.Propagate this plant can be like planting seeds and bulbs subsidiaries-babies.The problem of seed multiplication that good germination of seeds is maintained for a few days, and then greatly reduced.The thus obtained seedlings bloom after 2 - 3 years.In this regard, a simpler, more importantly, a quick way of reproduction - kids.As a rule, every adult bulbs annually produces several subsidiaries.
When and how to plant?
be planted bulbs are purchased or received from its own plants babies need at the beginning of autumn.At this time the plant is at rest and safely transfers all manipulations with them.Planted planting material in the prepared soil to a depth of 10-15 cm, the distance between the surviving plants is 5 cm. It is important that at the site where they will grow Proleski, rainwater does not stagnate, since in high humidity conditions bulbs likelydie.With proper planting in the warm days of autumn planted bulbs is well established.
