Aubrieta is a flowering perennial plant from the Cabbage family. Its homeland is Southern Europe, Latin America and Asia Minor. Aubrieta can be found near river banks and rocky slopes. This creeping evergreen plant amazes with abundant flowering, covering the flower bed and even vertical surfaces with a continuous flowering carpet. Shave care needs a little, but regular. You can’t forget about her for a long time, but in gratitude she pleases with bright fragrant flowering and soft fluffy leaves.
plant description
Aubrieta is a perennial ground cover plant. Its stems grow 25-35 cm in length, and their height does not exceed 15 cm. The shoots are divided into 2 types: vegetative ones creep along the ground, generative ones, like lateral processes, rise to the sky. As a result, a dense carpet or an oblong bush is formed very quickly.
Along the entire length of the shoots are small pubescent leaves. They have an oval or obovate shape and are attached to the stems with short petioles. The edges of the foliage are either entire or serrated. Due to the dense pubescence, the vegetation acquires a bluish-green hue.
In May, the bush is quickly covered with small flowers up to 1 cm in diameter. They are located singly or collected in few-flowered brushes. Flowering lasts 35-50 days. The corolla consists of four bent petals, which grow together into a narrow tube. Yellow anthers and ovaries peep out of the tube. Flower petals are purple, magenta, pinkish red, blue or white.
After pollination, fruits are tied - small swollen pods. They contain small light brown seeds, flattened on the sides.
Types of shaving
There are 12 species of plants registered in the genus Aubrieta. Since hybrids are more decorative, only the deltoid has gained distribution from species shaving.
Aubrieta deltoid (deltoid). Herbaceous ground cover plant up to 15 cm high is covered with deltoid gray-green foliage. Along the edges of the leaves, 1-2 pronounced teeth are visible. From May, for 1.5 months, the shoots are covered with racemose inflorescences. Loose brushes consist of purple-blue or lilac flowers up to 1 cm in diameter.
Aubrieta hybrid (cultural). The plant grows rapidly and forms a green shrub up to 20 cm high. Even under snow, it retains the color of the foliage. From mid-May, for 35-40 days, the curtain is covered with loose inflorescences - snowy purple or lilac flowers. For the first time, breeders began to breed obrieta hybrids at the end of the 19th century. To date, the number of ornamental varieties has exceeded a hundred. The most interesting are the following:
- Aurea variegata - dense green growth covered with golden spots, blooms with lavender inflorescences;
- Blue King - blooms bright blue flowers;
- Aubrieta cascading - gray-green pubescent shoots and foliage are suitable for vertical gardening, in May blue, purple or turquoise flowers with a yellow eye bloom over them;
- Cote d'Azur - dense dark green growth is decorated with sky-blue flowers;
- Red King - a spherical bush 10-15 cm high blooms bright red flowers up to 5 cm in diameter;
- Royal cascade - hanging shoots are covered with light pink small flowers;
- Joy is an ampelous plant with pale pink or lilac double flowers.
Growing from seed
Seed propagation for shaving is considered the simplest and most effective. Unfortunately, this method does not convey varietal characteristics.
In open ground, seeds are sown in April or September.To do this, prepare holes with a depth of 1-1.5 cm. The surface of the earth must be mulched with sand. In the spring, care must be taken, as inconspicuous shoots are easily confused with weeds.
Pre-cultivation of shaving seedlings is more common.
Crops are produced in February.Seeds without prior preparation are laid out on the surface of peat tablets or sandy peat soil in disposable pots. From above, the seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil and sand. Humidification is carried out using a spray gun. The crops are covered with a film and kept in a bright place at a temperature of + 18 ... + 21 ° C. Every day you need to ventilate the mini-greenhouse and moisten the soil.
Seeds germinate within 20-28 days. With the advent of seedlings, the film is removed. Seedlings are sensitive to fungal diseases, so moisturizing is carried out with caution. At the end of April, plants begin to be taken out to fresh air for hardening. After another 1-2 weeks, the seedlings are planted in open ground. The roots of shaving are very sensitive to any damage, so they plant it together with peat pots or tablets without picking. Flowering of seedlings occurs a year later in the spring.
Plants can be propagated by cuttings. To do this, cut the tops of the shoots without inflorescences in the summer. They are rooted in sandy-peat soil under a transparent cap. By the end of August, the cuttings will grow strong roots. Transplantation to a permanent place is carried out with a large clod of earth, then before winter the plants will have time to adapt and get stronger. In anticipation of severe frosts, it is recommended to leave the cuttings in the greenhouse until next spring.
In April or September, a large bush can be divided into several parts. Aubrieta endures the procedure quite painfully. The bush is dug up, cut into sections and immediately planted in the holes. Due to damage to the rhizome, some delenok may die.
Landing and care
In early May, when the frosts recede, the shaving is planted in open ground. The landing site should be well lit and ventilated. With a lack of light, the flowers become less bright. The soil should have a light structure and moderate fertility. On heavy clay soils, shaving grows worse, so before planting, they dig up the ground and add gravel. Dolomite flour or slaked lime is added to too acidic soil. The distance between the seedling bushes is 5-10 cm.
Shaving should be watered moderately. Plants do not tolerate drought very well, but they also suffer from stagnant moisture in the soil. Therefore, watering is done often, but in small portions. The best way to do this is by sprinkling. Immediately after planting, the earth is abundantly watered and mulched with river sand to a height of 2-3 cm. Since the sand is washed out, the mulch is renewed every spring.
Fertilize shaving quite rarely. It is enough to feed it with wood ash or potassium mineral complexes 1-2 times per season. If you overdo it with top dressing, the plant will grow green mass, but it will be worse to bloom.
At the end of June, when the flowering is over, the shave is cut off. Remove not only wilted inflorescences, but also part of the shoots. For the winter, bushes are recommended to be covered with straw or fallen leaves. In early spring, the shelter is removed. So that the plants do not quail during the spring thaw, grooves are dug around the flower garden in advance. Water from melted snow can go there. Such care will protect the roots from flooding.
Aubrieta in the garden
In landscape design, shaving is used for vertical and horizontal gardening. It creates a continuous flowering carpet and can be used for ampel cultivation. Euphorbia, Caucasian rezuha, soapwort, alissum, iris and phlox can become partners in the flower garden for shaving. Aubrieta is also planted in rock gardens, rockeries or mixborders. Multi-colored thickets are often allowed along rocky slopes, walls and fences, which form an amazing green or pinkish-purple soft cascade.
Aubrieta
The obriet plant is one of the most attractive in the Cabbage family - it is frost-resistant and remains decorative for several years. One of its features is green leaves wintering under the snow. But above all, it is famous for the abundance and duration of flowering.
Wild-growing representatives of the genus Aubrieta (Aubrieta) are widespread on the Eurasian continent, including the east of Central Asia. The plant got its name in honor of the French florist Claude Aubrier, who specializes in botanical images. Currently, there are 20 types of shaving. By their nature, they are all close to field colza.
Thanks to the work of breeders, the flower has found its place in the gardens and flower beds of Europe and around the world. Most often, Aubrieta deltoid (A. deltoidea) and its varieties, as well as hybrids obtained with its participation, are found in them. Such plants are usually called Aubrieta cultural (A. x cultorum). However, in the scientific community, all obrieta hybrids are distinguished into a separate type of obriet hybrid (A. x hybrida) - this is one of the 20 types of obrieta.
The use of obrieta in landscaping the site
All wild-growing shavings have undersized bushes that form curtains, covered with small greenish-silvery pubescent leaves, oblong-oval, sometimes serrated. Their flowers are four-petalled, small (up to a centimeter), but bright and numerous. They are collected in small inflorescences and at the time of flowering almost completely cover the leaves.
Among cultural shavings there are both simple and terry forms of the following colors:
purple;
raspberry;
pink;
blue;
white.
In garden design, growing shaving is advisable, first of all, as a ground cover plant, because each of its bushes, with an average height of 10-15 cm, can grow horizontally up to half a meter. Growing, the shoots take root easily and give life to new individuals. Particularly relevant is the design of alpine hills, rockeries, rocky gardens with shaving. This plant is used when decorating various architectural forms, vertical slopes and walls - it seems that shaving descends along them in a continuous cascade. Shaving is also planted along garden paths. If the path is paved, then you can leave a window in it and plant shaving in it, or sow its seeds in the seams between the plates. The plant looks good in flowerpots and hanging containers. Varieties with high (up to 20 cm) shoots are suitable for cutting. It is noteworthy that in winter, under the snow, the leaves of the shaving remain green. They begin to please the eye immediately after the snow melts.
Thanks to the bred new varieties and hybrids, each owner of the site can choose a plant according to his taste and desire.
Shave varieties
Breeding work on the plant has been going on for about two hundred years. Until now, the variety of deltoid shaving "Taurikola", obtained at the end of the 19th century, has been preserved. It has low, up to 5-6 cm, bushes and flowers with a diameter of 1.0-1.5 cm in lavender color.
Now there are varieties with larger semi-double and double flowers, as well as with variegated foliage ( variegated
).
Wanda - a variety with purple double flowers;
Doctor Mules - four-petal flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter have a purple-blue color, bushes 10 cm high, the variety has been awarded the Krolev Horticultural Society of Great Britain.
Doctor Mules Variegated - differs from the previous variegated foliage (silver green leaves have a whitish-cream border)
Alba - this variety of deltoid shaving has snow-white flowers, the height of the curtains is 10 cm;
Red Carpet - a hybrid of shaving deltoid and shaving pinardii, low 10 cm bushes cover red-burgundy large 1.5 cm simple flowers;
Campbell - forms 10-centimeter curtains, covered with large, up to one and a half centimeters in diameter, light blue flowers;
Vaitevel Jam - large-flowered shaving, bushes height up to 15 cm;
Double Pink - a variety with large pale pink flowers arranged in two rows.
Of interest to gardeners is the variety of obrieta hybrid from the Alpine Hill series, it includes:
Blue Cascade is a low-growing variety 10-11 cm high, the bushes are dotted with small leaves, the flowering period begins in late spring and continues into the first summer weeks. When making vertical walls, the plant looks like a blue waterfall.
Cascade red - differs from the previous type in dark red flowers, looks gorgeous on the front line of landscaping in front of taller plants. When landscaping horizontal areas, red flowers look like a continuous bright carpet.
This series also includes "Cascade Purple" and "Cascade Mix", which includes plants with blue, pink, purple flowers.
The variety Golden Emperor looks attractive, which has purple flowers and leaves with a golden edge.
Recently, heterotic hybrids of the F1 obrieta of the Audrey (Audrey) series have appeared on sale. They are represented by varieties with different colors of petals - red, pink, blue, bright blue, dark blue. All plants are distinguished by abundant and friendly flowering, a uniform form of upright bushes, the height of which can reach 17 cm. They are suitable not only for open ground, but also for pot cultivation.
After choosing a variety, it remains to find out how to grow shaving from seeds or cuttings, about planting it in the garden and caring for the plant.
Planting and growing shaving
To plant a shaving on the site, it is most convenient to grow it from seeds by choosing a bag you like in the store with its image and description of its characteristics and agricultural technology. It is not worth harvesting seed material on your own, since seedlings obtained from seeds do not retain the characteristics of the mother plant. If shaving bushes are already growing on the site, you can propagate it with cuttings or daughter rosettes.
It is possible to grow shaving from seeds both by direct sowing on the garden bed and by seedlings.
Seedless growing method
One way to recklessly grow from seeds is to sow shaving in open ground in late autumn. For her, choose a site with good lighting and soil, which has a fairly light structure and an alkaline reaction. If the soil is acidic, then lime or chalk must be added to it. Sand is added to clay soil. In no case do not use peat. The site is dug up, the earth is loosened and watered. Planting shaving in partial shade, and even more so in the shade, is not permissible. In these cases, flowering can not wait. It is also forbidden to grow shaving places with high soil moisture and spring flooding. Aubrieta reacts sharply to an excess of moisture and warms up, so the plant is planted in places with good drainage, elevations are welcome. A painful reaction to excess soil moisture is the most acute problem in growing shaving.
Seeds are scattered over the surface, without deepening them into the ground, covered with a layer of sand, its thickness should be about three centimeters. From above, it is desirable to lay spruce branches and spunbond (remove the shelter in spring). As soon as warm weather sets in, the seeds will sprout. Since the seedlings are thin in the first days after germination, they must be watered carefully, and it is better to protect the place itself with wooden sides so as not to lose the crops.
You can also sow in the spring, after the soil thaws and warms up (seeds germinate at + 16 degrees). The rest of the cultivation from seeds is the same. After about 15 - 20 days, shoots should appear from the seeds. It is important in the first year to regularly water young plants, feed them two or three times during the summer with a full range of mineral fertilizers. After wintering, young shavings will bloom for the first time.
Growing seedlings from seedlings
In this case, crops are carried out in late March - early April. The method is good because it is possible to grow a flowering plant from almost every seed, since in the conditions of an apartment the seeds are not afraid of open ground weeds, as well as winter damping or freezing.
Growing seedlings of shaving is carried out similarly to growing from seeds of most flower and vegetable crops. For this, seedling boxes, bowls, any containers filled with soil for cabbage crops are suitable. Seeds are laid out on top and sprinkled with sand. Everything is moistened, covered with a film, placed in a warm place with a temperature not lower than + 15 degrees. When sowing in cells, 4 seeds are placed in each.
After the emergence of seedlings, the box with the shave is placed in a well-lit, not too hot place - the shave does not like very high temperatures. When three true leaves appear on the plants, you can plant the seedlings in individual cups. In late May - early July, holes are made on the prepared bed and seedlings are transferred there. A distance of 15-20 cm is left between plants. A denser planting is carried out in containers. After planting, the seedlings are well shed with water, the soil around is mulched with coarse sand or small pebbles.
Propagation by cuttings
Cuttings are harvested in June, this can be done when pruning after flowering. Root them in a greenhouse. For this process, you need a soil mixture consisting of equal parts of peat and sand. In the greenhouse, you need to maintain a humidity regime. By August, roots appear on the cuttings, they can be transplanted to a permanent place, but it is more reliable to keep them under cover until the next season. It should be noted that many varietal shavings are quite capricious, therefore, in order to preserve their qualities, plants should be cut annually. If you leave the plant without such care, after two or three years it may simply disappear.
Among all the methods of vegetative propagation of shaving, daughter rosettes take root best of all.
Shaving care in the garden
Aubrieta blooms for up to one and a half months from May to June. In order for the plant to remain decorative as long as possible, wilted flowers are removed.
In dry summers, in the absence of precipitation, the plant, especially young ones, needs additional watering. It is important not to overdo it with water.
Three times a season, it is necessary to make mineral mixtures, obrieta especially needs calcium. It is advisable to do this in the spring before flowering, in the summer - after it ends, in the fall - before the onset of cold weather.
After flowering ends, you need to prune the shoots. This will prevent the plant from overgrowing and keep it compact. After such a procedure, the shaving will bloom a second time in the fall. If you do not remove the faded inflorescences, fruits are formed - pods up to 2 cm long. Seed ripening will require the plant's strength, which will worsen its appearance, and will not always contribute to reproduction, because we often choose a hybrid shaving for planting in the garden.
Weeding, weed removal, loosening and mulching of the soil are also important for shaving. And although the plant is considered a winter-hardy ground cover and is recommended for frost resistance zones
from the fourth to the ninth, for the winter it is still better to sprinkle it with dry leaves, and remove the shelter early in the spring. This is especially important for hybrid varieties.
Among the "enemies" shaving cabbage fleas and aphid
, which can gnaw out its castings, shoots, flowers. With improper maintenance, the bushes can be affected by a fungal disease - leaf spot. In all cases, standard control and prevention schemes are used.
If the gardener finds a “common language” with shaving and organizes proper care for her, then she will decorate the site for many years and delight with a scattering of her bright colors.
Aubrieta (lat. Aubrieta) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Cabbage family. The name is given in honor of Claude Aubrier, a French artist who worked in the style of botanical illustration. Also, the plant can be found under the name of aubration, the name windbag goes among the people.
Aubrieta is a very popular garden crop. This unpretentious groundcover grows rapidly, forming a continuous living rug. The height of the pillow is only 10-20 cm. The leaves are small, elliptical in shape, pubescent, have solid or serrated edges, attached alternately on short petioles. The plant is evergreen - with the onset of cold weather, the leaf cover is preserved.
When the shaving blooms
What is the flowering period of obrieta? Flowering is not only lush, but also occurs in 2 stages: from late May to mid-July, the second wave occurs in September (about 35 days).
During the period, the bush is complemented by a haze of inflorescences. The corollas are four-petalled, reach a diameter of 1 cm, but their number is numerous: the flowers almost completely hide the leaves. The colors are blue, purple, purple, less often - white.
The fruit is a pod with small brownish seeds.
In the natural environment, luxuriantly blooming living rugs of aubration can be found along the rocks and river banks in the south of France, the Balkans, Italy, Asia Minor, and South America.
Shaving in the garden is an interesting and uncomplicated process. A variety of species and varieties allows you to emphasize the individuality of your site.
Growing aubretia aubretia from seeds at home
Aubrecia is well propagated by seeds. Most often, shaving is grown through seedlings.
- Start around the end of February.
- Seedlings do not need picking or intermediate transplanting - sow immediately in individual containers.
- Peat-humus pots or peat tablets are perfect.
- Moisten the soil, place 2-3 seeds on the surface, sprinkle with sand (a layer of no more than 0.5 cm), also moisten the sand cushion from a fine sprayer.
- Cover the crops with glass or film, germinate in diffused light, ensure the air temperature is within 18-21 ° C. Air the crops daily.
- Expect sprouts to appear for 3-4 weeks - when they appear, the shelter can be removed.
- Water the soil with care, avoiding waterlogging.
- If the sprouts develop poorly, a couple of weeks before transplanting into open ground, feed with complex mineral fertilizers (make the concentration weak).
Shave outdoors when the threat of a return frost has passed. Harden off seedlings first.
How to plant shaving seeds for seedlings, look at the video:
Planting aubretia aubretia seeds in open ground
Experienced gardeners aubretion immediately in open ground. This can be done in the spring (around April) or before winter (mid-late September).
Pre-prepare the site: dig to a depth of about 15 cm, clear of weeds, stones, apply complex mineral fertilizer, wood ash. Level the bed. Spread the seeds over the surface of the earth, sprinkle a layer of sand or garden soil on top (3-5 cm thick), carefully pour from a watering can.
How long does shaving take? When sown in the spring in the ground, seedlings will appear in 10-20 days. Plants will need to be broken through, leaving a minimum of 5-7 cm between them.
Shaving propagation by cuttings and dividing the bush
Aubrieta is propagated vegetatively: by cuttings and dividing the bush.
Cutting aubration
After holding the spring you will receive a lot of cuttings. Select the strongest ones, plant them in a sand-peat mixture under a film shelter, water and ventilate regularly, and remove the film when heat sets in. By the end of summer, the seedlings will have a well-developed root system - transplant them to a permanent place of growth. Before the onset of cold weather, seedlings will successfully take root. If the winters in your area are harsh, it is best to keep the rooted cuttings in the greenhouse until spring.
The division of the bush
It is carried out extremely rarely, since the plant tolerates the procedure painfully. Do it in spring or autumn. Carefully dig up the bush, divide it into parts (each division should contain roots and well-developed shoots), plant in previously prepared holes.
Reproduction of aubration by layering
Aubrecia can be easily propagated by layering: lodging shoots can be sprinkled with earth and by the end of the season new independent bushes can be obtained, which can be separated and planted in the fall in a permanent place.
A place to grow shaving
Choose your landing site carefully. The plant will be able to show its decorative effect as much as possible in the presence of bright sunlight: flowering will be plentiful, the shade of the inflorescences will be saturated.
As for the soil: the poorer it is, the better for the plant. Fatty, peat, and clay soils will not work - shaving may not take root. Moderately fertile loose garden soil is perfect. The reaction is preferably neutral or slightly alkaline. To reduce acidity, add wood ash or chalk.
It grows well on rocky soil (can be planted among concrete slabs, stone steps).
Planting and caring for aubration in the open field
When and how to plant
As soon as the spring sun warms up, the threat of night frosts recedes, you can start transplanting shaving seedlings into open ground. Be guided by the climatic conditions of your region (the best landing time is the end of April-beginning of May).
Make holes according to the size of the root system, keep a distance of at least 8-10 cm between the bushes. Choose a planting pattern depending on your goal: whether you want to create a solid carpet or scattered islands of bright colors.
In care, the plant is unpretentious, but it is impossible to completely ignore it. Care procedures come down to several points.
Watering
Abundant watering should be carried out immediately after planting in open ground. In the future, water only during a period of prolonged drought. Saturation of the soil with moisture leads to an active build-up of green mass to the detriment of flowering. Young plants will need a little more moisture, but keep it in moderation. It is best to use sprinkling.
After watering and rainfall, loosen the soil, remove weeds. Weed out weeds.
Mulching
top dressing
Frequent feeding can be harmful. It is not recommended to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers and feed seedlings immediately after planting in open ground. The best option is to apply mineral potash fertilizer (you can limit yourself to applying wood ash) before the start of the first flowering and after summer pruning.
pruning
To maintain the decorativeness of the bush, regularly remove faded inflorescences. After the end of the first wave of flowering, prune - the stems are cut almost to the root. After repeated autumn flowering, pruning should not be carried out; for the winter, the plant should not go “naked”. In the spring, cut the bushes, remove damaged shoots and leaves.
How to care for shaving and propagate it, look at the video:
Wintering shaving
Perennial obrieta successfully winters in open ground in the presence of snow cover. Own green mass will not protect the plant from extreme cold. If a snowless winter is expected with sudden temperature changes, it is better to additionally cover it with improvised materials (fallen leaves, spruce branches).
Diseases and pests of aubration
With proper care, the plant is not exposed to diseases and pests.
Excessive watering provokes rotting of the root system. With the wrong choice of soil, the appearance of the plant will be oppressed, flowering may be absent.
Occasionally it is affected by powdery mildew (deformation of the leaf plates is observed, a whitish coating appears on them) - most often the affected plants are removed from the site and burned. The rest are treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur or a fungicidal preparation.
Of the pests: aphids, cruciferous flea. Treat with an insecticide.
Types and varieties of shaving with photos and names
Types and varieties of shaving differ in the structure of the plant, the color of the corollas.
Aubrieta deltoid or Aubrieta deltoidea
Aubrieta deltoid purple Aubrieta deltoidea cultivar Kitte Purple photo
In the people it is called a lilac bush. The height of the bush is 15 cm. The leaf plates are deltoid, there are 1-2 teeth from each edge, the shade is gray-green. Loose racemose inflorescences consist of small flowers (corolla diameter of about 1 cm) of a lilac or purple-blue hue. Cultivated since 1710. Variety of Bougainville: plant height is 20 cm, flowers are light purple with an orange eye.
Aubrieta cultural or hybrid Aubrieta x cultorum
A group of perennial herbaceous plants no more than 20 cm high, in temperate climates they successfully winter under snow cover. The leaves are oblong, serrated. Flowers can be simple, double, semi-double. Some varieties can be grown as a pot culture, some are suitable for cutting.
Consider the most popular varieties of cultural shaving:
Cascading - leaves of a gray-green hue; inflorescences of a red or blue hue are decorated with a yellow eye.
Charming Morocco - has flowers of the largest size (about 1.5 cm in diameter), colors from blue to various shades of red and pink;
Aubrieta aubretia Dr. Mules Aubrieta x cultorum ‘Dr. Mules' photo
Dr. Mules - a bush about 15 cm high with inflorescences of a blue-violet hue;
Borshis White is a rare variety with snow-white inflorescences.
Cote d'Azur - inflorescences of a shade of a sea wave adorn the garden during June-July, re-blooming starts in September and lasts until frost;
Aubrecia Aubrieta ‘Axcent Violet With Eye’ photo
Giant waterfall - bushes 15 cm high with flowers of purple, pink, red, lilac. It is a variety mixture - shaving purple, pink, red, lilac ... On this winter-hardy perennial up to 15 cm high, flowers open up to 1 cm in diameter.
Aubrieta aubrieta ‘Hamburger Stadtpark’ photo
Also pay attention to the varieties Gloriosa, Don, Carnival, Queen, Blue King, Wanda, Triumph, Royal Keskade.
Aubrieta in landscape design
In landscape design, flowering bushes-pillows of shaving most often play the role of a ground cover plant.
It looks spectacular on the hills - plant in rock gardens, some contrive to plant aubration in the cracks of the walls, which allows you to create a cascade of amazing beauty.
Aubrieta in facade design photo
Aubrieta, or aubretia, is one of the types of herbaceous plants that belong to the Cabbage family, and is an evergreen, creeping perennial shrub. It is found both in European countries, for example, in Italy, France, and in the countries of South America. Habitats are different everywhere. Aubrieta can be seen on the rocks, along the banks of rivers, in gardens or rock gardens. The plant received this name thanks to the famous illustrator Claude Aubrier, who wrote his works in the botanical genre. During flowering, shaving resembles a continuous green carpet. A distinctive individual feature of the plant is the ability to produce healthy and rich foliage all year round.
Description of the shaving flower
Small, elongated leaves have serrated ends and a rough surface. The calyx of the flower consists of four petals, which reach a diameter of about 1 cm. Their color is the most diverse. All flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. Orbieta blooms profusely throughout the season. If you follow the regular care of the plant, following the advice of gardeners, you can also observe re-blooming in the fall. The fruit in appearance resembles a bean pod, in which small brown seeds ripen.
To start growing this amazing flower in your garden plot, you need to learn how to plant seedlings, and only after that transfer it to open ground. Below we will look at how the plant reproduces, its diseases, methods of protection against insects and the rules for caring for a flower.
Propagation by seed for this type of plant gives fairly high seedlings. However, it is best to take advantage of growing seedlings, which can then be transplanted, since sowing seeds directly into the soil can cause splitting of the variety. In this case, you can expect the beginning of flowering shaving only in the spring. Seeds are sold in stores selling products for the garden.
It is best to sow before the onset of the spring thaw. This time falls approximately at the end of February. They are sown in small pots, which are filled with a mixture of peat and humus. From these containers, young seedlings will then be planted in open ground. Before planting, the soil is pre-moistened, then seeds are laid on its surface, which are sprinkled with a small amount of sand. From above it also needs to be watered. Planted crops are covered with a protective film. In order for the seeds to begin to germinate, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature, which should be from 18 to 21 degrees.
Rules for caring for seedlings shaving
As a rule, sowing seedlings from seeds requires a lot of time, and care must be taken with great care. Do not forget to ventilate and water every day. The first shoots begin to appear after a few weeks. As soon as green leaves become visible, you can remove the protective film. Try not to overwater the seedlings, as the sheath does not tolerate an excess of moisture. If you feel that the seedlings are not yet fully grown for transplantation and are not developing enough, then in this case the plant can be fed. For these purposes, a mixture of mineral fertilizers diluted in low concentrations is used.
Aubrieta is hard to take root during transplantation and most often dies. In this regard, a flower grown at home on a windowsill is not suitable for picking. If there is a desire to completely eliminate the intermediate transplantation of seedlings, it is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings in different pots.
As soon as the spring frosts recede, you can begin to transplant the shaving from the seedling container. Choosing a territory for growing a flower should be done with all responsibility. Consider the fact that this plant loves the bright sun and does not tolerate shade. To achieve intensive and long flowering, it is necessary to prepare a site for planting seedlings, which will be located on the sunny side of the garden or garden. Even the most meager soil is suitable for growing shaving. It grows well in any rocky terrain and is picky about the choice of soil. However, the soil should absorb moisture well and contain ash or peat. A small slightly alkaline or neutral soil environment is allowed.
You can plant shaving in a flower bed as you like. The plant is quite malleable and flexible. The size and length of the roots of seedlings affect the depth of planting. The width of the hole must be made half the width of the seedling pot. When growing a flower in a plastic container, the dishes must be lowered into water so as not to damage the plant when removed. After air bubbles rise to the surface of the pot, the seedling is carefully removed and placed in the hole. A plot of soil around it is pressed a little and sprinkled with sand, then watered.
Shaving care in the garden
Aubrieta is a rather unpretentious flower and does not require any special effort when caring for it. Adult specimens may not need watering for a long time, the only exception is dry and hot summers. As a rule, under normal temperature conditions, excessive watering can cause excessive greening of the plant, which, in turn, drowns out flowering. Young shoots need to be watered a little more often until they are fully grown. Irrigation is considered the most optimal method of watering. The soil in the flower bed must be constantly loosened and weeds removed.
During the flowering period, the soil around the plant is sprinkled with sand to retain root moisture. In early spring or autumn, shaving is required to be fed with special mineral fertilizers, which are used by gardeners when growing perennial varieties of plants.
It is necessary to carry out a comprehensive pruning of all green shoots after the vegetative spring season ends at the shaving. Thanks to such measures, young green stems and leaves will soon begin to appear. They will be a wonderful addition to the flowers growing in the neighborhood in the flower bed. Such a flower carpet will retain its beauty until the next autumn bloom.
As mentioned earlier, the seed propagation method does not make it possible to preserve seedlings of varietal properties. Nevertheless, if the task is to collect seeds, then for this, during pruning, it is necessary to leave several shoots with ovaries on the bush. After the pods ripen and darken, they need to be cut. The husked seeds are dried and well ventilated. Then they are used for sowing in the manner described above.
Preparing the shaving for winter
After spring flowering, experienced gardeners usually prune. In the case of another flowering that occurs in autumn, it is recommended to leave all leaves and shoots intact for the winter. Re-pruning is best done next season. An adult perennial plant can easily endure the winter if there is sufficient snow cover. Under more severe conditions, it is necessary to cover the bush with dry foliage and spruce branches to protect it from death and freezing.
The obriet flower can be propagated by any convenient means, since the plant is unpretentious in this regard. The method of propagation by seeds or cuttings is mainly used. Growing shaving from seedlings was described in detail by us a little earlier. Gardeners who have extensive experience in breeding various flower crops choose the seed propagation method. Before planting, the flower bed area is cleared of weeds, small stones and dug up. A mixture of fertilizers is introduced into the prepared soil, then it is sprinkled with wood ash and chalk and moistened. Seeds are planted at some distance from each other, after which they are sprinkled with sand and watered. If planting was carried out in the spring, then the first shoots can be expected after 10-20 days. In the case of autumn planting of seeds, young shoots will appear only the next year.
Reproduction by cuttings
The method of propagation by cuttings is widespread. When pruning shaving in the summer, as a rule, a large number of green shoots remain, on which there are no flowers. A greenhouse is used for planting cuttings. Prepared soil is poured into it in advance, consisting of peat and sand. Cuttings that have taken root are transplanted into a flower bed. In areas where low winter temperatures prevail, the seedlings are left in the greenhouse until the arrival of spring, so that they can properly grow stronger and take root.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
The division of the bush is carried out both in spring and autumn, but the plant is quite difficult to tolerate such an event. Often it is carried out in a certain sequence. Initially, it is required to dig up a shaving bush and divide it into equal parts, in which strong shoots and roots will be present. Then they are planted in different holes. It should be noted that this method of reproduction is not always successful. The divided parts of the plant are difficult to take root, so gardeners prefer growing shaving from seeds or cuttings.
Diseases and pests
Aubrieta is a resistant ornamental plant to the effects of any diseases and pests. Occasionally there are cases of infection with powdery mildew. Such a fungal disease causes a white coating that occurs on leaves and flowers, which becomes brown over time. Due to illness, the flower loses its attractiveness. The plant gradually begins to fade and blacken. To stop the further spread of the disease, the bushes are treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur.
The greatest danger to shaving is the aphid, which takes away the strength of the plant and feeds on its cell sap. Aphids are carriers of various viral diseases. To destroy it, drugs such as Fufanon or Karbofos are used. If the number of pests is too high, then the treatment is repeated several times to completely get rid of insects.
The obriet flower, which grows in rocky terrain, is practically not affected by pests and diseases.
To date, there are about 12 species of this flower, including cultivars. In our area, such species as white shaving, graceful shaving, Kolumka shaving are rarely found. Here, for example, the deltoid shaving, which looks like a low-growing perennial green plant, has become more widespread. The leaves are serrated at the edges and gray-green in color. Small purple flowers gather in racemose inflorescences, reminiscent of a lilac bush. The flowering period begins in late spring and lasts about a month. This variety of shaving is considered the first cultivated type of flower bred.
Aubrieta hybrid or cultivated is a plant that reaches a height of about 20 cm, which can winter well. The leaves with serrated ends are elongated, the flowers are purple in color with a small diameter. Aubrieta cultivated is propagated by seeds. The most popular are the following varieties:
- Aubrieta cascade, having flowers of various colors and gray-green leaves. A bush of this variety retains greenery even for the winter.
- Charming Morocco is an elegant flower with large cups of blue, red or pink.
- Côte d'Azur is a variety of shaving, which is characterized by abundant and frequent flowering throughout the year.
- The giant waterfall is a perennial hybrid of purple, pink or red, grows up to 15 cm and has small flowers.
There are other equally well-known varieties of shaving: Carnival, Gloriosa, Wanda, Blue King, Queen, Royal Keskade, Triumfant and others.
Aubrieta - growing a flower in the garden (video)
Homeland plants obrieta, or aubrieta, is the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. Today, flowers are common throughout the European part and not only. The flower was named after French florist Claude Aubrier.
Aubrieta: plant description
– It is a ground cover herbaceous flowering plant. It is low - up to 35 cm, but grows well in width. If the plant is not restrained, it will cover the entire area available for distribution with a solid carpet. The plant loves slopes, rocks and river banks. It has elongated leaves, often with a jagged edge, the color of the foliage is green with a gray tint. It is typical for the plant not to drop foliage for the winter, the leaves endure even severe frosts.
The plant blooms in early April and blooms until June. Aubrieta has small four-petal flowers of bright colors: all shades of blue, white, pink, even maroon flowers are described. Aubrieta bears fruit, pod-type fruits store seeds that are used to propagate the plant. There are more than two thousand brown seeds in one pod. Shave is grown in seedlings or by sowing in open ground before winter. Aubrieta and all its species do not differ when grown in agrotechnical features and rules for caring for it, as well as in appearance, except for the color, shape of the fruit and pestle.
Interesting! The florist Claude Aubrier (1656-1708) followed along with scientific expeditions aimed at studying the flora and fauna of different areas, making detailed botanical drawings. He accompanied the famous French botanist Joseph Pitton; Aubrier's works were published by such respected publications in the scientific world as Botanicon Parisiense.
Types of shaving
Consider the most popular and popular types and varieties of shaving in horticulture and give a brief description of them.
Deltoid shaving in cultural cultivation since 1710, the species was taken as the basis for breeding cultural shaving. This type of shaving reaches a maximum of 15 cm in height, and its popular variety aubrieta of bougainville grows up to 20 cm. The deltoid plant has gray-green pubescent foliage with a pair of teeth along the edge. Small flowers gather in lush racemose inflorescences. The plant blooms in May with lilac and bright blue flowers.
Aubrieta graceful
Aubrieta graceful (Aubrieta gracilis) - one of the most sought-after species, bright blue flowers up to two centimeters in diameter, grow on a stem not exceeding ten centimeters. This species is good for forming a living carpet on slopes, stone borders. Its pale green oblong leaves are almost invisible behind densely growing flowers with a bright yellow center. Popular and beautiful Kitty Blue.
Aubrieta Kolumka grows up to 12 cm tall. It has a thick curving stem with long carved leaves. The stem at the top can bifurcate, holding two flowers. Both the stem and the leaves are covered with thick soft pile. Kolumka has large flowers up to 4.5 cm in diameter, painted in pale lilac and pink tones. popular variety Kolumki Guss.
Aubrieta cultural
Aubrieta cultural is a hybrid plant, it is low - only 10 centimeters, the color of the flowers is represented by white, pink, red and purple hues. The plant is used as a living carpet, covering unsightly places with it, forming a curtain on stone fences. This type of shaving has several interesting varieties. aubrieta Charming Morocco blooms from late spring, about a month. Shades of flowers - from pale blue to bright red. Flowers up to one and a half centimeters in diameter, bloom densely, covering gray-green foliage.
Important! This variety grows in sunlit places, in the shade and partial shade it will wither.
Cote d'Azur- the flowers of this shaving of the perennial color of the sky adorn the garden for two months. They are distinguished by repeated flowering in early autumn, the flowers last until the first frost. Dr. Mules is a very interesting variety for landscape design. Dark purple flowers are somewhat reminiscent of forest violets, and the leaves are pale green, large with a white border along the edge of the leaf plate. Joy is a distinctive feature of the variety in that blue and purple-lilac flowers shimmer on one planting, with double petals.
- frost-resistant perennial, grows no more than 15 cm. Flowers 1 cm in diameter, painted in all shades of pink, purple and red. Argenteo variegata is popular for its decorative foliage and purple petals. The leaves are light green with a pronounced white edging, sometimes with white spots. 
Red Keskade- a bright and eye-catching variety, the color of the petals is bright scarlet, flexible stems are well placed on rocky slopes or borders, the plant spreads beautifully along the plane. Cascading obrieta has different flowering periods - from mid-spring to early summer. The plant spreads with a dense carpet, the most decorative in it is evergreen, dense and large leaves compared to other varieties. Flowers solitary, medium-sized, blue and red tones, with a yellow center. Aubrietu cascade is pruned after the plant has faded to stimulate the growth of deciduous mass. Plant height - up to 15 cm.
Attention! Watering rooted young plants is best done with a spray gun, watering under the root can erode the soil and damage the roots.
Aubrieta Croat
Croat Aubrieta is distinguished by the unusual shape of the leaves, when this plant blooms, delicate flowers open, mostly blue shades with a darker center - lilac or lilac. The juicy green leaves are quite large, maple-shaped or diamond-shaped.
The use of shaving in landscape design
Aubrieta is versatile in use. This plant feels good in the open field and on a balcony or loggia. Aubrieta looks great in hanging pots, on slopes and rocky areas. It falls beautifully from hedges and stone fences. Lawns are covered with it, planted in rock gardens. The plant decorates the crevices in the stones, growing and filling the bare areas of the soil. The blue flowers of the obrieta go well with the yellow alissums and white iberis. The plant is combined with styloid phlox and Douglas phlox, with soapwort, milkweed and rezuha, looks great in composition with bluebells and as a flooring around evergreen ornamental shrubs.