Forget-me-nots in garden: planting and care

Quite often this modest plant is called "the queen of May". One of the legends says that these blue flowers are scattered over the earth by angels, so that people at least occasionally recalled the sky. In addition, despite the fact that the name of the flower differs markedly in different languages, in all nations it has almost the same meaning - "do not forget me". In this article, we will talk about how to grow such a touching and symbolizing loyalty and perennial, like an unforgettable garden.

Legends and beliefs

In many European countries in ancient times, forget-me-nots were honored as a special plant, and even in her honor, festivals were held. In Russia, this flower was also called a prigozhnitsey, feverish and sorcery grass. Our ancestors believed that if you put on a favorite wreath from forget-me-nots, then he would be more than a witch of his charmer.

In Germany, it is still common belief that an unforgettable garden can open a treasure, as well as help to find out the name of the sucked. Blacksmiths from many countries believed that steel, hardened in the juice of this fragile plant, became more durable and light, and a blade of it could cut iron.

Botanical characteristics

Forget-me-nots garden blue, alpine and any other belongs to the genus of forget-me-nots (Myosotis) of the family Borage (Boraginaceae). In total, about 80 species are found in the genus Myosotis, 30 of which grow on the territory of our country. Other types of forget-me-nots can be found in the temperate climate of Europe and America, Asia and South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Forget-me-nots are herbaceous plants preferring wet and shaded places. The height of the highly branching stem of this plant can vary from 10 to 40 cm. It has sessile leaves of a pointed lanceolate shape. The petals of its many colors can be painted in blue, blue, pink, white and even cream color. Forget-me-nots garden forms racemose inflorescences. It blossoms from May to the middle of July, after which it forms fruits - nuts, in which black, very small oval seeds ripen. When the fruit fissures, the seeds fall to the ground and germinate. As a result of this self-seeding, a fairly strong seedling is obtained, capable of wintering in the conditions of our winters.

Types for the garden

Despite the great variety of species and many different modern varieties, the following forget-me-nots are most often used in floriculture and ornamental horticulture:

• Marsh (Myosotis palustris);
• Forest (M. caespitosa);
• Alpine (M. alpestris);
• Placed in flower (M. dissitiflora);
• Alpine garden (M. x hybrida hort).

In the gardens the most common is a special cultural form - an unforgettable alpine garden. On the basis of its and the types listed above, a variety of hybrids have been created today and many varieties have been identified that differ not only in the color of the petals.

Popular varieties

Today popular are garden forget-me-nots with flowers, painted in various shades of pink :

• Victoria Rose.
• Rosil'v.
• Carmen King.
• The pink dawn.
• Hope.

Always in demand are blue and blue garden forget-me-nots, the cultivation of which is exactly the same as the flowers of another color. Quite widespread are such dark blue varieties as the Blue King, Indigo, Blue Basket, Ultramarine. Fans of sky blue and light blue color will be pleased with such varieties of garden forget-me-nots as Music, Blue Distances, Kompiniidi, Miro, Victoria, Pompadour.

Picking up a place

Such a plant, like an unforgettable garden, prefers loose, moderately nutritious and moistened soils with good drainage in a light shade. The flower can grow in the sun, but it shows its fullest decorative qualities in the penumbra. It is not necessary to plant forget-me-not on very rich soils, as the plant begins to "fatten" and forms a powerful shrub that practically does not bloom.

Beautiful garden forget-me-not: landing and grooming

This delicate flower can be propagated in many different ways. You can sow seeds directly in the open ground or grow seedlings, divide the formed bush. In the case of especially rare varieties, propagation by propagation by propagation is possible.

The most easily accessible way in which the forget-me-not garden garden breeds is growing from seeds directly in the open ground. Carry out such a landing in the warm and dry days of June or July, after preparing the soil on the site: dig through the soil, make about 1 m ² about 30 g nitrofoski and 3-4 kg mixed with peat humus. Then the top layer of soil is again dig through, leveled and well spilled with water. After that, the shallow furrows are made in the soil, where the seed of the forget-me-not seed is sown. On top, they are sprinkled with fine river sand and gently compacted. Planting cover with a non-woven cover material or film and leave it for two weeks. Depending on the temperature and other external factors, shoots appear, as a rule, this occurs after 14 days. They are opened and thinned out.

In the first year, plants will only form a rosette of leaves, but the blossoms will be in the second year after planting.

Reproduction through sprouts

Typically, growing a garden forget-me-not through seedlings is carried out for annual varieties, such as, for example, Mon Ami Blu. Seeds are sown superficially in pre-prepared containers with well-moistened soil in late March - early April. For seedlings make a special soil mixture, consisting of fine river sand and turf ground in a ratio of 1: 2. Before the emergence of seedlings, containers with seeds, covered with glass or polyethylene, are kept at a temperature of +20 ... +23 ⁰ C, and after five days it is lowered to +18 ... +20 ⁰ C. All this time the seedlings should be well illuminated. After the appearance of sprouts, it is possible to fertilize with weak solutions of mineral fertilizers and water as the upper layer of the soil dries up. In May the seedlings, often with buds, are planted in the open ground, covering their first time both from the scorching sun, and from recurrent frosts. By the end of July, the plants have already blossomed and their seeds are ripe.

Creating conditions

After the plant was planted on a permanent place, it is necessary to ensure a moderate regular watering and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. When watering, you should try not to get water on the plant itself, but to direct the stream closer to the roots. The first feeding is carried out before flowering about 14 days after planting the plant to a permanent place. For this purpose, complex mineral fertilizers, dissolved in water according to the instructions, are suitable. In autumn, organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil under forget-me-nots , and in the spring a small layer of peat mixture is sprinkled under the bushes or about 5 cm, or a well-blended compost mixed with garden soil. It is important to remember that the garden forget-me-nots are quite aggressive and quickly spread by self-seeding. To prevent this, immediately remove the discolored sprigs, thereby preventing the tying of seeds and their further unauthorized "movement" in your area.