It seems that in nature there is no such person who would be absolutely indifferent to flowers. Of course, tastes differ. Someone likes roses or gladioli, while others are crazy about orchids or, say, peonies. But there is also a plant that will make even the busiest and most gloomy traveler stop. These are forget-me-not - flowers that resemble a star or a piece of the sky. Their aroma is so subtle and delicate that it is even difficult to describe or compare.
Forget-me-not. Flowers. general description
If you operate in purely scientific terms, you can make approximately the following definition: forget-me-nots are flowers, or rather, heavily pubescent annual or perennial grasses, which are characterized by small size... The branched stem rarely reaches a size exceeding 40 cm, while the average height in our latitudes is 10-15 cm. In most cases, the plant blue with a pronounced yellow eye. However, sometimes white or pink specimens are also found, which, regardless of the pigment, are collected in a special inflorescence in the form of a curl and actively bloom in May, delighting us until mid-June.
This species is found in Asia, and North America and even in Australia and New Zealand. The plant prefers a humid climate, sunny meadows and fresh soil. However, for example, it feels great on the outskirts of swamps, on the banks of large bodies of water or even streams.
It is difficult to imagine that even such short ones have fruits, represented by shiny and smooth nuts of a triangular-ovoid shape.
Forget-me-not. Flowers. Where did the name come from?
As you know, usually solid words, for example, scientific or sociocultural terms, cross borders and gradually take root in another culture or language. Now it is customary to designate objects with them. modern world or new phenomena. Much less often we manage to borrow, say, parts of speech intended for nature or character. But forget-me-not, like a tiny spy, was still lucky to take root in the Russian language.
The thing is that in almost everyone it sounds like a native one: "forget-me-not" - in England, "Vergimeinnicht" - in Austria or Germany; "ne-m", "oubliez-pas" - say the supporters of style and manners of the French, "nomeolvides" - say passionate Spaniards. And these are just a few examples. What do they have in common? And the fact is that all of them, translated into our native Russian language, sound like a desperate request: "Do not forget me, please!"
Linguists are inclined to believe that over time, the verb в has turned into a slightly sad noun.
Although there is another point of view. According to her, forget-me-not is a flower, the name of which is a distorted form of edification or order: "Do not forget!"
Perhaps there is nothing strange in the fact that this plant has become symbolic in the myths and legends of the planet.
It turned out to be quite difficult to find the very first fairy tale about forget-me-nots. However, most likely, the beginning of the history of the flower was once laid by the Greeks, who, as you know, had a rich imagination. The myth of a beautiful goddess named Flora has survived to this day. It was she who endowed all living things with names. It so happened that she forgot about a tiny and seemingly inconspicuous flower, but later, in order to atone for her own guilt, she rewarded him not only unusual name, but also the ability to return memory to people, reminding them of friends, relatives or homeland as a whole.
Fragile touching forget-me-not flowers are loved by many peoples of the world. Small sky-blue wreaths with a yellow center are found all over the world, except perhaps in the Arctic and Antarctica, and everywhere their names, although they sound different, mean the same thing: loyalty, friendship, love.
- Do not forget me! - only managed to shout the unfortunate young man, who fell from the steep bank into the river pool at the moment when he was trying to pick for his beloved a soft blue flower on the edge of the cliff.
Poles, British, Germans, Scandinavian peoples, Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians have similar legends.
Although the forget-me-not is small, it has been revered for centuries. Ancient blacksmiths tempered Toledo and Damascus blades in the juice of a flower, which were not inferior in strength and flexibility to other weapons. Germany celebrates in spring Forget-me-not day: School ends early, and all the children go to the forest, sing spring songs and dance in round dances. In England, she is called the "Queen of May" and a holiday is also held in honor of the plant. The Armenian people have chosen the flower as the logo of the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the genocide of compatriots.
Translated from the ancient Greek forget-me-not - "mouse's ear", but the people call the plant by many names - feverish grass, gourd, pristine and have long believed in its magical power - a wreath of blue forget-me-nots bewitching better than any conspiracies. The roots of the plant are said to have the same property. 
Description of forget-me-not
Annual or perennial softly pubescent herbaceous bushes with lanceolate leaves usually do not exceed 10-40 cm, branch well and renew. Small azure flowers with five petals form an inflorescence in the form of a curl, bloom in May. There are cultivars with pink or snow-white petals. Fruits are tiny black nuts, shiny and slippery, easily spreading.
Types of forget-me-nots
In nature, there are approximately 50 species of plants from the borage family; in decorative floriculture, several of existing varieties, but their numerous hybrids and varieties are very common:
Forest
- early flowering spring Flower no more than 30 cm in height, stems and leaves are covered with small hairs. Lanceolate-oblong leaves in the first year are collected in a basal rosette, in the next 3-4 years the middle of the bush dies off and breaks up into several separate plants. Flowers of a dark blue hue appear in early spring in the second year after sowing.
Swamp
- a perennial herbaceous bush from 20 to 50 cm in height with creeping underground pagons and numerous stems. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, alternate, with sparse, upwardly pressed villi. Flowers are regular, with double bracts, grouped in apical inflorescences-curls. Prefers to grow in wet meadows, swamps, along the banks of water bodies. Flowers appear from June to September, pale blue, light pink or snowy white. Fruits are small nuts, tied with the onset of hot summer days.
Alpine
- the most common variety, characterized by low growth - no more than 25 cm. Branched fluffy stems end in dense inflorescences of large flowers of a pale blue, lilac-pink hue. There is an interesting dwarf form of about 10 cm with blue petals.
Alpine forget-me-not varieties:
Victoria- with compact spherical bushes about 20 cm;
Indigo- with lilac-blue flowers;
Blu ball- short plant about 15 cm tall and abundant blue flowering;
Blauer Korb- Columnar bush with large dark blue petals.
Growing forget-me-nots in the garden
This beautiful plant is very popular with flower growers. Forget-me-not is sown on fertile, moist, well-drained soils in a light or semi-shady corner of the front garden.
Seedlings appear on 7-12 days, they are thinned out and left at a distance of 10 cm from each other.
The beds are kept clean of weeds, constantly loosened the soil, and watered abundantly in dry hot weather.
Forget-me-nots bloom in early May and continue to delight with delicate inflorescences until the end of July. They endure wintering staunchly, most perennial varieties and frost-resistant species.
In addition to the seed propagation method, cuttings are also used with apical shoots, which actively root even during the flowering period. If the cuttings are buried in the soil in early spring, they bloom in the same year closer to autumn, but next spring they do not please with lush inflorescences. It is more rational to produce cuttings closer to autumn - the plant manages to form a root system and a small root rosette, but after overwintering, it blooms together and more beautifully.
Forget-me-not is exposed to few diseases; in some years, severe lesions with gray and root rot, as well as downy mildew, are observed. Of the pests, invasions of the beds with forget-me-not happen cruciferous flea, aphids and scoop.
Using forget-me-not
The beautifully flowering plant is popular in the design of spring flower beds, looks great in rabatkas, beautiful blue blotches are obtained from it on emerald lawns, and in humid low-lying areas, forget-me-nots form blue carpets.
Cute compact bushes transplanted into pots look spectacular in landscaping balconies, terraces, rooms, and the swamp forget-me-not is planted near the coastline of garden ponds.
Healing properties plants have long been used in medicine: decoctions and infusions were used to treat tuberculous lesions of the lungs and intestines, as well as various inflammatory processes in the body, rashes and eczema on the skin. Used in home cosmetics to reduce perspiration.
In ancient times
It was widely used for various magical rites and was considered a witch herb.
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Name: composed of two Greek words"myos" - mouse and "ous" - ear. Leaves of some species of the genus, densely pubescent with short hairs, resemble the ears of mice.
Photo of EDSR.
In Russia, forget-me-not is also called gorlyanka, feverish grass, pristine. Different peoples add their own legends about this flower, but for some reason in different countries they are all associated with the concept of fidelity, good memory. So, in Greece, they talk about the shepherd Likas, who, saying goodbye to his bride, gave her a bouquet of forget-me-nots; the same tale exists in German folklore. Russian “forget-me-not”, English “Forget-Me-Not”, German “Vergipmeinnicht” - all about the same. For example, they say that many years ago a couple in love went for a walk along the river. Suddenly the girl saw a lovely blue flower on the edge of the steep bank. The young man climbed down to rip it off, but could not resist and fell into the river. A strong current caught the young man, as soon as he had time to shout to his beloved: “Do not forget me!”, As the water covered him with his head. This is just one of many legends about how a delicate blue flower with a yellow eye in the middle received such a remarkable name. It is also considered a magical herb: a wreath of forget-me-nots, worn around the neck of a loved one or laid on his left chest, where the heart beats, bewitches him and holds him stronger than any chains. The same force is ascribed to the roots of the plant.
Description: the genus has about 50 species growing in humid places in Europe, Asia, America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
One-, two- and perennial plants. Branched stems 10-40 cm tall. Leaves are sessile, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate or spatulate. The flowers are usually blue with a yellow eye, sometimes pink or white, collected in an inflorescence - a curl. Blooms from May to mid-June. The fruit is a nut. In 1 g, there are 1500-2000 black, ovoid, shiny seeds, the germination of which lasts 2-3 years. When sown, they germinate in 2-3 weeks. They are very fond of forget-me-not in England, France, Germany, Sweden, where it often decorates spring flower beds. And in Russia it is difficult to find a garden where this delicate, touching flower does not grow.
Of the 50 species of this genus on the territory the former USSR grow 35. Similar to the forest forget-me-not Krylov's forget-me-not(M. krylovii Serg.) - also a perennial with more developed sterile shoots, growing in Siberia and Central Asia, and two to three years Sakhalin forget-me-not(M. sachalinensis M. Pop.), Found on Far East... Annual forget-me-nots grow only in the mountain forests of the Caucasus. it forget-me-not kindred(M. propinqua Fisch. Et Mey. Ex DC.) With a rather large rim and lazistan(M. lazica M. Pop.) With small blue corollas and short fluffy pedicels, as well as perennial pleasant forget-me-not(M. amoena (Rupr.) Boiss.) Is a long-rhizomed plant with a large flat limb of the corolla, its seeds have a small white appendage. Forget-me-not rare-flowering(M. sparsiflora Pohl) with small corollas and sparsely separated leafy clusters is a common species in disturbed habitats, sparse forests and clearings with fresh soil in the European part of Russia, Siberia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
 Marsh forget-me-not- M. palustris (L.) Lam.
It grows along streams, the outskirts of swamps, the banks of water bodies in the western regions of the European part of Russia, Western Transcaucasia, southern regions of Siberia, Central Europe, the Balkans, and Mongolia. Perennial plant with a short life cycle... Strongly branched stems up to 30 cm tall, tetrahedral. Leaves are lanceolate, large, up to 8 cm long and 2 cm wide, bright green. The flowers are pale blue, relatively large (up to 1.2 cm in diameter), at first in dense curls, which stretch out as abundant and prolonged flowering from May to autumn, due to constant shoot formation. Faded shoots die off. Has a number of varieties, of which the most effective "Thuringen"- with dark blue flowers. In the USA, on its basis, the Semperflorens variety was obtained - with bright blue flowers and a yellow center. Forget-me-not marsh is used to decorate the banks of reservoirs, planted along watercourses. Propagated by seeds. Photo of Kirill Tkachenko |
 Forget-me-not alpine garden- M. x hybrida hort.
A perennial plant cultivated as a biennial. Garden forget-me-not is a very undemanding plant. It grows well and blooms profusely both in the sun and in the shade, but prefers partial shade. It blooms in the second half of spring, in Central Russia it's mid-May. Well tolerates spring drought and even frosts down to minus 5 ° C. Blooms for a long time (30-40 days), profusely. Numerous seeds ripen at the end of June - July. The seeds crumble, and already in July, seedlings appear, which form dense beautiful bushes in August.
But all these forms, when propagated by seeds, can form plants of different heights (15-30 cm) with flowers of blue, pink, and sometimes white. |
"Victoria"(Victoria) - a variety recommended by US firms, bushes are round, compact, 20-30 cm tall, pale blue flowers; Location: grow better in shade and partial shade. True, forget-me-nots can grow well in sunny areas, but here the duration of their flowering is reduced from 30-40 days to 20 days. The exception is the Alpine forget-me-not, which is photophilous.
The soil:
grow well in areas with moist, fertilized soil. Too rich soils, especially fertilized with fresh manure, cause active, prolonged growth of leaves, which disrupts the natural rhythm of seasonal growth and development inherent in these species.
Diseases and pests: Forget-me-not alpine garden on too humid and rich can be damaged in spring by powdery mildew.
Reproduction: all forget-me-nots reproduce well by seeds, which are sown in May-June in cold greenhouses or exploratory ridges. On permanent place planted at the end of August or next spring. They give abundant self-seeding. Varietal forget-me-nots are propagated by cuttings. In May - June, the tops of growing shoots 4-5 cm long are taken on cuttings, which are planted in ridges and must be shaded. Forget-me-not, characterized by a superficial fibrous root system, tolerates transplanting well throughout the season, even in full bloom.
If you purchased forget-me-not seeds in the fall and want to get flowering specimens in the spring, then sowing seeds should be done in October-November. A box, pot or milk bag is filled with soil (be sure to make a hole in the bottom). The soil should be light (two-thirds - sod land + one third - river sand), before sowing it is spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. In suitable software lunar calendar time the seeds are sown. Forget-me-not seeds are sown scattered over the soil surface. It is important not to deepen the seeds, as they germinate faster in the light. Before sowing, the seeds are immersed in slightly salted water and the floating seeds are discarded. The seeds that have sunk to the bottom are shedding clean water, slightly dry and sow on a moistened soil surface. Seeds are lightly powdered with light soil and compacted with a special board. The surface should be level enough so that water does not drain off when watering.
Before the first shoots appear (after 4-6 days), the soil is covered with paper, on which watering is carried out. After the seedlings have one or two true leaves, you can start picking. Forget-me-nots dive into boxes or pots with moist peat soil. The distance between seedlings is 3-4cm. The boxes are installed in a cold greenhouse to allow the plants to go through the cold period they need, but in March the boxes are moved to a warm room. Since forget-me-not is a shade-tolerant plant, even on cloudy days its seedlings do not need additional artificial lighting... However, sufficient soil moisture must be maintained at all times.
At the end of April, often already with buds, forget-me-not can be planted in flower beds, where it will bloom in May. After flowering, a short period begins (June, July), when the forget-me-nots lose their decorative effect, since the plant completely dies off, and new shoots that appear after the germination of fallen seeds have not yet acquired decorative look... The question of whether it is worth counting on self-seeding forget-me-nots, each gardener decides in his own way. If the seeds are left on the plant before they are scattered, then most often the seedlings (seedlings) appear throughout the garden, clogging other areas. Besides, faded forget-me-nots are a very unattractive sight. Apparently, it is worth leaving two or three plants until the seeds ripen, and then sowing the freshly harvested seeds in the place reserved for forget-me-nots. The rest of the plants are removed from the flower garden after flowering. Due to the fact that forget-me-nots are planted quite densely and in the shade, their planting practically does not need weeding.
Usage:
indispensable for the early spring decoration of flower beds and balconies, beautiful in large groups by the water. The marsh forget-me-not can grow strongly and take root in the moist soil of shallow water. The alpine garden forget-me-not is irreplaceable in flower beds, where the assortment is replaced during the season. Forget-me-not with tulips, daffodils are the most common spring flower beds in many European countries. Forget-me-not looks good in curbs, it is also used for planting in rockeries. You just need to make sure that it does not grow too much, crowding out its neighbors. There are good thickets of forget-me-nots next to the lily of the valley, under the canopy of trees. At the end of May, these are the most beautiful, amazing parts of your garden. These flower beds do not require a lot of labor input, since both lily of the valley and forget-me-not form a dense ground cover that prevents weed growth. They bloom almost simultaneously, and after flowering, flower beds can decorate the bushes of taller shade-tolerant plants planted here. These are ferns: female kochedzhnik, male fern, Volzhanka, Kamchatka meadowsweet, hosta, etc., scattered against the background of low thickets of forget-me-nots and lilies of the valley.
Forget-me-nots look great not only in a flower bed, but also in a pot or balcony box. Their delicate flowers look most beautiful when there are a lot of them. On a balcony or terrace, forget-me-nots are good in combination with other plants.
Forget-me-not is also used for cutting, although it is better to make a bouquet from it not from individual shoots, but using the whole bush. In this case, you should only wash the roots from the soil. Placed in water, in a beautiful ceramic vase, the forget-me-not bush will decorate your home for almost two weeks.
Partners: color matching and contrasting biennials. For example, dark blue pansies, pale blue forget-me-nots and bright yellow yellow-violet.
Forget-me-not (from Lat. Myosotis) belongs to the Borage family. There are more than 50 species in the genus that grow in Europe, Africa, America, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, Russia. The plant is located in humid, sometimes marshy areas. In Russia, this flower is well known and loved, it received among the people such names as "gourd", "pristine", "feverish grass". Getting started building in your garden beautiful flower garden from forget-me-not, growing and caring - these are the main questions that need to be studied. And our article will help you with this.
Small, usually blue, flowers on long stems.
Forget-me-not flowers can be:
- annual;
- biennial;
- perennial.
Stems are long, reaching 40 cm. Leaves can be lanceolate, sessile, spatulate, linear-lanceolate. The flowers are blue, pink, white in color. Collected in inflorescences. The fruits of the plant are small dense capsules in the shape of a nut, inside there are many black shiny seeds. They take root well and can remain viable for up to 3 years.
Types of forget-me-nots
More than half of all types of forget-me-nots grow in the territories of Russia and the former USSR. Let's consider some of the most famous ones.
- Alpine forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris). Place of distribution - rocky areas of the Caucasus, Carpathians, Alps. The rhizome of the plant is short, the stem is low - up to 15 cm. The leaves are light green, and the petals are dark blue. Likes to be in bright light, in these conditions it can bloom up to 7 weeks. Propagated by seeds.
- Marsh forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris). Grows in moist soil, along the banks of water bodies and swamps. Stems are long, branching. The leaves of the flower are large, bright green. The petals are pink or blue, the flowers are relatively large, up to 1.2 cm in diameter.
- Forget-me-not field. Counts medicinal plant... Shoots are low, flowers are small, blue.
- Forest forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica). Perennial with a long stem, green oval elongated leaves. Flowers are numerous, located on pedicels and collected in curled inflorescences. Depending on the variety, the color of the petals can be pink, blue, blue. The plant loves shade and moisture.
Breeders are constantly developing new types of forget-me-nots with flowers of various colors - purple, yellow, cream.
Breeders have already created forget-me-not varieties with pink and purple flowers.
Alpine forget-me-not is rarely found in the nature of our country, most often its domesticated version is grown, which is called "Alpine garden forget-me-not" (Myosotis x hybrida hort). it garden plant very unpretentious - grows well and blooms in the sun, in the shade, in drought conditions. Even withstands small, up to -5 degrees, frosts. It can bloom for a long time - about 45 days. Popular varieties garden forget-me-nots:
- "Music" is a tall flower with dark blue petals.
- "Indigo" - small bushes up to 15 cm tall, with blue flowers.
- "Rosilva" - small plants, pink flower petals.
- "Victoria" - small, rounded bushes with pale blue flowers.
Home care
Forget-me-not grows and feels great in natural conditions, therefore, it is an unpretentious plant. It is usually grown in a garden or in a greenhouse.
Lighting
Although it is believed that forget-me-not flowers grow well in the shade, sunlight they still need it. It is necessary to provide conditions when the grown flower is in the sun from 3 to 6 hours a day, partial shade conditions will be ideal. In this case, flowering will be more abundant.
Taking into account the recommendations, in the garden you need to choose a place where the flower will be half a day in the sun and half a day in the shade. In the room, they choose the south side, not forgetting to curtain the windows in time. You also need to remember about regular ventilation.
Watering
Forget-me-not is more demanding for watering. It grows well only in moist soil, so it should not be allowed to dry out. It is better to water infrequently - about 1 time per week, but abundantly, well moistening the soil. Regular spraying of the flower with warm water is allowed. The regularity of watering is calculated based on external conditions... If the forget-me-not is in the sun for a long time, you need to water it more often, if in the shade - less often.
Diseases and pests
Due to their natural endurance, forget-me-nots are less susceptible to diseases and pests. Problems can arise from improper care. Watering frequently and allowing the soil to sour may develop fungal diseases- gray rot, powdery mildew. In this case, spraying with fungicides will help.
How to grow forget-me-not
When choosing a soil for growing a plant, you need to consider two factors:
- the soil should not be too nutritious, otherwise the forget-me-not will grow strongly and practically not bloom;
- the soil should not be poor sandy, otherwise the flower will grow poorly.
Wet meadow soil is ideal. Next, you will need to monitor the humidity level and observe the watering regime.
Fertilize forget-me-not often. After planting, after 2 weeks, you need to add a liquid mineral fertilizer... In the spring it is better to feed it with peat and humus, and in the fall with organic mineral fertilizers.
During the period of plant growth, the soil must be periodically loosened to provide better access to moisture and fertilizing. But forget-me-not does not need weeding - powerful root system does not give the weeds a chance to get out. For the winter, the plants are not covered with anything.
Landing
For planting in the garden, choose a shaded place.
First you need to choose a place in the garden where the forget-me-not will receive enough light and be in partial shade. You can grow the plant next to tall flowers that will cast a shadow. For example, a sprawling fern is suitable as a neighbor.
V open ground the best way to grow from seed:
- The soil is loosened well, peat and humus are introduced, then leveled.
- Furrows are made on the surface and seeds are laid in them, retreating about 10 cm between the holes.
- The seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil and covered with polyethylene on top.
- Water regularly, keeping the soil moist. This must be done carefully, spraying or passing water through a piece of cloth.
Forget-me-not seedlings appear 2 weeks after planting. When the first leaves appear, it is necessary to thin out the sprouts or plant them at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Flowering begins in May and lasts up to 2 months.
Another option to plant a forget-me-not in the garden is to pre-grow seedlings. To do this, in the fall, plant seeds are sown in containers with light soil, slightly deepening. There must be a layer of expanded clay under the soil layer. It is better to water the seedlings before emergence through a sheet of paper.
With the appearance of leaves, seedlings dive and move to a cold greenhouse until early spring. At the end of April, seedlings can be planted in open ground. Flowering will begin in May.
Regardless of the growing method, planting and caring for forget-me-nots will not cause much trouble.
Reproduction
Having correctly planted and propagated the forget-me-not, you can create a beautiful carpet of flowers on the site.
There are three main ways to breed forget-me-nots:
- Seeds. The seeds can be harvested by hand during the ripening period. To do this, dried branches with fruits are cut and the seeds are shaken out in the place where they want to grow forget-me-not. But it is easier to allow the plant to multiply by self-seeding, after transplanting it to the right place. The main thing is not to allow a strong growth of forget-me-not bushes, periodically thinning them.
- By dividing the bush. You can propagate forget-me-not flowers by dividing the bush into several parts. The transplant is done at any time of the year - the root system of the flower is very strong, it can easily take root.
- By cuttings. The method is suitable for breeding varietal forget-me-nots. In early June, you need to cut off the green shoots at the top of the bush (about 5 cm). They are planted immediately in open ground, shaded and covered with a film. Water gently, trying not to fall on the leaves. For better tillering, pinch a little on top. Plants propagated in this way bloom in the same season, but for a short time. For the winter, the plant is covered with spruce branches or peat.
If you plant and propagate forget-me-not flowers correctly, you can get a beautiful multi-colored carpet that will decorate your garden.
What kind of person does not want to have a gorgeous flower bed on his personal plot, while making a minimum of effort when caring for a flower garden? Surely there are a large number of them.
To implement the plan, you just need a list of the most unpretentious plants... The forget-me-not flower is no exception.
It doesn't matter what you decorate by planting this plant, a balcony or a flower bed looks like a picture. The name speaks for itself: "Forget me not."
Well, how can you forget, a small, delicate and fragile plant of the color of the blue sky! It is about this flower, a symbol of love, beauty, tenderness, fidelity and good memory, that will be discussed.
Place of growth in the wild
Forget-me-not prefers moist soils of meadows, river banks, lakes and ponds.
The flower can be found:
- in Europe;
- Asia;
- America;
- in the mountains of South Africa;
- in New Zealand;
- in Australia.
Short description
Forget-me-not is known as perennial, but there are some types of annuals and biennial plants. The flowering period begins in May and lasts until mid-June.
The yellow centers are surrounded by delicate blue petals. You can also find white, pink, yellow and lilac flowers.
The stems are branched, reaching an average of 40 cm in height, although some species may be taller, while others creep along the ground. The fruit of the plant is black nuts in the amount of 4 pieces, which are ovoid.
Plant species
In nature, 50 species of this plant are known. The most famous:
- Alpine forget-me-not. A perennial plant reaching 15 cm in height. The flowers are dark blue in color. Photophilous plant, flowering begins in May and lasts 6 weeks.
- Forget-me-not is marsh. Perennial. The stems grow up to 30 cm in height. The flowers are 1.5 cm in diameter and are blue in color. Flowering lasts from May to November.
- Forget-me-not field. Flowers up to 0.5 cm in diameter. The flowering period is long - from spring to late autumn.
- Differs in frost resistance. Blossom in May - June. The most widespread variety of garden forget-me-not is "Pompadour", which will decorate any bouquet.
- Forget-me-not forest. The pale blue flowers are 1 cm in diameter. The height of the stems is 30 cm. The flowering time falls in May and lasts about forty days. Flowers of various colors: pink, blue and blue.
- Forget-me-not flowered. Large inflorescences . Depending on the variety, the flowers can be blue, light blue, pink and white.
- Forget-me-not Chekanovsky. A very rare species. Listed in the Red Book. The lucky one will be the one who manages to find this flower and take a wonderful photo.
- Reshteiner's forget-me-not. Forget-me-not creeping on the ground. At the moment when all the buds have blossomed, an unusually beautiful clearing with pale blue flowers becomes. Flowering begins in April and lasts until May.
Care features
A flower bed for forget-me-nots should be with clay or loamy soil .
One of the few plants that weeding will only harm, but weeds need to be systematically removed. Growing forget-me-nots in partial shade will lead to a bright and rich color of the flower.
To produce moderate watering, excess moisture can lead to decay of the root system.
For the introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers, forget-me-not will thank with its lush flowering.
How to propagate
Flowers reproduce in four ways:
- seed;
- seedling;
- dividing the bush;
- by cuttings.
To reproduction by seed method it is better to start in July. To do this, you need to prepare a flower bed: dig up the soil, fertilizing it with humus and peat. Then moisten the soil.
Before sowing seeds outdoors, soak them briefly in slightly salted water. This is done in order to reject empty seeds that are unsuitable for germination. They should float up, and those that remain at the bottom of the vessel can be safely sent into the ground. After three weeks, the first shoots will appear.
Reproduction by seedlings is more troublesome, but not entirely difficult. This method of planting for propagation of annual forget-me-not varieties. We fill the pre-prepared containers for seedlings with a mixture consisting of soddy soil, sand and humus.
For disinfection, the earth must be shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Next, sow forget-me-not seeds and lightly sprinkle with sand. Watering. Should provide temperature regime indoors within 20-23 degrees.
After a week, the first borings will appear, after which the temperature is lowered to + 18-20 degrees. When the plant has 2-3 true leaves, it's time to start picking seedlings. After that, the care of the plant is only moderate watering. In the middle of summer, seedlings can be planted in a permanent place in the open field.
Forget-me-nots can be propagated by dividing the bush during the entire growing season. To do this, you need to dig out a bush, carefully divide the rhizome into the required number of parts with a well-developed root system and plant in a new place.
You can propagate the plant by cuttings in summer period... For this you need from an adult healthy plant cut off the cuttings 5-7 cm in length and put in a glass of water for a day. After that, you can plant cuttings in open ground with light soil in partial shade. It remains to water abundantly.
Diseases and pests
Forget-me-nots can be affected by such diseases:
- gray rot;
- powdery mildew.
The affected bushes with gray rot can be saved by cutting off the diseased parts of the plant, and the remaining ones can be treated with Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate.
Get rid of powdery mildew you can by spraying the plant in the morning or evening time with this solution: 10 l of water, 1 kg wood ash and laundry soap.
Gardener tip: better than illness warn how to treat the plant. This can be achieved by systematic cleaning of weeds, light planting and moderate watering.
The following pests may appear on the plant:
- Aphid. You can get rid of it by treating the plant with soapy water. Also in the fight against aphids, the proximity of forget-me-nots with geraniums and marigolds will help. The specific smell of plants scares away pests.
- Slugs. Pests do not like the smell of rosemary, sage and lavender. Plant one of these plants in your forget-me-not garden and you will forget about slugs.
- Cruciferous fleas. In the fight against this pest, the use of tobacco dust will help.
Plant in the garden
Forget-me-nots are widely used in landscape design.
This plant will decorate:
- balconies and loggias;
- rockeries and rock gardens;
- Moorish lawns;
- curbs;
- flower beds;
- lawns;
- artificial reservoirs and streams.
This unusually delicate and fragile plant has won love among many people. No wonder the basket, which depicts forget-me-nots and buttercups, is adorned with vintage postcards.
For forget-me-nots in landscape design, see the following video: