first spring flowers delight tired of winter cold heart.Lilies of the valley come to us with the spring, which is already fully come into its own, and his breath melted snow.Description Lily of the valley can not embellish the simple reason - it's perfect!Long-lasting fragrance of spring lily of the valley is able to turn the head of any in the truest sense of the word.
Description Lily of the valley
lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) - herbaceous plant.It has no persistent woody stems.In lily stems are soft, which, together with the leaves die off after the end of the growing season.
This miracle of nature can not but arouse admiration.Graceful small bells with wonderful unique flavor - it flowers forest handsome.Description Lily of the valley as a fragile and defenseless is not quite true.Lily of the valley at first glance, it does seem very soft and weak, but in fact he is a strong, capable of capturing large areas easily tolerate fluctuations in temperature and sudden weather changes.
Description Lily of the valley does not take a lot of time.No, probably not a single person who would not know what it looks like this flower.On unilateral racemose inflorescence densely located 6 to 20 small bells white or pale pink.Although European gardeners have long been able to grow purple-red with large double flowers and leaves in yellow striped lilies.Flowering begins in May and lasts for 20 - 25 days.
After ottsvetut flowers on the stalk formed tiny berries in the fall, they become red.Birds and rodents like to eat these berries.
lily leaves large and beautiful even without flowers adorn the flower garden.They are quite broad and are similar to the ears of a doe, because of the similarity of the plant got its name "landushka", which means in the Stavropol "eye doe".Although it is not the only version of the origin of the name "lily of the valley."Frankincense incense by burning smell from very similar to the fragrant aroma of lily of the valley, which justifies the consonance of both titles.
Types of lilies of the valley
Botanists have identified only one kind of lily of the valley, but the variety of subspecies is striking in its beauty.Plants belonging to different subtypes differ markedly from each other.Thanks to the work of breeders today bred varieties with different colors and sizes of flowers.
on the territory of the former Soviet Union there are three types of lilies of the valley:
• Lily Keyskeya.
• Lily of the Transcaucasus.
• lily of the valley.
All these species are used to treat diseases.The most common is the color of lily of the valley.It got its name in 1737, when it was first published description of this plant.Translated from Latin, lily of the valley means "lily of the valleys."
Areal
Lily is listed in the Red Book because of the sharp reduction in the area of its distribution.This spring flower is considered to be aggressive and can create entire colonies fragrant bells, but, tearing only one flower, lime can be a whole colony.If you look at the surface, it would appear that the lilies are growing everywhere, but in fact the plant inevitably disappears.Such a deplorable situation has led to deforestation and construction in their place of settlements.An illiterate collection flowers lily of the valley as a medicinal plant also brought considerable damage to the forest beauties.Fans of colors by planting sunflowers in their fields, getting spring delicate beauty of these plants and at the same time save the endangered species.
Where on the site "settle" lily
White lily - a perennial plant, quite unpretentious, but if you have decided to "settle" in his garden are the flowers, then you need to pick a place that is hidden from the sun.Obzhivshis in the shade, lily of the valley for decades the site owners will delight with its beauty.Being in the shade, the plant will bloom for five weeks.
Lily through underground stems, roots forms dense colonies.Therefore, in order to avoid undesired proliferation, the landing should be a solid circle edging, using rocks or bricks, half-buried in the ground.
Lilies of the valley is used as a decorative flower beds and rock gardens in containers or flower pots.Thus, they can easily be moved to a shaded place and then replace the other flowering plants, though in addition to beautiful flowers lily flower decorate their least attractive leaves that serve as an excellent base high background colors.
Growing
Lily can live in one place for about 10 years, as mentioned earlier, this plant is unpretentious, it feels good in any cool place.Land on a bed of lilies of the valley should be rich in organic matter.Before planting the plant, the soil must be dug to a depth of 25 cm and to fertilize rotted manure or peat humus compost (2 kg per 1 sq. M).Lilies are planted in early spring and autumn, while adhering to the main rules - reinforced watered immediately after planting.
fragrant beauties multiply by dividing rhizomes and seeds.When dividing the roots take a length of 6-8 cm, while they should have a few apical buds.Planting processes, care must be taken so that the roots are not curled and the sprouts were over the surface at a height of no more than 2 cm. Need to be planted linearly with distance of 8-10 cm.
Using seminal method of reproduction, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the first yearseedling hiding underground.On the second spring plant shows its first leaf, which is tightly coiled and resembles a spear, peeking out of the ground.As the lily leaf unfolding, giving place to the second.Formed leaves accumulate in the funnel formed of water that feeds the roots.For the second autumn plant already has a plump rhizome from which grow new shoots.
Care
Caring for lilies of the valley just important - in the summer during a drought watering.The plant is not afraid of the winter cold, so wrap up his frost is not necessary.With the onset of spring bed of lilies of the valley should be cleaned of dead leaves.New shoots grow themselves.
Valley - this plant is poisonous, in contact with it must adhere to safety regulations, so as not to harm their health.
Medicinal properties
lily of the valley flowers can be both a poison and a medicine.To use the plant for the benefit of health, need to know all of its healing properties, they have this beautiful lot.Officially lily medicinal she went into medicine in 1861, when his healing power was used in the treatment of SP Botkin
prized this herb for chemical composition, which contains substances such as sugar and cardiac glycosides.They enhance the healing power of lily of the valley.In folk medicine, it is used to treat the nervous system, arrhythmia, and cardiovascular diseases.Fever can be removed the powder from the root of lily of the valley.The flowers and leaves are used to relieve physical stress and for the treatment of neuroses.In rheumatoid arthritis recommended bath of broth.
In modern medicine, drugs that are based on lily of the valley, is successfully used for headaches, epilepsy, edema.
Valley - this is certainly useful plant, but if you use it carelessly, you can hurt yourself.Medicines from the lily of the valley is prohibited to use when the diseased liver and kidneys, lily of the valley is also contraindicated treatment for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.It is recommended to consult with your doctor before starting a treatment this plant, and in any case not exceed the dosage.It must be remembered that all parts are poisonous lily of the valley.
little history
Spring flower called lily of the valley, for many centuries was considered the flower of the German goddess of the rising sun Ostara.When the spring is fully comes into its own, the young girls collected fragrant bouquet lily of the valley and carried them to the temple to propitiate the goddess of the sun.In the era of Christianity with lily flower, symbolizing love and happiness, sadness turned into flower for the holidays it is no longer touted instead constantly portrayed in the paintings of the Virgin Mary.In the mythology of lily of the valley - a flower loss.His description is identified with the blood of St.Leonard and tears of the Blessed Virgin, who is mourning the death of his son.
In the sixteenth century, thanks to the French aristocracy lily regained the honor and glory.Flower appreciated and was used for decoration front gardens and parks.Today, the first Sunday of May is celebrated holiday lily of the valley.In the Russian Empire only in the eighteenth century began to grow and be planted in the flower beds is the perfect tender plant.
