One of the most charming flowers in the garden is hesperis. Vespers Matrona (this is how its name is translated from Latin) includes about 30 different types. It is found in the wild in the Caucasus, the Mediterranean, Western Siberia, as well as in Eastern Europe.
Cultivate the plant began in Europe in the 16th century. The flower was brought to our country in the 18th century. Matrona's Vespers decorated the lawns, flower beds and paths of the landowners' estates. Today, this beautiful flower is used for various compositions in gardens and home gardens. To breed hesperis yourself, you will need to know the features of this process.
General Description
The flowers of the Matron's party (the photo is presented in the review) are also called the night violet. This is due to the intensification of its aroma in the evening. This plant belongs to the genus Cabbage. The stem of the plant can grow up to 1 m in height. It has a little fluff. The stem branches at the top. Lilac blossoms bloom in clusters on these peduncles.
Violet leaves have a rich green color. They are narrow (no more than 3cm), but rather long (up to 12 cm). During flowering, the Matron's evening vaguely resembles a lilac. The buds have four petals. They are located relative to each other crosswise.
The flowering period begins in late spring. It lasts about a month and a half. If hot, dry weather has settled in the yard, the flowering period may be reduced. With their aroma, the buds can resemble the Saintpaulia violet, common in our area. However, these two plants belong to different families. The night violet fascinates with its delicate buds, forcing the gardener to admire it. That is why the popularity of the plant is constantly increasing.
Features of the plant
Matrona's Evening (photo below) is a small plant. Her small flowers are quite small. They gather in groups on their branches. The delicate shade of the petals can vary from white to deep lilac.
These little buds exude a dizzying sweet scent. They open up in the evening. All night long they envelop gardens and flower beds with their aroma. This creates an indescribable magical atmosphere in the backyard. In the morning, their sweet smell gradually disappears.
The presented flower is considered a perennial plant. However, with each subsequent year of growth, it will exude less and less aroma. Therefore, the night violet has not been grown for more than two years.
Matrona Vespers can be grown not only in open ground, but also in tubs on a balcony or veranda. This isthe plant is a honey plant. This allows it to be used as an additive to livestock feed. Also, night violet is used in many traditional medicine recipes.
Growing and Care Requirements
Matron's evening (night violet), the photo of which is presented below, is an unpretentious plant. It grows in well-lit areas, not afraid of even direct sunlight. In partial shade, the flower also feels great.
Night Violet prefers to grow in light, neutral soils with a good drainage system. She also likes fertile slightly alkaline soils. The plant needs regular watering. This is especially felt during the growing season (late spring - early summer). However, the flower does not tolerate waterlogging. Its roots are starting to rot. During the drought period, it also blooms poorly. Therefore, it is necessary to water the night violet in a timely manner, but not too plentifully.
This is a frost-resistant flower that easily survives the winter even without shelter. Only in snowy but frosty winters is it recommended to cover the plant with some kind of protective material.
If the stems are tall, they can bend under the weight of their flower stalks. To prevent this from happening, you can tie the plant to a support.
Reproduction
Matrona's Evening Party, which the gardener is growing for the first time, requires him to have minimal knowledge in the field of greenhouse plant breeding. To do this, you need to collect seeds. After a long flowering period, which ends in mid-June, afruit in the form of a pod. It is where the seeds ripen. They are brown in color. Their size is 3 by 1 mm.
The plant can propagate in the self-seeding area. However, the decorative qualities of such night violets may gradually decline. For this plant, it is important to update the planting frequently.
To breed flowers by seedling, seeds purchased from a specialized store should be planted in prepared soil in early April. The earth is poured into a container, and then seeds are poured onto it. They pour another layer of soil on them. Its thickness should be 0.5 cm. The soil should consist of peat and humus. This layer is compacted and watered. Seedlings are covered with glass or film.
Growing seedlings
Matron's evening, grown from seeds of which is produced by seedlings, requires the maintenance of certain conditions in the greenhouse. The temperature must be at least 20ºС. Watering should be moderate. Do not flood the plant.
If everything was done correctly, in 15-17 days the first shoots will appear. Seedlings are watered, aired. Inside the greenhouse, the specified conditions are maintained until 3 full-fledged leaves appear on the stem. At this time, the night violet can be prepared for transplanting into open ground.
After this process, the plant should be well rooted. To do this, it is recommended to loosen the soil near the trunk. This will provide oxygen access to the roots, contribute to their full and rapid growth.development. In the first year after transplantation, the plant will not bloom. It builds up mass from sheets. Flowering will occur next year.
Introducing seeds into the soil
Matrona's Vespers (night violet) is propagated by seeds. The division of the bush, cuttings in this case are considered labor-intensive methods. Seeds are purchased in specialized stores. This helps to update the view on the lot.
Not wanting to grow seedlings, you can make the seeds directly into the ground. This method is used both in spring and autumn. In the second option, it is necessary to have time to bring the seeds into the soil before frost. In the spring, the earth should warm up enough. Therefore, it is not worth rushing to land. Some gardeners claim that this procedure can be performed even in late June or early July. At this time, the soil will already be well warmed up.
Seeds are not introduced deep into the soil. The top layer of soil should be no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be sufficient. After that, the soil must be watered. Next, the seedlings need to be properly cared for.
Choosing a landing site
Matrona's Evening Party requires the gardener to choose the right site for sowing. This may be a shaded area under the trees. In this case, young leaves will not suffer from scorching sunlight. For residents of mid-latitudes, it is recommended to plant seeds in a well-lit area. Shading is preferable in hot climates.
Groundbefore planting, it is necessary to dig well. The soil must be fertile. A good drainage system is also welcome. In this case, the water will not stagnate in the area, the root system of the plant will not rot.
The beds before planting need to be fertilized with organic matter. Mineral supplements are also added. After three weeks or even earlier, the first sprouts should appear. Seedlings need to be thinned out. There should be at least 40 cm between each plant. Then they are watered in a timely manner. At the end of summer, flowers can be transplanted if desired. The flower has no special requirements for the choice of neighbors.
Care
Flowers of the evening Matrona are undemanding to air humidity. This is a fairly hardy plant. It grows equally well in both high and low humidity. In general, night violet does not require special care.
To make the flowering of the plant long and beautiful, it is recommended to weed the soil around the stem, water (but not flood), loosen. You can also periodically apply fertilizer. If the weather is normal, there is no drought or prolonged rains, the flower is watered approximately once a week. The soil around is loosened. It is best to do this procedure in the morning.
The night violet is more afraid of drought than it is of overwatering. It is resistant to pests. With excessive watering, the root can rot, and the likelihood of it being affected by earthen fleas increases. However, the flower does not need disease prevention. Fertilizers may not be applied. If the soil is poor, you can feed the flower with mineral compounds twice a day.month.
Landscape design
Matrona's Evening Party is actively used in modern landscape design. It is recommended to use it in the process of decorating the yard, front garden or walking paths. The plant looks beautiful in the flower garden. Designers recommend planting night violets in groups. They can include up to 10 plants.
During the flowering period, such a concentration of flowers will delight the eye with its delicate shade. You can select groups of inflorescences of various shades. This will create an additional decorative effect.
Having considered how to grow a Matron's evening flower, each gardener will be able to independently decorate his site with delicate lilac inflorescences.
