Viola or violet garden: growing, care, application

Violet delicate (Viola), graceful with quivering petals painted in variegated colors with unique shades can not leave anyone indifferent. The iridescent tints and shine of this flower made it a permanent inhabitant of numerous gardens and flower beds, but this beauty can also be found at the edge of the forest. In this article we will tell you where the wild and garden violet comes from, as well as the nuances in growing and caring for it.

Viola description

Violet is a beautiful plant also called Viola and Pansies. This flower is often used as a decoration when creating a garden design. They are used to decorate flower beds, various corners of gardens and various flower arrangements in houses.

The flower is described in many legends and legends, as well as many traditions are associated with it. One of the romantic, but very sad legends tells about a good-natured and gentle girl living in a small village, Anyuta. She was always friendly and welcoming with everyone. The girl fell in love with a handsome young man who, unfortunately, came to her village. He was an unreliable person, he deceived Anyuta, not returning and forgetting her. The girl was so much in love with him that she died without waiting for him because of severe melancholy. She was buried and beautiful flowers with tricolor petals similar to Anyuta's life appeared in this place. White petals spoke of hope, yellow petals spoke of surprise, and purple petals spoke of her sadness.

Violet (Viola) is a semi-shrub herb. It is widespread in places where a temperate climate, tropical and subtropical prevails on the American continent, on the territory of New Zealand, African countries and on the Australian continent. The fragrant viola got its origin in Western Europe in the West of Russia, on the Crimean peninsula and in the Balkans. Also from the northern regions of African countries, Asia Minor and Central Asia.

Viola can be grown as an annual, biennial and perennial flower. Today in the world there are many of its types. Thanks to the great love of breeders for this plant, they have created hybrids, of which 500 or even more, and this is just Pansies. Flowering lasts for all species in different ways. In spring, you can expect flowering from Labrodor, klobuchkovy, Altai violets. The graceful viola can be enjoyed from July until the onset of the autumn season. As for the tricolor and horned beauties, they delight with their beautiful flowers all season.

It is interesting to know that violets are often confused with other plants. For example, Lyubka two-leaved belonging to the orchid family is called a night violet. Saintpaulia of the Gesnerian family, grown at home and deserving the love of many, is called the Usambar violet. The Persian cyclamer, popularly called the Alpine violet, is not true.

Popular varieties

Viola tricolor - refers to annual and biennial wild plants. It is also called Pansies. Possesses petiolate, alternate, large-crowned leaves. Long stalks are decorated with small flowers with five petals, mostly blue. The petals located at the top are larger than those located in the middle. The beauty begins to bloom in May and ends in September. Decorativeness is especially evident during the second year of flowering. A year later, strong growth of the stems occurs, and most of the plants die.

• Viola Vittroka - refers to branched perennial plants. Russian flower growers very often grow them in their gardens. Scientists have carried out selection and hybridization using tricolor viola and developed this new hybrid. It appeared in Russia in the 19th century and was brought from Great Britain. The plant can grow up to 40 centimeters in length. Possesses petiolate leaves, the shape of which is oval or similar to an egg. They have a crenellated edge and an alternate arrangement. Large flowers, they can be 7 centimeters in diameter. The flowers are white, blue, yellow, orange, purple or blue, and they can be covered with various shades of spots.
  

The garden violet can be divided into several groups, where each row will differ in varietal characteristics. For example, the Pirnaer group includes plants that start flowering early. The Quedlinburger Riesen group includes violets with large flowers whose diameter is about 7 centimeters. And the group of Swiss giants includes plants with flowers with a diameter of 8 centimeters.

• Horned viola - this flower has been growing for several years, gained its fame in the middle of the 17th century. Its root grows strongly near the soil surface. In height, it grows up to 25 centimeters. The leaves resemble an elongated egg in shape. The petals are lilac and purple with a drop of yellow, reaching 5 centimeters in length. It begins to bloom in May, ends in early autumn.

• Viola Williams - This hybrid belongs to biennial flowers. To breed this varietal hybrid, Pansies and horned violets were crossed. It grows up to 30 centimeters in height. The diameter of the flower is 4 centimeters. Violets of ampelous forms were also bred.

• Viola aromatic - refers to a perennial herb, has leaves with petioles, rounded or egg-shaped and serrated along the edges. The leaves form a dense bunch. Starting from the second half of the summer period, the fragrant violet releases a large number of new shoots, which are easily rooted, due to which a dense cover is formed. Peduncles are thin and very strong, covered with flowers of a dark blue color with a diameter of 2 centimeters. This beauty blooms for one month. Flowers of this variety emit a fragrant and incredibly delicate aroma. As a cultivated plant, it has been familiar to gardeners since the middle of the 15th century.
• Viola Sororia is an early flowering plant starting in May, and this happens at the same moment when the leaves are blooming. This flower always pleases with abundant flowering. The shape of the leaves resembles a heart, they are located at the base and form a bush of 20 centimeters in height. It actively reproduces by self-sowing.

Viola planting and care

Violets are best grown in open, sunny areas, but semi-shaded places are also suitable for her. She loves the soil rich, well-drained and moist. If the soil is depleted, then you can use a special soil, which can be bought at a nursery or in a specialized store.

Violet is an unpretentious plant and it is not at all difficult to grow it. It is important to remember that she loves moist soils, which means she needs regular and abundant watering. At the same time, water stagnation should not be allowed in order to protect the horse system from the formation of rot. Watering can be carried out every two days and this will be sufficient during periods of extreme heat. Also, the plants must be periodically fed using mineral fertilizers based on nitrogen and potassium. Fresh mullein is not suitable for the plant. It is important not to forget about loosening the soil.

Viola reproduction

For reproduction of violets, the seed method is most often used. By growing viola in this way and sowing in spring, you can enjoy its beautiful flowering in the same year. In order for the plant to bloom in early spring, the seeds must be sown before the beginning of winter, directly on an open area in the garden.

If you want to see flowering in the summer, then you need to sow in containers at the very beginning of spring to grow seedlings. After the appearance of a couple of leaves, it is necessary to make a pick. The seedlings should be kept in a room with a temperature of 10 degrees and above.

Violets can be propagated using a vegetative method such as cuttings. To do this, it is necessary in the period May-June to cut off shoots with two internodes and plant them in the garden. After that, irrigation and spraying should be carried out regularly. After a month, the cuttings will take root. Thanks to this method, the bushes are rejuvenated.

Diseases and pests: treatment

The violet can get sick with black stalk, root rot, leaf rust, spotting and powdery mildew. When spots appear on the leaf plates, we can say that the plant is infected with an infection. Powdery mildew can be recognized by the bloom of white and gray on the buds and leaf plates. You can determine the appearance of a black leg by the white spots appearing on the stems of the plant, then they become brown and rotten, which leads to wilting and death.

If any of the above signs were found, then the plants must be immediately removed and burned, and the site must be deeply digged.

If the plant is grown in a container, then the land is disposed of. At the initial stage of the disease, the plant can be treated using special means and watering can be reduced, this can help save the plant.

If it was not possible to achieve a long effect, then it is necessary to pick healthy seedlings as soon as possible to another place where the soil will be treated with boiling water.

Of the pests on violets, you can find clover scoop and violet mother-of-pearl, which in a short time destroy the leaves on the plant. To get rid of it, you need to use insecticidal preparations, spray with chlophos and use tobacco infusions.

In addition to these insects, you can find aphids, thrips, spider mites, slugs. Insecticidal preparations, household soap diluted in water with potato infusions or from tobacco will help to get rid of aphids.

Thrips are most often found on flowers growing in garden greenhouses, in an open area they are rare, especially if it is hot and there is no rain. The length of this pest does not exceed 1 centimeter. They are yellow and brown. Because of this insect, spots of a silvery color appear on the leaves, which later turns brown and the leaves dry out. An ash solution will help to cope with them. In case of severe damage, the predatory mite amblyiseus or insecticides will help to cope.

The appearance of slugs is provoked by increased air humidity. They are especially active at night, you can understand that they attacked the plant by the shine of the mucous stripes on the soil surface and on the leaf plates. You can cope with them by spreading boards and dense fabric near the flower. There they will be collected and can be collected and destroyed. Wood ash mixed with lime and scattered under the plant will also help to cope with them. You can use mustard diluted with water for spraying, which will also repel these pests.

If the violet was attacked by spider mites, then it will be possible to cope with it with the help of tobacco or insecticides. You can determine its appearance by a whitish tint and a silvery coating on the sheets. Hot and dry weather can cause it to appear. This insect causes great harm to the fragrant violet, so you need to start processing as soon as possible.

Viola application

A variety of varieties allows you to use violets when creating flower beds, mixborders, and plant in groups. They can decorate individual containers and flowerpots. Alpine slides will be decorated.Hanging pots can be decorated with ampelous viola, they always look very impressive on garden plots.

Balconies can be decorated with pansies, rocky compositions with miniature violets, tree trunks with scented violets, the carpet from which will be an excellent background for geraniums, rogers and volzhanka.