Honey heath: planting and care

Heather, planting and care for which many are interested - legendary plants. They grow in many countries of Europe and are associated with several myths. By nature this plant is hardy, unpretentious, and also one of the best honey-plants. Those who are fanatical about the landscape design of their site, simply have to pay attention to the heather. Planting and caring for them are simple, the appearance is very effective. And the flowering time is long. In addition, even after blossoming heather bush remains very decorative. Since the brush does not lose its bright shade and shape after drying.

Heather. Planting and care of flowers

This plant is not very high - it never exceeds a meter. The foliage of the heather can be of various shades: besides the green, it can be bronze, yellowish and even red. Flowers are small, goblet. They are collected in medium-sized inflorescences resembling a brush. In nature, they often have a lilac soft shade.

Decorative heathers (planting and care of them are simple) can blossom with white, crimson, cyclamen flowers. The first half of the year - until about August - plants decorate the garden with foliage predominantly. But after the flowering and until late autumn, they are pleased with a palette of bright brushes. A gardener must take care of a number of conditions that will allow him to grow bright and lush heather on his plot. Moderate sun or small penumbraes, acid reaction of the soil, high humidity - part of them. But you do not need to feed heather. For the winter it would be good to insulate it with mulch from sawdust, humus, needles or crushed bark. In addition to shelter, it will also slightly acidify the soil, as well as retain moisture in it. Heather reproduces by air layers in the spring before pruning. The branch is bent to the ground, fixed and covered with earth. The layers will quickly develop the root system. It is only necessary to carefully monitor the level of moisture. Heather is a plant that is very resistant to almost all pests, except phytophthora. Formative circumcision of the bush is carried out once a year, after blossoming. This stimulates the formation of more magnificent brushes for the next year. In this case, you should avoid giving the bush an excessively symmetrical appearance. His charm in a kind of "shaggy".

Heather in the culture and way of life of different countries

Wastes overgrown with this plant cover a significant part of Europe. It is also found in Siberia, in northern Africa, in North America (immigrants from Great Britain brought it there). In Scotland, heather was widely used for the production of mattresses, brooms. And the dye, which is extracted from this plant, was used to decorate national clothes. Heather - honey. It is often planted near apiaries. Heather El is a traditional drink produced in Scotland from the second century AD. Dabecia and andromeda are two other plants of the heather family, which are similar to each other. They are more winter hardy. By the way, heather is used in homeopathy - it has the property of lowering blood pressure and an easy diuretic effect.