Among flowers, as among people, there are very different "individuals" with similar and dissimilar habits. There are capricious ones who are very demanding for care, and there are “lovers” of extreme sports, for whom the worse, the better. Therefore, flowers to each other should be selected especially carefully.

Tip: remember that plants placed in the same flower garden should have the same requirements for light, humidity, soil quality.

The most luxurious perennials - roses, peonies and clematis - prefer to bathe in the rays of the sun, but for complete comfort they need fertile soil, correct top dressing sufficient and timely watering. Yet even under these conditions experienced growers it is advised to plant them separately - separately from each other and from other plants (the distance for peonies is at least 1 m, for roses - 0.5 m).

These kings and queens of the garden will look especially impressive in solitary plantings against the background of a lawn growing at a distance from conifers or ornamental shrubs, provided that the latter bloom in different time with our heroes. Peonies do not bloom for long, but their lush bushes are magnificent even after flowering. Therefore, at some distance from them (but not in their shade), you can plant annuals that bloom later that love the sun and normally tolerate moderate drought.

If your soul longs to diversify such a flower garden, choose a discreet, discreet frame for it. For example, beauty and peonies modest lace of gypsophila paniculata, elegant lavender or showy leaves silver wormwood. Not far from the rose garden, you can plant protective plants that can drive away insidious pests. Perfect option - marigolds and sage.

These sun-worshippers are drought-resistant and do not pretend to be other people's top dressing. Tip: keep in mind that the abundance of different and simultaneously flowering plants in one flower garden looks at least ridiculous - it dazzles the eyes from such a variety.

Royal persons, whose quirks we have already talked about, are far from the only candidates for a “sunny” flower garden.

In the spring, a clearing flooded with generous rays will be decorated mixed landings bulbous: tulips, hyacinths and daffodils. The company of tulips will be willingly made up of decorative bows and gypsophila paniculata.

But remember: tulips should not be dug up and cut off their leaves until nutrients have accumulated in the bulbs. The signal for "withdrawal" will be completely dried foliage.

Do not worry about the beauty of the landscape, by that time the bulbs will be hidden by a “screen” of tall drought-resistant annuals or perennials, which in our climate have “retrained” into annuals.

it verbena and high varieties of marigolds and lacfiol (yellow levkoy). In similar conditions, lilies and phloxes, chrysanthemums and asters, dahlias and decorative sunflowers, gladioli and zinnias, cannes and daisies.

However, the exactingness of plants extends not only to illumination, but also to humidity and other features of the soil. And this will also have to be taken into account when arranging flower beds and flower beds.

Quite a few sun-loving plants prefer moderate watering and good drainage.

Quite drought tolerant ornamental grass, for example elimus, dvukistnik and gray fescue. But there are plants that equally love both the sun and water. These are irises and decorative bows, steap and panicled phlox, autumn helenium and rudbeckia, gladiolus and purple echinacea.

Flowers and flowering plants usually prefer rich neutral soils and are happy to accept top dressing. Ground covers and some wildlife are accustomed to poor, not too generous land: it sage, young, wormwood(and other plants with silver-gray leaves), they often become ill from top dressing.

Tip: if possible, avoid dense planting, many plants eventually occupy an increasing area and interfere with each other, so it is important to keep a distance, and cover the "bare" ground with decorative mulch.

Secrets of the Twilight.

The shadow is different: they give a solid or impenetrable outbuildings, fences and dense plantings, light - trees and shrubs with openwork foliage. Plants react differently to a lack or excess of light. Shade-loving ones show their beauty only where there is little sun.

Shade-tolerant prefer sunny places, but are willing to put up with varying degrees of shading, although with such a compromise, they partially lose their attractiveness. It is not worth combining plants with different tastes.

Selecting tenants for shady corner garden, you need to pay attention to what they are - shade-loving or shade-tolerant.

Moderately shade-tolerant put up with a little shading that higher "neighbors" can create in the same flower garden: cornflowers, skyweed, daylilies, feverfew and dicentra.

An excellent option for shade is "wild" perennials, which in natural conditions adapted to the lack of sunlight.

Miniature ground cover - small periwinkle, yasnotka, pachysandra, ivy-shaped budra - will tighten the aisles and voids in the garden, driving away the weeds. It is possible to create magnificent carpets even where shade-tolerant ones cannot survive. lawn grasses, - under the fir trees or on the north side of the house, shade-loving European hoof, yellow Zelenchuk, apical pachysandra and heart-leaved tiarella will perfectly take root here.

In intense shade, they feel good and forest anemone, lily of the valley, ferns, liverwort and some . For shaded borders, rockeries and alpine slides suitable tenacious creeping, variegated varieties brunners, bergenia and lungwort. Among the beautifully flowering perennials that tolerate light shading without loss, you should pay attention to volzhanka, elecampane, rogersia and solidago. Can be planted in partial shade anemone, aconite, meadowsweet, dicentra and astilba.

So many former weeds that have turned into light hand gardeners in ornamental plants, are accustomed to extreme sports and grow quite successfully on acidic soils.

Slightly acidic can be easily overcome daylilies and primroses, apical pachysandra, tiarella and armeria. Slightly acidic soil is preferred by steward, aconite, delphinium, different varieties sedges, anemone, lily of the valley, gentian and cereals. Strongly acidic soils "to your liking" ornamental shrubs and some herbaceous perennials: ferns, dicentres, bergenia and multi-leaved lupine.

Friends or enemies?

Plants with similar tastes do not always get along together, and opposites force each other out of the occupied territory. Options for a successful neighborhood can be the most unexpected, but most often they have to be determined by trial and error.

It happens that plants whose requirements for comfort are the same cannot grow side by side. For example, tree peonies - bad neighbors not only for perennials, but even for trees and shrubs planted closer than 1.5 m.

Wither from close proximity to cloves and mignonette, and peonies have a depressing effect on the queen of the garden herself. Lilies of the valley make those growing nearby suffer peonies and violets, and dahlias seen in the "destruction" of almost all competitors - after all, there are fewer weeds next to them than with other plants.

Representatives are particularly aggressive buttercup family, they suck out moisture and all useful substances from the soil, thoroughly

depleting the soil, so their environment has to sit on starvation rations. Along the way, the roots of representatives of this family secrete substances that can poison the life of their green "brothers".

And if on clover lawn plant ranunculus, then even hardy clover will die. Ground covers love to conquer other people's territories, bulbous ones that winter in the ground especially suffer from them: it is difficult for them to break through the powerful interweaving of “tops and roots”. If, contrary to the habits of plants, you still decide to combine bulbous and ground cover crops in one flower garden, aggressive impulses should be limited to rigid frames made of tin or metal, both in the ground and above the ground.

Flowers and their neighborhood - choose candidates: photo

1. Marigolds Perfection1 F1. The bush is compact or sprawling with a clearly defined main shoot and completely round densely double inflorescences up to 15 cm in diameter. The bush is powerful, strong, well branched, 35-40 cm high, 30-35 cm wide. Plants look great in borders, flower beds and discounts , go well with phlox, dahlias, asters, geraniums. Flowering from late June - early July until frost.

2. BRACHICOMA – annual plant 15-25 cm high. Numerous inflorescences with flowers 3-3.5 cm in diameter are located on the bushes. Reed flowers are white, blue, purple or lilac-pink; tubular (smaller) - blue or almost black. Flowering is abundant, from mid-June to September or October, depending on the weather. Likes open sunny places and light and nutritious soil. Watering is necessary only in dry weather, for abundant flowering full feeding is recommended mineral fertilizers. Disembarkation after return frosts, the distance between plants is 15-20 cm.

3. Cornflower- two- or one-year herbaceous plant height from 60 to 80 cm. Flowers garden forms can be white, pink, purple, red. Unpretentious, but loves sunlight, blooms from June to September. Grown in open field in a sunny place, the distance between individuals is 20-50 cm. When grown in a group of plants or flower beds, plant on the south side in the first row so that sunlight evenly hits the leaves. Likes fertile, humus-rich soil with neutral acidity.

I also really like peonies.
While serving in the D-East (Primorsky Territory), for the first time I saw a wild peony - a milky-flowered peony (Paeonia lactiflora) directly in nature. When a milky-flowered peony blooms on the slopes of the hills, this is SOMETHING. Naturally, when transferring to Moscow, he could not help but take such a handsome bush with him. As it turned out, in central Russia peony feels great, and in gardens with minimal care, blooms even more abundantly and better than in nature.
The flowers of the wild (species) peony lactiflora are non-double, cup-shaped, white color. At the beginning of dissolution, they may have light pink tints, which disappear as they bloom. Stamens golden yellow. Throws out buds in two orders. The size of the flower is 9-13 cm - the first and 8-10 cm - the second order. The spicy aroma is not just strong, but O-O-Very strong. On the scale of measuring the aroma of roses, it pulls on all five clouds !!! One flower cut into a vase is enough to persistent aroma spread throughout the apartment. The flowering of a whole bush is sometimes noticeable from a distance of 20-25 m.

Paeonia lactiflora

Now I have 18 bushes of various (specific and varietal) growing on my site. herbaceous peonies. Unfortunately, I DO NOT SEE them as full-fledged, companion roses (at our latitude). "Companion" (in my opinion) must meet at least two requirements. The first is to emphasize or improve the decorative effect of the “partner”, and the second is not to oppress the “partner”.
At the first request - a clear mismatch between the peaks of flowering of these two groups of plants. Random "intersections in time" of the flowering of some and the beginning of flowering of others (as this year) is not an indicator.
According to the second requirement - the root system of pions is very powerful and branched, squeezing out competitors. Planting such a “companion” in close proximity (for example, in order to cover the “legs”) will definitely not benefit the rose. Also, the powerful foliage of the peony bush, which prevents air ventilation, will contribute to the development of fungal diseases (in wet conditions my area - exactly).

At one time I decided to breed wild lactiferous peony Paeonia lactiflora by sowing its seeds, as there were a lot of people who wanted to get it from me in their garden (plucking from the root does not help matters, but you can sow a SPECIFIC plant). Received about 30 seedlings. Most of the grown seedlings distributed. I left 7 pieces for myself ... But I didn’t take into account that most of all varietal grassy peonies (and they are adjacent areas grows a lot) these are hybrids and descendants of the wild lactiflora peony, and therefore easily interbreed with their progenitor. Thus, all my seedlings turned out to be pollinated spontaneous hybrids. And, as it turns out, everyone is different. Later he gave his friends “in good hands” 3 more unremarkable hybrid varieties, leaving himself the 4 that he liked the most.

Meet:
The first hybrid variety is "Pinkish".


An almost complete copy of the species Paeonia lactiflora, literally in all respects. The difference is only in a more pinkish (in the cold spectrum) and stable color of the petals (by 1-2 tones). At first, he took it for a purely specific one.

The second hybrid variety is “With a pink center”. My favourite.


It has a pronounced main flower on the shoot (the largest, terry) and a little higher and later flowers the second order (usually 3, smaller and non-double) with a very decorative pink center surrounded by golden yellow stamens. The color of the petals is light pink. The shape of the bush is elongated upwards (as in cultivars). The aroma is powerful, in strength and taste, like that of the species Paeonia lactiflora.

The third hybrid variety is "Water lily".

It has a pronounced main flower on the shoot (the largest, double) and a little higher and later flowers of the second order (usually 3, smaller and semi-double) with a center surrounded by golden yellow stamens. The main flower, as a rule, has a pronounced "water lily", composed of the central petals. The color of the petals is pure white. The shape of the bush is elongated upwards (as in cultivars). The aroma is powerful, in strength and taste, like that of the species Paeonia lactiflora. Unfortunately, the variety turned out to be the most capricious to weather conditions of all hybrids. For all the years (7-8 adult years) fully, decoratively and powerfully flourished only twice.

The fourth hybrid variety is "White semi-double".

It has a pronounced main flower on the shoot (the largest, double) and a little higher and later flowers of the second order (usually 3, smaller and semi-double) with a center surrounded by golden yellow stamens. The color of the petals is pure white. The shape of the bush is elongated upwards (as in cultivars). Of all the hybrids, flowering is the most powerful. The aroma is weak, spicy. By strength, only two clouds on the scale of roses.

The fifth and sixth hybrid varieties are "Small-flowered".
Two very similar hybrids. The shape of the bush is almost a complete copy of the species Paeonia lactiflora. The flowers of both hybrids are also similar to the species, but noticeably smaller and collected in clear inflorescences. The color of the petals is pure white. The aroma is strong (three clouds), tart, but less pleasant than that of the species Paeonia lactiflora.
Given to neighbors "in good hands."

The seventh hybrid variety is "Pink Terry".
A copy of a varietal pink peony growing nearby on the plot (whose variety is not determined). The only difference is the colder color of the inner petals (literally half a ton) and denser and feathery foliage. The aroma is almost non-existent. In cool years, it blooms clearly more modestly than its pink varietal twin.
Given to neighbors "in good hands."

The information is posted for those wishing to personally experiment.

All peony bushes, for the reasons mentioned above, grow on my site at some distance from roses.

Peonies are luxurious and self-sufficient flowers. Therefore, peonies have special requirements for their neighbors. Peonies themselves create a unique atmosphere, just filling the garden with happiness. A rich palette of colors is a good reason to use peonies in the landscape.

All types of peonies can be used: tree-like peonies, bushes of which are about 2 m tall and park varieties peonies with bright flowers and low bushes.

Look amazing in the garden bright flowers Bowl of Beauty with lots of stamens. Or compact peony bushes of the Neon variety, densely covered with double flowers that look like fluttering butterflies on it.

Only, for cut peonies, you need to use props, because their stems cannot bear the weight of the caps. Or use such peonies in the background, for example, the Carol variety has showy flowers that look spectacular in bouquets.

You can use peonies in rock gardens, and to decorate home gardens and gardens. garden plots, large landscape arrays.

Peonies give volume and splendor to any flower bed, and after flowering they are an excellent backdrop for other plants. The presence of pions in mixed compositions can even be compared to inserting rubies into a piece of jewelry.

Best of all, peonies look in a huge space, on a velvety green lawn, when neither the triumph of flowers nor carved greenery is embarrassing.

Pay attention to the combination of colors. With burgundy varieties of peonies, it is better not to plant other red flowers if they bloom at the same time as peonies.

Among the bright caps of peonies, the heads of flowering white decorative onions look good.

White or coral peonies will be paired with bright deep red flowers such as carnation or blood red geyhera. The tenderness of pink peonies will be emphasized by the dark decorative greenery of the arborvitae or barberry bushes. Peonies look great in a flowerbed with hellebore.

Emphasize the flower bed with white peonies - irises, which contrast in color, as well as sage, poppy, daylily, bluebells, honeysuckle.

In a small area next to the peonies, you can plant deciduous ornamental plants with small flowers. But they must be either lower than peonies, or higher.

Solitary peony bushes, planted in short rows against the background of large trees, look very impressive. For example, narrow-leaved varieties of peonies with juicy or delicate flowers are planted next to juniper thickets.

You can place peonies in groups, separating them with contrasting foliage, or plant three bushes at the corners of an emerald lawn.

Plant undersized plants around the perimeter perennials: cuff, primrose, daisies, bergenia. Use digitalis or delphinium as a vertical.

It is not recommended to combine several varieties in one place. Separate them better throughout the garden.

Do not plant other plants between peony bushes. Let this place be free for loosening. It would be desirable if a path goes to each peony bush.

Creating a garden that will delight you from spring to frost is not difficult. As soon as the snow melts, peony bushes will decorate small-bulbous ones: galanthus, reticulated irises, crocuses.

Later - daffodils and tulips. In summer, astilba, lilies, pelargonium, godetia, zinnias, petunias look against the background of greenery of peony bushes. BUT late autumn phloxes, asters, chrysanthemums will come to replace them.

Foliage tree peony at sunset in summer it has a pronounced purple hue and stands out well against the background of golden trees.

Remember that peonies love open spaces and lots of space. For the rest, experiment and create your own compositions in the garden.

More information

Peonies are luxurious flowers, and one might say, self-sufficient. Therefore, they have special requirements for neighbors in the garden. By themselves, they create a unique atmosphere around, literally fill the garden with happiness. And an extensive palette of colors is a great reason to use them in landscape design.

You can use almost all types of peonies: both park varieties with low bushes and bright flowers, and tree-like peonies, which are shrubs up to 2 meters high.

Spectacular flowers of the Bowl of Beauty with a large number of stamens look great in the garden. Or compact bushes of the Neon variety, abundantly covered with double flowers that look like soaring butterflies on it.

The only thing is that for cut peonies, you will have to use props, since their stems cannot withstand the weight of the caps. Or use them in the background, like the Carol variety, whose chic flowers look great in bouquets.

Combination of peonies with other flowers. You can use the plant both in and for decorating garden and household plots, parks, large landscapes.

They add splendor and volume. flower arrangement, and after flowering are a good background for other plants. Finding peonies in prefabricated compositions can be compared to interspersing rubies in jewelry.

But peonies look best in large space, on a green velvet lawn, when nothing hinders either carved greenery or the triumph of flowers.

Color. It is very important to pay attention to tones and color combinations. Near burgundy varieties, it is better not to plant other red flowers if they bloom at the same time as peonies. Among the pompous bright hats of peonies, the heads of a white flowering decorative onion look touching. FROM coral or white peonies will combine juicy dark red flowers, for example, carnations or blood-red geyhera. Tenderness pink decorative dark greenery of thuja or barberry bushes will well emphasize. Peonies with hellebore look great.

Emphasize the splendor of white peonies irises, contrasting in color, poppy, sage, bluebells, daylily, honeysuckle bushes.

Composition. On the small area can be planted nearby deciduous or ornamental plants with small flowers. However, they must be either lower than our hero, or significantly higher.

The most impressive look are single peony bushes or planted in short rows against the background. tall trees. For example, narrow-leaved varieties with delicate or juicy flowers are planted next to juniper thickets.

You can arrange peonies in groups, separating them with a contrasting texture of foliage, or plant three peony bushes at the corners of the lawn. And put undersized plants around the perimeter: daisies, cuff, primroses, bergenia. Use delphinium or digitalis as verticals.

It is not advisable to combine several varieties of peonies in one place. If you want, it is better to separate them throughout the garden so that they do not "argue" with each other.

Do not plant other plants between the bushes. Let the place remain free for loosening. It is good if a path leads to each bush.

Garden continuous flowering. Creating a garden area that will delight you from early spring until the very frost is not too difficult. As soon as the snow melts, small-bulb peony bushes will decorate: reticulated irises, galanthus, crocuses. Later - tulips and daffodils. At the height of summer, lilies, astilba, pelargonium, zinnias, godetia look against the background of the dark greenery of the bushes,

A flower bed with peonies can decorate any garden. These flowers look great both separately and in combination with other ornamental plants.

Peonies are plants that have been cultivated for a long time, although their wild ancestors are still preserved. True, being bright, large and beautiful in nature is not profitable now - all wild peonies are listed in the Red Book, since they are mercilessly exterminated for bouquets.

Peonies in culture have a wide range of parameters. They differ in height, color and shape of flowers. Breeders have tried and brought peonies with a wide color range. Most varieties are white, red and pink. However, there are yellow, blue and multi-colored flowers.

The shape of the flowers are divided into terry and simple. At the same time, huge balls double peonies are also different. The most common are plants with flowers, in which all the petals are terry. However, there is a form of flowers with simple outer petals and double inner ones.

In addition, peonies are divided into herbaceous and tree-like. in the gardens middle lane In Russia, predominantly herbaceous species are grown, since tree species are very demanding on environmental conditions and do not always survive in Russian winters.

How to arrange a flower garden

All peonies are perennials. This means that once planted, they should not be transplanted. At least, this is highly undesirable, since the plants get sick and take a long time to recover.

Peonies during the peak of flowering create an atmosphere of a luxurious holiday. One thing is bad - this holiday ends soon and on the flowerbed, which until recently attracted the eye, only evenly green thickets remain. Greenery after a riot of colors is also not bad, but you always want a holiday.

How to get out of the situation? The way out is simple and banal - combine peonies with other colors according to the following principles.

1. 1 The most common planting pattern is a large round flower bed with peony bushes in the center and undersized for a long time blooming flowers along the periphery. Best of all, peonies look in the open, framed by rich greenery. The triumph of these flowers cannot be constrained, otherwise you will lose half of their charm. For this reason, it is necessary to plant plants next to peonies that first give greenery, and only then, in the second half of summer, produce flowers.
2. 2 A flower bed is not the only way to present flowering plants beautifully. The solemnity of peonies will go well with the color laconism of conifers.
3. 3 In a small area, tall bushes of this plant would be good to combine with a carpet of undersized small flowers. After the peony festival has passed, the constant fun of the undersized annual dahlias. Their value lies in the unpretentiousness and duration of flowering.
4. 4 Plots among trees can be filled flowering perennials With different terms flowering. Flowering from spring to autumn can be ensured if you plant in the same area with peonies: crocuses, adonis, irises, phloxes, delphiniums, lupins, chrysanthemums. the main problem is to place them correctly. In the center, of course, should be the tallest, for example, delphiniums or lupins, and at the very edge - adonis and crocuses.
5. 5 If the climate permits, peonies can be included in rose bush areas. Usually roses bloom after the peonies have faded, which will provide a festive feeling for the whole summer.

How to plant and care for plants?

These plants should be planted where it is warm and light for most of the growing season.

The soil should be rich in organic matter and minerals.

These perennials need to be planted from mid-August to the end of September. Before the first frost, seedlings should have time to restore root system and collect enough for wintering nutrients. This means that after planting, young shoots should grow, providing the roots with the necessary supply.

The first year a young bush needs to be looked after especially carefully. During the period of insufficient moisture, watering is necessary. warm water. At least twice a season you need to feed.

After your bush begins to actively bloom, caring activities should be expanded by plucking the buds. The fact is that the bush consumes a lot of energy for flowering. If in the first year all buds are removed, then the bush will direct all its forces to vegetative reproduction and the formation of new shoots. As a result, in the second year you will already receive not single weak flowers, but a whole hat of large and beautiful flowers.

Since peonies are planted for a long time, you need to carefully prepare the landing site. First, prepare the bed or flower bed itself. It is best to carry out the following activities.

1. 1 Determine the size of the area that should be completely filled with peony bushes.
2. 2 Dig a hole 20-30 cm deep in place of this area. Place the soil nearby.
3. 3 Lay a layer of manure or humus about ten centimeters thick at the bottom of the pit.
4. 4 Place grass, hay, sawdust or peat on this layer. Cover all this with the soil that was removed in the process of digging the hole.

All these procedures are preparatory in nature, so they need to be carried out in advance - in the spring, and better in autumn. During this time, manure and grass will begin to rot, and the soil will be enriched with nitrates, which are so necessary for a young sprout to ensure growth in the early period.

Such a formation of a base for a flower bed will allow you to forget about problems with organic fertilizers for 5 years. It remains only sometimes to feed with special mineral fertilizers to stimulate abundant flowering.

Since peonies love loose soil rich in organic matter, for the winter they need to be covered with dry grass from above. It will not only protect the wintering parts from sudden changes in temperature, but also ensure the flow of organic matter into the soil without digging the soil. However, with dry grass, weed seeds can be introduced, so try to use only leaves or shoots without seeds for this purpose.