This unusual article is devoted to young botanists who may become real biologists in the future and will travel the whole world. In the meantime, their interests lie in the knowledge of available suburban plants.
If you seriously interest to young naturalists surprisingly interesting plant life, settled at his country house as much as possible mysterious plants!
Over time, you will notice that children will not only take care of interesting species, varieties, but also try to grow their own green Pets from seeds, small cuttings.
Maybe that’s how children are instilled with love for the land, for their Homeland. Maybe it is from adults – our stories, fairy tales, explanations – depends on how the beloved little man will grow up.
I collected this material long and carefully, literally bit by bit. The beginning of this interesting work was in 2006, when my granddaughter was born. A favorite place of our walks has always been a Botanical garden, and I carefully noticed what plants are of interest to her.
Preschool gave her a lot of nice outdoor, among which were crocuses that suddenly appear from the ground and just as quickly disappear into nowhere; Ipheion, which with the onset of spring heat and in a hurry to “jump out”, overtaking neighbors… all and not count.
Quietly replaced the kindergarten came to the school, and the little plants are garden types, varieties with interesting flowers, inflorescences, and fruits that grew not only in my cottage but in the Botanical garden. Today, from all this diversity, I selected the most amazing (from the point of view of the child) plants, and helped me in this my granddaughter.
What kind of plants are they? What are they interesting for young summer residents?
Spider plants
Perhaps the most mysterious for the kids. It is possible that they will study these plants not only with interest, but also with some anxiety, because children are often afraid of spiders.
Cleome spinosa
Cheerful company of thin-legged spiders – it looks like a large inflorescence of unusual flowers with long blue or purple stamens.
Seeds are sown on seedlings in March, after 2-week stratification at a temperature of +2…+5 ° C in moist sand. Germination temperature +18…24ºC, in the light. Pick is required when the appearance of 1-2 true leaves. In the open ground planted from the end of may, when the spring frosts.
Cleome spinosa will have to court in flower beds of any style, but will be especially good in the village.
Centaurea montana
Its appearance is so spider-like and exotic that is simply breathtaking (not only in children, but also in adults)!
It is a rhizomatous perennial with a height of 45 cm and a width of up to 60 cm it Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Seeds are sown in April directly in the open ground, on a pre-prepared place. In a hot and dry summer, watering is necessary. Not do without fertilizing, weeding, loosening. But the spectacular flowering of this mysterious cornflower will be remembered for a long time by both children and adults.
Spider varieties of chrysanthemums
At the balls of chrysanthemums they invariably attract the attention of children.
Plants-Butterfly
Unlike spiders, butterflies are loved by children from early childhood, so these plants are simply doomed to success with young biologists.
Tropaeolum peregrinum
It seems that it is not flowers, and bright exotic butterflies came to rest on the Bush.
It is a climbing annuals 2.5-4 m high with bright yellow flowers. Once I grew Tropaeolum peregrinum: it is beautifully braided mesh fence, bloomed from June to late autumn frosts. Little granddaughter was so excited about her flowers.
They do not tolerate transplantation, so I sowed its seeds directly into the open ground, in may. At the very beginning, regular watering and fertilizing with a full mineral fertilizer (with an interval of 10 days) is very important. It is also necessary to immediately install the support and tie it in several places with a soft twine.
Schizanthus pinnatus
Some compare it with tropical butterflies, others – with orchids.
This annuals from the family Solanaceae height of 20-50 cm and a width of 23-30 cm It is moisture-loving, requires fertile light non-acid soils.
Plants-dogs
The brightest representative – Antirrhinum – is familiar to everyone since childhood.
Antirrhinum majus
Beautiful annual (and in the South – winter-green perennial) with a rich set of different varieties, that is, “fabulous dogs” are of different colors: from white to dark cherry.
Plants-scallops
These are charming annuals from the Amaranthaceae family.
Celosia argentea f. Cristata
These are real fabulous cockerels, which you can touch with your hands and really feel all the velvety scallops-inflorescences.
Mainly these are varieties of series:
- ‘Kurume Series’ – up to 1.2 m, inflorescence diameter up to 20 cm, color: yellow, pink, orange, red, orange-red, red-yellow two-color;
- ‘Olimpia Series’ – height 20 cm, colors: yellow, red, purple.
Seeds for seedlings are sown in early April, slightly covering them with a soil substrate; dive into the open ground planted in early June, when the threat of return frosts completely disappears. When planting, you should adhere to the distance between plants 15-30 cm. Celosia is responsive to regular (2 times a month) fertilizing with a full mineral fertilizer.
Luxurious “Turkey earrings” will impress our young summer residents and Amaranthus caudatus.
Plants-shoes
Representatives of the Scrophulariaceae family are real fairy flowers: bright, colorful, like a carefree childhood.
Calceolaria integrifolia
The peculiar flowers of this beauty, like small round shoes of forest fairies, always attract the attention of kids.
Still in culture meet C. Herbeohybrida Group predominantly yellow and red painting. They are grown the same way as Calceolaria integrifolia. All of them are vulnerable to waterlogging of the soil substrate, while its roots can rot, so the plants are watered only after drying the top layer. Lush flowering can be expected only with regular (2 times a month) fertilizing full complex fertilizer. This rule is desirable to observe in respect of Calceolaria, planted in open ground, and if they grow in a container — necessarily.
In the world of plants there are many more interesting specimens: Dicentra with heart flowers, marine series with boats, oars and sails from the Fabaceae family: Lathyrus odoratus, Phaseolus coccineus, peas and others.
Autumn time of our young summer residents will certainly be interested in plants with interesting fruits and seeds: Cardiospermum halicacabum, Dolichos and others.
I wonder what plants puzzles you grow at his dacha? Do your children and grandchildren like them?