Crocosmia, or montbrecia, is considered one of the most exquisite exotic garden ornaments. Already from early spring, it attracts attention with lush and long linear leaves, and in the summer you can’t take your eyes off the beauty at all. Crocosmia in July blooms with bright flowers of sunny shades, which are fragrant with the aroma of saffron. The plant remains in its festive attire until the cold weather, which is why crocosmia is so loved to be used in landscape design.
Where is the best place to plant montbrecia?
Crocosmia is also called the Japanese hyacinth, although it does not come from the Land of the Rising Sun at all, but from South Africa. It belongs to the iris family and is directly related to saffron, it even smells like it. It is a bulbous plant that grows up to 1.5 m tall and blooms in yellow, red and orange. The Japanese hyacinth is not an overly capricious flower, but it is still worth knowing some of the nuances of caring for it. Therefore, flower growers need to be careful about choosing a place where they would feel good.crocosmia.
Planting and care involves choosing a sunny site, because the plant comes from the south. Crocosmia needs sunlight to form buds, in the shade it may not bloom. Montbrezia feels great on any soil. The plant is drought tolerant, but still likes to be watered regularly, while avoiding stagnant water. The site for planting a flower should be prepared in advance in the fall, and the bulbs are planted in April or May, when it gets warmer.
How to care for crocosmia?
Montbrecia is an unpretentious plant, but still, if you want the flower to live luxuriously, and not exist, you need to apply complex mineral fertilizers. Thanks to top dressing, it will take on a he althier appearance and increase the budding of crocosmia. Planting and care involve regular watering, weeding. In regions with a harsh climate, plant bulbs must be dug up, but in the southern regions they can be left in the ground for the winter. In this case, crocosmia must be insulated, covered with fallen leaves. Having survived the first winter, the plant hardens and is no longer afraid of frost.
How to properly plant a plant?
Crocosmia is planted with both seeds and bulbs. In the first case, you need to wait a long time until the plant forms and blooms. When planted with bulbs, montbrecia blooms in the second year. If you surround the flower with attention and care, you will be pleased with the he althy appearance of crocosmia. Planting and care involve the timely removal of wilted flowers. Also, do not forget aboutmaintaining the required distance between mounts. When the plants reproduce with bulbs, they need to be planted. In this way, beautiful flowering can be achieved for several seasons.
Crocosmia wintering
South Africa is considered the birthplace of Montbrecia, so it belongs to heat-loving plants. Despite this, flower growers leave most of the small-flowered varieties in the open field, because even severe frosts can withstand crocosmia. Growing a plant involves covering the bulbs with a thick layer of shavings or fallen leaves, the thickness of such an organic blanket should exceed 20 cm. Additionally, you can put a film so that the crocosmia does not get wet during thaws. It should be noted that if the bulbs are not dug up, then the plant develops much better and pleases with abundant flowering every year.
But, of course, not all crocosmia can withstand severe frosts. Planting and caring for large-flowered varieties are somewhat different from caring for small-flowered species. Such plants are more thermophilic, in the southern regions they can still be somehow preserved in winter, but in the northern latitudes you only need to dig them up. Bulbs can be taken out at the end of October in dry weather. They should be thoroughly shaken off the ground, the leaves should be cut at a height of about 5 cm. The crocosmia flower forms whole nests, you should not separate them. Bulbs need to be dried and packed in paper bags or boxes, sprinkled with dry peat. They are stored at a temperature of 5-10 ° C, a cellar or refrigerator is suitable for this.
Crocosmia - garden decoration
Designers love to work with montbrecia. The plant looks great on mixed flower beds (mixborders), it is planted on the second or first row in large groups. In "dry", "tropical" and gravel gardens, crocosmia is also very common. A photo of a blooming Japanese hyacinth in combination with cannes, daylilies, dahlias, salvia, rudbeckia and other flowers enchants with its colors. Montbrecia is naturalized in natural gardens. The flower grows rapidly, so its greenery in just a few years is able to cover a large area. Crocosmia is able to grow in the shade, although it is unlikely to bloom, but with its green long leaves it will decorate for sure. Montbrecia is also grown for cutting.
Best varieties
The most common hybrid is Crocosmiflora. Also very popular is Emily McKenzie, a late flowering, highly ornamental variety that grows up to 60 cm tall. Its flowers are erect, brownish with orange spots. "Star of the East" (Star of the East) - a very beautiful orange-apricot crocosmia. A photo of this variety will not leave anyone indifferent. The flower is large, late flowering, resembles the shape of a star, grows up to 1 m tall. Varieties such as Norwich Canary, Solfatare, Walberton Red, Golden Fleece grow up to 60 cm. They bloom with red, apricot, lemon flowers.
Crocosmia Lucifer looks the most representative. It blooms with bright erect flowers of tomato-red tint. It grows up to 1.5 m tall, boasts high frost resistance. Crocosmia Masoniorum has similar characteristics, only it blooms with bright orange peduncles. Panicled early-flowering montbrecia is very popular, blooming with orange flowers as early as June.
Crocosmia is a natural decoration of any garden and flower garden. More and more flower growers are paying attention to this beautiful plant, burning with bright colors. The number of crocosmia fans is growing steadily every year.
