Astrantia for creating a “star” garden. How to plant and care for astrantia

There's not much to eat garden plants, which not only delight the eye with beauty and color, but also require minimal care. These include astrantia, whose photo is amazing, and planting and care does not take much time and effort. This is a favorite plant of gardeners in England (where it has been cultivated since the 16th century) and the USA. If you want to follow their example, you will not regret your choice.

Astrantia - decoration of your garden

Wild astrantia is found in Asia Minor, the countries of Central and Southern Europe, in the Caucasus. This perennial belongs to the Umbrella family. Astrantia reaches a height of 15 to 90 cm, and a width of up to 50 cm. There are about 10 species of this plant, but new varieties and hybrids are regularly developed. Depending on the variety, astrantia flowers are different sizes and colors - from pale pink and silver to rich wine shade. The flowers are framed by so-called involucres, which can either completely match the inflorescences or contrast with them, creating beautiful two-color combinations. In addition, the plant is distinguished by the bright green color of its leaves and stems, against which the flowers look especially bright. Although the average flowering period lasts 1.5 months (from June to August), some varieties produce the first flowers in May, while others bloom until September.

Astrantia is perfect for single planting, filling lawns with lush thickets, shady spaces between trees and shrubs, and also framing the banks of streams and ponds. This plant looks very beautiful in a rock garden: against the background of stones delicate flowers look even more sophisticated. But in combination with other flowers, astrantia is also capable of creating wonderful ensembles. It is especially good to combine it with plants such as:

phlox;
astilbe;
bells;
geranium;
roses;
scumpia;
lungwort;
barberry.

Astrantia large

The most common type of astrantia in Central Europe and the western part of Russia is large astrantia. This species includes many varieties that differ in flower size and shade.

Abbey Road - distinguished by a large number of small red flowers. The flowering period is from June to August.
Claret - the plant is abundantly strewn with dark red small flowers. The flowering period is from June to September.
Lars - the flowers in this variety are light purple. The flowering period is from June to August. It is considered the hardiest variety.
Moulin Rouge is a bush with many small red flowers. The flowering period is from June to September.
Princess Sturdza - this variety has the most astrantia large flowers(about 5 cm) is snow-white; over time, the flowers acquire a pinkish tint. The flowering period is from June to August.
Rosensymphonie - bushes densely strewn with flowers Pink colour with a silver tint. The flowering period is from June to September.

Astrantia: planting and care

As mentioned above, astrantia is a very easy flower to care for. Moreover, it helps in the fight against weeds, displacing them. The compact size of the root system does not require a deep fertile layer of soil, but the soil must be loose and sufficiently nutritious. sandy soil unfavorable for this plant.

Astrantia reproduces:

sowing (including self-seeding). If the seeds are purchased, it is recommended to sow them in early spring, immediately after the soil freezes. And if the seeds are collected from the plant, they need to be sown in November of the same year directly into the ground so that natural stratification occurs during the winter. Sowing occurs in furrows to a depth of about 2 cm.
bush division. To propagate using this method, it is necessary to divide the basal rosette of the bush into 2 or more parts. It is necessary to do this in early spring until the leaves appear. Important condition- the distance between the bushes must be at least 30 cm. The division of the bushes must be done not only for the purpose of propagating the plant, but also in order to rejuvenate it and prevent degeneration.
rhizome segments. Reproduction in this way must be carried out in early spring, before the buds swell.

After propagation by seed, astrantia grows within 1-2 years, and blooms in the 3rd year. Without transplantation, astrantia can grow successfully in one place for 7-10 years.

As for the place for planting, astrantia grows well both in sunny open places, and in the shady undergrowth. But the more sunlight this plant receives, the brighter and more saturated in color the flowers become.

If a flower is planted in a very hot place, then it needs moderate but regular watering, although it is quite drought-resistant. At sufficient quantity moisture, astrantia grows more luxuriantly, and flowering becomes more abundant and longer.

Resistance to cold temperatures allows the plant to overwinter in the ground without special preparation. But sometimes in the first year it is advised to cover it for the winter with sawdust, dry leaves or spruce branches.

When transplanting or planting a new bush, it is advisable to add humus or compost to the soil. If the flower grows on fertile soil, no special regular feeding is required, but it is necessary to periodically loosen the soil.

In order to extend the flowering period, as well as increase the number of flowers on the bush, it is necessary to cut off the first inflorescences - this will stimulate another wave of flowering.

Another advantage of astrantia is its resistance to disease. And the only pest that can be dangerous for it is the naked slug, the appearance of which can be provoked if the flower is planted in a very damp and shady place.

The beauty and diversity of species and varieties, resistance to various temperatures, good “immunity” of the plant to diseases and pests - all this makes the astrantia flower very attractive for cultivation. At minimum cost effort, it will decorate your site from May to September, and combining this beautiful flower with others ornamental plants, you can create a unique natural corner that will delight the eye and can become a wonderful vacation spot.

Astrantia large(Astrantia major) is the most decorative and most commonly used type of astrantia, numbering about a dozen varieties. Grows in the Middle and Western Europe, including in the Baltic states, the Carpathians, and the Caucasus. Due to the similarity of the shape of the inflorescence with a star, this plant was called astrancia (star), and our gardeners are accustomed to calling it asterisk.

Like all unusual flowers, astrantia large surrounded by many myths and legends. The most beautiful and saddest of them tells how one girl, no longer able to bear separation from her fiancé, a courageous warrior who defended native land from enemies, I went to look for him.

And the young man, who at that time was already looking at his beloved from heaven, strewn her path sparkling flowers like stars. Thanks to this, the girl managed to return home safe and sound.

Description

Astrantia large or big is herbaceous perennial with a stem height from 40 to 90 cm. It has beautiful five-part leaves collected in a basal rosette; the lower ones have long petioles, and the upper ones almost without them.

Because the astrantia- bright representatives of the Umbellaceae family, their inflorescences are large umbrellas (up to 5 cm in diameter) of a simple shape with beautiful involucres, consisting of 10-20 oblong lanceolate bracts of white or burgundy color and small flowers of the same shade.

Exactly wrappers are the “zest” that makes astrantia one of the most beautiful garden flowers. They bloom almost all summer, from June to August, and by autumn they bear fruit - two-seeded plants.

Astrantia bushes large ones have a fairly spreading shape, sometimes reaching 40 cm in diameter during the flowering period. At good care and in favorable weather conditions they can bloom again - by August-September.

Varieties

AbbeyRoad is a variety of medium height (up to 60 cm) with straight stems and sparse, almost leafless branches. The palmately dissected leaves are collected in a basal rosette. Numerous red inflorescences are umbel-shaped with large purple bracts. Winter-hardy, hardy variety, prefers light, loose soils and sunny planting sites.

The Buckland variety reaches 50 cm in height. The stems are straight, deciduous, the leaves at the roots are large and dissected. It blooms with pink simple umbrella inflorescences with large bracts of the same shade, very abundantly and throughout the entire season - from May to November. Loves the sun very much, but feels good in light shade.

Claret – medium height, with deeply dissected leaves. The flowers are an unusual dark red color with a brown tint and rich red wrappers. Blooms from June to mid-September. Prefers fertile light soils.

MoulinRouge is a tall variety (up to 70 cm), flowers and bracts are dark pink. Winter- and drought-resistant variety. Blooms from June to autumn.

Care

This flower is enough photophilous, but can develop well under tall trees, delighting with long and lush flowering. The more light the starfish receives, the brighter its umbrellas are colored.

Root system It is quite compact, so for normal development it does not need too deep a fertile layer. Can't stand it great content sand in the ground.

If astrantia lack of moisture during the season, it shortens the flowering period in favor of longer ripening of seeds. But in general, caring for this flower is very simple, although there are still a few secrets.

Secrets of long flowering of large astrantia

Try more often cut off wilted inflorescences - this way you can cause a second wave of flowering, which is often more abundant than the first.
Apply fertilizer once a season - in April. There is no point in doing this further, since all the benefits from fertilizing will go to the leaves and stems, and flowering will be reduced.
If you don't want To allow self-seeding, it is necessary to remove the stems soon after flowering, select from them those that have almost ripe seeds and hang them in a dark place, placing a box below for crumbling seeds.
In relatively warm regions Astrantia can overwinter in open ground. Young specimens (up to 2-3 years) need to be covered with spruce branches or dry grass, after cutting off the shoots and mulching the soil.
Astrantia large very resistant to diseases and pests. The only enemy is slugs, which love to feast on its beautiful dissected leaves. When they appear, you need to treat the bushes with wood ash or special preparations such as “Thunderstorm”.
Tie up bushes there is no need - they will eat just fine anyway.
In the summer drought It is necessary to water the astrantia once a week, avoiding stagnation of moisture.

Reproduction and planting

Reproduce starwort by dividing rhizomes or seeds. Up to 30 seeds ripen in each umbrella, but only a few of them sprout - from 3 to 10. Only material from the current year is suitable for sowing.

You can sow seeds before winter directly on permanent place or in a greenhouse.

Purchased seeds and hybrids are sown in the spring, shortly after the soil freezes. The seedlings must be thinned out, leaving gaps of 8-10 cm for seedlings and 30-40 cm for permanent planting.

Reproduction by rhizome carried out after the leaves die off at the end of October - November or before they awaken - in March-April. In the first year, the flowering of young plants may be weak, but already in the second season you will get lush thickets or fully formed individual bushes, depending on the type of planting.

Every 5-6 years astrantia requires transplantation and rejuvenation, since by this time it is worsening appearance and flowering becomes less abundant.

Application in garden design

Astrantia is planted solo and in groups, in flower beds and on lawns, in borders and mixborders, as well as in borders along paths. This species is ideal for wellness gardens, and low-growing varieties- For alpine slides.

Astrantia large look great in shady gardens thanks to their bright inflorescences. It is recommended to plant next to astilbe, hosta, lungwort, geranium, and cyanosis.

Try to position plant it near variegated heuchera, barberry or mackerel - and you will see how your garden star will shine with a new light and sparkle with unusual colors.

And for the most curious, we suggest you watch a video about astrantia large
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLDTctxyCpo

Astrantia - a star flower that brings happiness

The most famous legend about astrantia is that once upon a time a bright star fell on the edge of a forest and fell in love with an earthly guy.
When it hit the ground, it crumbled into thousands of shiny fragments, which turned into small charming flowers that glow at night.
From this legend the name of the flower comes from astro - space.

In Russia, this flower is also associated with stars - it has long been called zvezdovka.

Another legend - a beautiful girl went to look for her beloved, who was taken to war, and died there. When she returned home inconsolable, she got lost in the forest - and her lover strewed her path with small flowers, visible in the dark, so that she would return unharmed.

The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous plant from the Apiaceae family.
The stems are straight, thin, few-branched, ranging in height from 15 (decorative forms) to 90 cm (wild). There are few leaves, on long petioles, collected in a basal rosette.
The bushes are spreading and up to half a meter in diameter. Astrantia is decorative throughout the entire gardening season - until frost.

Planting and caring for this flower crop is so simple that even a novice gardener can do it. Astrantia grows well in sunny places, tolerates partial shade, infrequent watering and untimely fertilizing. Unpretentious perennial decorates the garden, requiring a minimum of attention.
The star blossom blooms for a month and a half, from June to August, and most modern varieties bloom throughout September.
Compact root system The crop is unpretentious to the soil, resistant to frost, and after 1-2 years it forms dense ornamental thickets that can grow for many years without replanting. The beauty of flowering depends on timely watering and removal of faded inflorescences, which take away the strength of the bush. Facilitates the cultivation of astrantia and is extremely resistant to pests and diseases, including fungal ones.

Secrets of long-term and repeated flowering of astrantia

If you immediately cut off the wilted inflorescences, the plant gives a second wave of flowering, which is sometimes even more abundant than the first.
Fertilizing needs to be done only once - in the spring during the growth process. You shouldn’t do this further, otherwise the plant will turn green and bloom little.
After flowering, mow all stems to avoid self-seeding. Select almost ripe seeds (necessarily with stems), hang them in a place protected from the sun and lay a box for falling seeds.
In not very cold regions, astrantia overwinters quite calmly in the ground. It is better to cover plants 2-3 years old for the winter - with spruce branches or sawdust.
Astrantia practically does not get sick and has no natural pests, except that naked slugs simply adore its leaves. It must be protected with ashes or special substances (“Thunderstorm”, etc.).

Growing astrantia from seeds

It is better to sow starwort seeds immediately in open ground before winter so that they undergo a long natural stratification.
Purchased and hybrid seeds - in early spring, immediately after the soil freezes. Germination is fast - within 2-3 weeks. The seedlings must be thinned out - leave 7-10 cm between young bushes for seedlings and more than 30 cm - if planted in a permanent place.

Astrantia in a flowerbed

EXAMPLE OF A FLOWER FLOWER WITH ASTRANCIA

Triangular flowerbed:
1 - ostrich,
2 - astrantia,
3 - Volzhanka,
4 - host,
5 - flat-petalled geranium,
6 - brunner

In the flower beds continuous flowering astrantia gets along well with other perennials flower crops. The combination of openwork leaves of astrantia with bright summer flowers is an excellent example of creating ridges from flowering plants. Star landings different varieties on the lawn in the form of a separate flower bed they look very interesting. Growing astrantia against the background of decorative deciduous shrubs perfectly complements the landscape interior of parks or public gardens.

IN landscape design Astrantia is most often used for flower beds, ridges, and mixborders of perennial plants. Considering that the plant is quite undemanding in terms of maintenance conditions, the starwort is planted in partial shade, under bushes and trees, to add decorativeness to compositions in landscape design.

Low-growing varieties of astrantia are used in landscape design for planting in rock gardens, rocky gardens and near swimming pools.

Here are a couple more examples of the location of astrantia in flower beds.

Astrantia, or chickweed, is a perennial plant reaching a height of more than 70 cm. It is decorative, looks great in bouquets, and is completely unpretentious.

Astrantia, the planting and care of which does not require any specific conditions, grows remarkably well on any soil. True, it prefers sunny areas or light partial shade. Chickweed is quite resistant to the most common garden diseases. It requires additional watering only during periods of drought. He loves feeding in the form of organic fertilizers. Astrantia is usually fed in spring or autumn and always during replanting. It can grow in one place for about 7 years without losing its decorative qualities.

Astrantia, planting and caring for which is quite simple, requires pruning of the very first shoots. This is done to form a lush bush.

Astrantia - planting and care. Growing

The easiest way to propagate a plant is to divide the bush. Chickweed also reproduces well by seeds or division of rhizomes.

Astrantia. Growing by seeds

Seeds can be planted in both spring and autumn. When planting seeds in the spring, it is necessary to first subject them to stratification (exposure to low temperatures). To do this, it is enough for them to lie in the refrigerator for some time. The seeds are placed in small containers with prepared soil. Then they are put away in a cool, dark place. After the first shoots appear, the containers are moved to a brighter place. Strong seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the end of May. Astrantia grown from seeds blooms after three years.

The plant can be propagated by dividing the bush in spring or autumn. To do this, the astrantia is dug up, divided into parts and new bushes are planted immediately in a permanent place. Before planting, it is advisable to add a little organic fertilizer to the prepared holes.

By dividing the rhizome, the plant can be propagated only in the spring and until the first leaves begin to grow. This method is rarely used, as a rule, in cases where it is necessary to preserve particularly rare species of astrantia.

Astrantia, planting and caring for which is not particularly difficult, despite its resistance to various diseases, can be severely damaged by snails.

When purchasing seedlings you need to pay Special attention on the condition of the leaves. Yellowed foliage and fading leaves indicate the presence of possible diseases; such seedlings are not worth buying.

Young plants should have healthy leaves; it is preferable that the seedlings be planted in separate pots.

To decorate the landscape of your garden, you can plant astrantia on the shore of a small pond. Such a plant will look great next to geranium or astilbe. The white inflorescences of the stars will favorably emphasize and set off the purple wide bells and other flowers.

Astrantia is also suitable for alpine hills; planted ferns can be beautifully combined with it.

In any case, this unpretentious plant will decorate your garden and add some zest to the landscape. In combination with other cultures or on its own, it always looks amazing and elegant.