Flower beds decorated with small colorful flowers always look attractive and bright. Low-growing flowers have their advantages over tall plants. They look like a colorful carpet, which can not only be used to decorate a flower bed, but also to make a border for a path or decorate the tree trunks.

By planting low-growing perennial flowers in your garden, you can save yourself from the work of changing the design of the site for several years. But in order to admire such a flower garden every year, you need to choose the right flowers for it. In our article you can learn about the most interesting and popular types of undersized flowering plants and see their photos.

Low-growing perennials for the garden

Low perennial plants that bloom all summer are very popular among gardeners. With their help you can create a flower bed of any size, make flower bed edging or decorate borders.

Benefits of Perennials

Having a number of advantages, perennial flowers for flower beds greatly simplify the gardener’s work. Their advantages include:

• decorative almost throughout the entire season;
• undemanding planting every year;
• ease of care;
• good frost tolerance.

Over the years, perennial flowers do not lose their attractiveness, so they can be successfully used as main plants in mixed flower beds.

Caring for low-growing perennial flowers

In order for plants to delight you with their flowering all summer long, they must be properly cared for.

Rules of care for continuous flowering:

Some types of flowers can very quickly bush and grow. Therefore, in order for the flowerbed to look beautiful, it is necessary to create clear boundaries by surrounding it with stones or special fences for flower beds.

Low-growing perennials blooming all summer: names, photos

Phloxes

For five whole months of the year, perennial awl-shaped phloxes are able to decorate the garden with their flowers. They form creeping thickets with numerous small flowers in shades of red, blue, pale pink and white. Phlox can grow in one place for about 8 years, and still bloom profusely.

Alyssum marine

This herbaceous plant also called lobularia, alyssum or wheatear. Alyssum grows up to 20 cm in height and has recumbent stems. Its flowers are purple, pink, white or yellow. Thick abundant flowering perennial begins in early June and continues until frost. The plant easily survives not very frosty winters, after which it quickly grows.

Anemone or anemone

A hybrid bush 10-20 cm high has a strong, thick rhizome and many small flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. The plant awakens in April and begins to bloom in May. If for an anemone you create suitable conditions, then its flowering can continue until autumn. At improper care the flowers will begin to fade in July.

Anemone loves partial shade and well-moistened soil. The flower grows very quickly and well, so it is often planted. It is recommended to do this before flowering.

Armeria seaside

The low-growing plant looks good in rocky gardens and flower beds. It is unpretentious and blooms all summer. loves clay or sandy soil. There are quite a few varieties of these flowers, and each of them has its own characteristics. Therefore, when choosing Armeria for your garden, you should familiarize yourself with them and choose the variety that is suitable for your site.

Oak sage or salvia

The height of the perennial plant varies between 35-90 cm. Blooming all summer, sage is distinguished by flowers collected in candle inflorescences, which makes it very unusual. The perennial is quite demanding in terms of care. He loves shaded areas and fertilized, loose soil.

Clematis

Not all varieties of clematis bloom all summer, especially if it is cool and humid. This heat-loving plant requires protection from the wind and does not like stagnant water in the soil.

The bud in the flower bed where clematis will grow must be well drained. To do this, gardeners scatter drainage or broken bricks. When planting a bush, the rhizome must be deepened well. The plant does not like frequent transplants, but if necessary, it is recommended to do this in the fall. In small-flowered clematis, frozen branches are cut off in the spring.

Astrantia large

A low-growing plant up to 70 cm high blooms with large beautiful flowers from the beginning of June to the end of August. To ensure beautiful flowering, it is necessary to promptly remove wilted buds throughout the entire period. Flower colors can be pink, red, white and even several shades at once. Astrantia is unpretentious in care; it can be planted on almost any soil. She loves sunny places or light partial shade.

Perennial chrysanthemum

Gardeners are beautiful flowering plant often also called the queen of autumn. Chrysanthemum blooms in the second half of summer, but the color lasts until frost. If you plant the bushes in a sunny place, they will bloom earlier.

Chrysanthemums love sunny areas, even in partial shade they will bloom worse. Also, too high summer temperatures can negatively affect the flowering of the plant. Flowers respond well to feeding. At the beginning of the season, they need to be fed with universal fertilizers, and during the period of bud formation - with potassium fertilizers. To prolong the flowering of chrysanthemums, their wilted flowers must be promptly removed.

You can create a flowerbed not only from flowers of the same life expectancy, but also to combine perennials and annuals in it.

Biennial low-growing flowers

Biennials should be sown in flower beds closer to autumn. During the remaining warm days they increase root system and an outlet, and go to spend the winter in the snow. In this case, the flower garden will be covered with buds at the end of spring.

Most Popular among gardeners biennials:

Annual low flowers for the garden

Quickly landscape and decorate with flowers required area The garden will be helped by annual low-growing plants.

The most popular and very attractive annual is petunia. These can be planted in flower beds plants of different types:

Petunias bloom well and abundantly in the sun, but can grow in partial shade. They demand good care, which consists of timely watering and regular complex fertilizer.

In sunny, dry areas, purslane grows well and blooms beautifully. Even in the midday heat, its pink, crimson, orange, yellow, cream or white flowers, which open only in the sun, will not fade without watering. The stems of purslane are dotted with leaves that look like needles. The plant will delight you with its flowering from June until frost.

Calceolaria can be planted in shaded flower beds or under tree crowns, captivating with its bright, shoe-like flowers. This plant does not tolerate sun rays and heat, and feels good only in the shade. She loves abundant watering, while water should not get in on its leaves. Otherwise, they will lose their decorative effect. That is why, to prevent raindrops from falling on the calceolaria, it is better to plant it under a canopy or dense tree crown. The plant blooms all summer until mid-autumn.

Low flower beds do not take up much space and look incredibly attractive. But low-growing plants can also be used in multi-tiered plantings. The modern abundance of flowers of various heights allows you to create individual blooming compositions that will delight you with their blooms all summer long.

It is impossible to imagine at least one summer cottage without a complete absence of flowers. Even well-groomed, it will look monotonous and rather boring. And bright islands of flowers will add variety to the life of the garden, bring tangible benefits to it, and bring its owner a lot of positive emotions.

Why do you choose perennial flowers for your garden?

Choosing perennial varieties flowers for planting on his site, the summer resident receives several advantages. They are as follows:

• early flowering,
• there are no annual costs for purchasing seeds,
• flowers grow in one place for several years,
• no time spent on growing seedlings,
• good tolerance to light frosts,
• opportunity to receive your own planting material.

Selected according to flowering time, color palette, the height of the bush, they will bring joy to the gardener, starting from the time of the first arrival at the dacha and ending with a steady decrease in temperature.

According to the height of the bush, all perennial flowers are divided into three categories:

1. low-growing - a plant with a height of up to 50 cm.
2. medium-sized - the bush has a height of 50 to 80 cm.
3. tall flowers can reach a height of up to 1.5 m.

There is another type of perennial - climbing plants. They are usually used to decorate facades garden houses, they camouflage outbuildings and hide unattractive-looking fences behind a wall of climbing vines.

Their description, along with tall perennial cetaceans, is in the next article.

Low-growing perennials that bloom all summer

Low perennial flowers are usually used to decorate the foreground of flower beds and flower beds. When growing them together with taller specimens, care should be taken to ensure that their growth is not inhibited by the latter.

The cutest flowers, many colors, easy to grow and propagate

Flower, with this beautiful name, and looks the part. Having collected in one low bush (15-30 cm), a variety of shades and bright saturated flowers, viola cannot leave any gardener indifferent, so it definitely takes pride of place in a flower garden, flower bed or container.

Its main advantage is that it begins to bloom at the end of April, reviving the dull appearance summer cottage after winter. And it will continue to bloom summer period, if you remove faded flowers in time. Otherwise, all the plant’s forces will be directed to ripening the seeds.

Periwinkle

On personal plots unpretentious and evergreen called small periwinkle. This flower, about 40 cm high, can grow with virtually no care.

The color of the flower petals can be pale blue, or maybe dark blue. There are species with purple flowers. The flowers are not large, the size is 3 cm in diameter.

Thanks to the work of breeders, varieties of periwinkle with white, red and shades of pink flowers have appeared.

Deciding on a place to plant periwinkle is also not difficult. Knowing that he is growing and developing well as open areas, and calmly tolerates partial shade, you can allow it to grow under the crowns of young apple trees.

In this case, it will also serve as a ground cover plant, along with its direct purpose - to bring joy from contemplating beauty.

Anemone (anemone)

Low-growing varieties of anemone include tender anemone and common anemone. Gardeners' love for this flower is caused, first of all, by the fact that it begins to bloom at the end of April, as soon as the snow clears from the place where they are planted. It’s nice to see cheerful meadows of multi-colored anemones in the gray, not yet awakened garden.

Tender anemone is a charming primrose, with a stem height of only 5-10 cm, with white, pink flowers, similar to chamomile. Flowering lasts no more than three weeks, and by mid-May it completely stops. And after another month, the leaves also fade.

Common anemone (lumbago, sleep-grass)

This type of anemone also belongs to the primroses. The flowers, purple, red or white, are bell-shaped and appear before the rosette of leaves develops. Sleep grass reproduces by sowing seeds in the ground, and will bloom only in the second year. During the first wintering, it is better to protect the plants by covering them with spruce branches or sawdust.

Both varieties of anemone have a short flowering period, so it is best to place them near taller perennials; the latter, growing, will hide the unsightly appearance of wilted anemones.

Dianthus

A low plant with a thin stem height of 15-30 cm. It is precisely because the flower has a thin, unstable shoot that it is prone to lodging, forming beautifully flowering plantings in any corner of the summer cottage. Carnation flowers are not large in size, but they delight with a variety of colors, from white, pink to red.

The main advantages of carnation grass include its ease of care and good tolerance to winter cold. Clove seeds have good germination and can even reproduce by self-sowing. Therefore, sometimes you still need to take care of the plantings.

Carnation grass is also used as a ground cover plant, planted in tree trunk circles. Summer resident extracts double benefit: no mulching of the soil is required garden trees, And rational use area - there is no need to create a flower garden for planting carnation grass.

Flax

Among low-growing perennials, flax occupies one of the honorable first places. Possessing an amazing, soft blue color of the petals, it will be appropriate in any flower garden.

Flax is also called a one-day flower, for its ability to bloom in the morning and drop its petals in the evening. But its flowering does not stop because of this; new buds will bloom in the morning.

Flax flowers are small, 2-3 cm, but thanks to their abundance on a fluffy bush less than half a meter high, it looks charming.

Flax is propagated by sowing seeds in the ground in spring or summer, in which case it will bloom in the second year. But if there are already flax bushes on the site, then it can, and should, be propagated by dividing the bush. Flax also reproduces well by self-sowing.

It is better to plant flower bushes in groups, so they will be more stable, and in combination with chamomile, the result of a flowering meadow will be achieved right at your summer cottage.

Along with the classic sky blue flower color, there are also varieties of other colors:

This is also perennial flax

• In Tauride flax and yellow flax, the color of the petals is dazzling yellow, golden-sunny;
• fine-leaved flax flowers are white or lilac;
• The closest to the classic type is hard-fiber flax, with a bluish-lilac color of the petals.

All varieties of flax are cold-resistant, easy to care for, and can grow in any soil, even poor soil. But the place must be sunny, otherwise you may not wait for flowering.

Phloxes

Phlox subulate

Among the many species perennial phlox it is possible to distinguish a group of plants with a stem height from 5 to 15 cm. This subulate phlox. Creeping plant, with early and abundant flowering.

The next group - turf phlox - consists of both ground cover plants and bush-shaped flowers.

Unite them general rules growing.

For phlox, an open sunny place would be preferable; it can grow in full sun and will tolerate partial shade well. After flowering, it is necessary to remove all dry inflorescences, this will give the plant the opportunity to continuously form new flowers.

Shortening the shoots has a good effect on the general appearance of phlox; in this case, plantings with phlox will look like a solid green carpet.

Plants are not demanding to care for and can easily withstand winter. And with a minimum amount of time spent caring for them, they will bring maximum positive emotions.

Cuff

The calm tones of the plant, which has a spherical shape, often attract the attention of amateur gardeners. The low, about 45 cm, cuff is ideally suited for growing in a personal plot.

What makes it especially attractive are the funnel-shaped leaves, which, due to their shape, are able to hold droplets of water on their surface. In the morning, when dew appears or after rain, small silver balls freeze in the center of the pubescent leaf.

The flowers of the cuff are small, yellow with a green tint, and collected in fluffy loose inflorescences. Flowering lasts from June to August, and if faded flowers are removed in time, they may appear a second time in September.

The cuff works well for highlighting flowers with brighter colors. These could be peonies or roses. By growing it near early flowering plants, you can hide the withered leaves of the latter.

In one place, a flower can grow for up to ten years, both in the sun and in the shade. The cuff is easy to care for and durable. Able to grow even on rocky surfaces. All this makes her a favorite of many summer residents.

Ground cover perennials: video

Perennials can make your gardening work easier and decorate any corner. Their unpretentiousness and ease of care make them the favorites of all gardeners.

Low varieties of perennial plants (they are also called) that do not stop flowering throughout summer season, are ideal planting material for creating picturesque flower beds and bright borders in the garden area.

Most herbaceous perennials are unpretentious to growing conditions and tolerate well winter period dormant and multiply quickly. By planting low-growing plants along paths, in rock gardens, in gardens, you can avoid buying new seedlings for several years.

Perennials for the garden

Successful is a harmonious combination of flower arrangements with vegetable beds, thickets of berry fields and fruit trees.

Low-growing perennials with a long flowering period are most suitable for decorating various areas of the garden.

They are unpretentious, grow in one place for several years, and do not require special winter shelter.

Depending on the length and shape of the vegetative stems, low perennials are divided into low-growing, groundcover and dwarf plants. These types can be planted:

• As borders;
• In domed flower beds;
• In narrow ridges that divide the territory into functional zones;
• On the slopes of elevated areas;
• Around fruit trees;
• On the edge of terraces and retaining walls;
• In rock gardens, boxes and flowerpots.

Due to the peculiarities of the root system and creeping shoots, ground cover plants have a number of advantages over other low-growing perennials:

• They grow quickly and cover the surface of the earth;
• Can grow in shaded areas;
• Protect top layer soil from weathering, overheating and moisture evaporation;
• Prevents the growth and spread of weeds;
• Mulch the soil around moisture-loving plants;
• They have a long flowering period and decorative leaf color.

Low-growing crops that bloom all summer and are suitable for planting in the country include tricolor violet (pansies), oak sage, geranium, gypsophila paniculata, gentian, soft mantle, bells, aubrieta and many others.

Review of low-growing perennials

Ground cover plants

Balkan geranium looks good around trees. Reaches 25 cm in height, has openwork bright green leaves that turn yellow and red in the fall. It does not shed its leaves in the winter. It blooms from early June with purple and dark red flowers with a delicate aroma.

Sedum (false and Eversa). False sedum blooms in May–July, and Eversa variety from July to September. Average height species 10–20 cm. Creeping shoots with fleshy pale green leaves resemble rose inflorescences, and bright crimson flowers look like stars.

Knotweed related - another groundcover low-growing perennial. The plant has evergreen lanceolate leaves and pink spike-shaped inflorescences.

The flowering season ends in September. The knotweed blooms especially brightly in sunny areas. X.

Herbaceous perennials

Armeria maritime forms a dense spherical bush of elongated lanceolate leaves of blue-green color. Grows well in sandy soil and rocky areas. It blooms from May to September with pink capitate inflorescences on thin stems up to 20 cm high.

Lobularia (alissum) - the prostrate form of the species reaches 10–15 cm in height. The stems are thin with oval leaves. Blooms from early June until the first frost. Globular white and pink inflorescences emit a honey aroma that attracts bees to the site.

Arenaria (gerbil) crimson is a clove-like species with reddish stems 10–15 cm high. Narrow bright green leaves form a dense cushion. Light pink star-shaped inflorescences bloom on thin shoots all summer.

Gaillardia is a particularly unpretentious plant that does not require regular watering and winter insulation. Bright orange double flowers with yellow edges bloom in June.

Flowering continues until frost. Fluffy green leaves are collected in a rosette at the base. Peduncles grow to a height of 30 cm.

Please note: The variety of varieties of bellflower, which blooms from May to September, allows you to design a flowerbed from one crop.

Landing rules

So that perennial plants take root well and look harmonious in flower arrangements must be taken into account:

1. Favorable conditions for growing crops:
   • Soil composition;
   • Illumination of the area;
   • Speed ​​of development;
   • Wintering conditions.
2. Combination of different types:
   • Height of an adult plant;
   • Flowering period;
   • Water consumption and frost resistance;
   • Color and size of leaves and inflorescences.

   Before planting, they draw up a site plan and outline the contours of flower beds, edges and border lines. Plants are selected according to color scheme, size and flowering season. It should be remembered that perennial plants grow quickly, so the soil for them needs to be prepared in advance.

   Low-growing flowers look good in raised areas: high flower beds, rock gardens, and terraces. The borders are composed of ground cover and creeping herbaceous species. They are planted at a short distance from the edge of the path, and species that are resistant to trampling are selected.
   
   

Planting a magnificent flowering flower bed is not as easy as it seems at first glance. It is not enough to know the names of flowerbed flowers and see their photos in order to form a magnificent, long time blooming composition. Specific knowledge about light-loving conditions, soil structure requirements and attitude to cold weather is required. We offer you not only photos and names of flowerbed flowers, but also their brief characteristics.

Annual flowerbed plants

Annual flowerbed plants are the largest group of ornamental crops that allow you to decorate the territory using the seedling planting method.

ALISSUM, ALYSUM, LOBULARIA - ALYSSUM (Cultivars A. maritimum ‘Rosie O’Day’)

• Flowering time: June - September
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction:

Together with lobelia, it provides a blue and white frame around flower beds. There are pink, red and purple varieties of Alyssum (A. maritimum), which forms dwarf cushions covered with tiny flowers. Avoid rich soil and trim off spent flowers. Water thoroughly in dry weather.

ALISSUM, ALYSUM, LOBULARIA - ALYSSUM (Variety A. saxatile)

• Flowering time: April - June
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: cuttings under glass in June

Rock alyssum (A. saxatile) grows in rock gardens everywhere. In spring, large clusters of tiny flowers cover gray foliage that persists all year round, but it can spread quickly. It grows up to 20 cm tall. Mountain alyssum (A. montanum) with a height of 15 cm is an excellent miniature species.

Cold-resistant flower bed flowers

CALENDULA, MARRIGIL - CALENDULA (C. officinalis ‘Orange King’)

• Flowering time: June – September
• Location: sunny or partial shade
• Reproduction: sowing seeds under glass in February

This bedding plant is easy to grow, does not mind poor soil and does not need a sunny location. There are many varieties of the main species - Calendula officinalis (C. officinalis) with a height of 22 to 60 cm. Color ranges from cream to mahogany. Pinch off the tops of young shoots.

ESCHSCHOLZIA, CALIFORNIA POPPY - ESCHSCHOLZIA (E. californica)

• Flowering time: June - September
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: sowing seeds in April

Scattering seeds in spring over bare ground produces a long summer display of silky-petaled flowers. They don't like transplanting or rich soil. The main species is Californian Eschscholzia (E. californica) 30 cm high. This species is with yellow flowers- parent of many colorful varieties such as ‘Alba’, ‘Dalli’ (red/yellow), etc.

TsMIN, IMMORTAL - HELICHRYSUM (N. bracteatum)

• Flowering time: July - September
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction:

The most popular of the group of dried flowers, similar to double daisies with shiny petals. To dry, the flower stalks are cut off just before the flowers fully open. There are several varieties of Cmina bracteatum (H. bracteatum) with a height of 30-90 cm. The seeds are usually sold as a mixture of varieties.

MESEMBRYANTHEMUM (M. crinoflorum)

• Flowering time: July - September
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: sowing seeds under glass in March

Creeping stems bear shiny, succulent leaves and daisy-like inflorescences in a wide range of colors. Unfortunately, they only open when the sun is shining. Mesembryanthemum fluffy-flowered (M. crinoflorum) 10-15 cm high is the main species, usually sold as a mixture of varieties.

PETUNIA - PETUNIA

• Flowering time: June - October
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: purchasing new plants

One of the most popular flowerbed plants - they can be erect, creeping and hanging, simple and double, plain and multi-colored. Hybrid petunia (P. hybrida) and its varieties grow up to 15-45 cm - the tops of the shoots are pinched when they reach 8-10 cm in height.

Perennial flowerbed plants

Flowerbed plants that do not require annual replanting are represented in our article by phlox. These flowers are perennial flowerbed plants that are shade-tolerant and can produce abundant flowering under the most unfavorable growing conditions.

PHLOX - PHLOX (P. paniculate)

• Flowering time: July - September
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: division in spring

The splashes of color provided by phlox are one of the mainstays of the herbaceous border in late summer. Phlox paniculata (P. paniculata), with a height of 60 cm to 1.2 m, has hybrids with white, pink, blue, red and lavender colors. For rocky garden The dwarf Phlox species (P. subulata), which blooms in spring, is suitable.

PHLOX - PHLOX (P. drummondii)

• Flowering time: July - September
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: sowing seeds under glass in February

Annual phlox used to be a tall and unkempt plant. Modern tall varieties are available, but colorful ones are now more popular dwarf varieties, which grow to 15-20 cm in height. Examples include 'Star Twinkles' and 'Beauty Mixed'.

Light-loving plants and flowers

Next, we bring to your attention some light-loving plants for flower beds that require increased lighting sun rays. These light-loving flowers are best grown in single landings or in groups with other plants that are lower in height.

SAGE, SALVIA - SALVIA (S. splendens ‘Blaze of Fire’)

• Flowering time: June – October
• Location: sunny or slightly shady
• Reproduction: sowing seeds under glass in March

There are several types of sage for the garden - herbs, border plants, annuals and biennials. Here salvias are bedding plants, a group dominated by the 30 cm tall Sage (S. splendens). Once the only variety, ‘Blaze of Fire’ is now available different colors and sizes.

TAGETES (patula hybrid)

• Flowering time: June - October
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: sowing seeds in February

Favorite flowers - Rejected marigolds (T. patula) and its hybrids. These plants are 15-30cm tall and add yellow, orange or red color to flower bed schemes everywhere. An old favorite is 'Naughty Marietta', but these days we prefer double varieties such as 'Sophia'.

TAGETES (T. erecta ‘Doubloon’)

• Flowering time: June - October
• Location: sunny or partial shade
• Reproduction: sowing seeds in February

Marigolds (T. erecta) are taller, more upright and with fewer but more large flowers than that of Marigold rejected. All of them bear double spherical flowers on stems 30-90 cm high. The giants include the ‘Doubloon’ and ‘Jubilee’ series, the smallest - ‘Discovery’ and ‘Inca’.

NASTURTIUM - TROPAEOLUM (T. ‘Tom Thumb’)

• Flowering time: June - October
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: sowing seeds in April

The familiar nasturtium, with its spur-shaped flowers, has many uses in the garden - there are vines for walls, semi-climbing ones for window boxes and bushy dwarfs for flower beds. There are many hybrids of large Nasturtium (T. majus) ranging from ‘Tom Thumb’ at 15 cm to ‘Tall Mixed’ at 1.8 m.

The most beautiful flowerbed flower

According to the general opinion of flower growers with many years of experience, the most beautiful flower bed flower is zinnia. It does not require special care and pleases the eye with magnificent long-lasting flowering.

ZINNIA (Z. elegans ‘Ruffles’)

• Flowering time: July - October
• Location: sunny is best
• Reproduction: sowing seeds under glass in March

Few annuals are as attractive in a seed catalog, but you'll need fertile soil and warm dry summer to get similar results. No garter required. All colors except blue, and chamomile-shaped inflorescences are single, semi-double or double. Varieties grow up to 15-75 cm.

Low grades, which, in addition to their aesthetic role, often perform purely practical functions (for example, covering curb slabs). Let's consider which low-growing flowers are best suited for such decor, and also give the names of the most popular and

Types of low-growing garden flowers

When planning to decorate their area, many people look at their neighbors’ “patches” or listen to the advice of designers. And in the end it turns out that almost the same plants appear on the list of potential “new residents” of the garden. Therefore, it makes sense to take a closer look at them, dividing them into different “age” groups for convenience.

Small annuals for flower beds

An ideal option for those taking their first steps in design. It's simple - in one season you can take a closer look at the planted species and keep the ones you like. In a couple of years of such “selection” you can form a gorgeous flower bed. In this regard, it is more profitable to take annual low-growing flowers for the flowerbed, which are pleasing to the eye and bloom all summer. Among the variety of such varieties, the following stand out:

• (or tagetes), growing on any and not requiring frequent watering. Unpretentious plant gives color already from the first days of June. Until autumn, yellow or red flowers in the form of baskets (4-6 cm in diameter) are visible, which give the area a warm brightness. “Mixed” color is not uncommon. The best option there will be planting of thin-leaved or rejected bushes;

Important! Replanting during flowering is highly undesirable.-there is a risk of destroying the plant.

Did you know? The first flower clock was created almost 300 years ago-gardeners from the Swedish city of Uppsala presented their creation in 1720.

Two-year-old flowerbed residents

In most cases, such low-growing plants are used to decorate borders, as you can see by looking at the photo, and the names will seem familiar to many. The “top” biennials are:

• Neat and low (15 cm) bushes enliven general view with its yellow or red flowers with a “glamorous” shine. On each of them you can count up to 20 narrow petals, which together form a circle of 4-6 cm. But such beauty requires caution - Adonis are dangerous due to their poison, which is contained on all parts of the plant. If there are children on the site, it is better to refuse planting;

All mentioned species have one thing in common - seedlings bloom only in the second year after seedlings are planted. Most varieties are frost-resistant, and many owners leave them in the ground for the winter. And there are also some economic benefits: for a couple of years you can forget about buying seeds.

Decorating flower beds with low-growing perennials

A separate topic is low-growing perennials and the selection of “long-lasting” varieties for a specific flower bed. Let’s make a reservation right away: there are many of them, and this makes the choice somewhat difficult. If you have never had to deal with them before, pay attention to the following types:

Having learned the names of the most popular ones, take into account the fact that perennial low-growing varieties are usually divided into two groups: frost-resistant and requiring removal for subsequent wintering in the warmth. , and will calmly wait for spring in the ground, while , and are more sensitive to temperature changes.

Annuals or perennials - selection criteria

Having finally chosen the varieties you like, do not rush into the purchase, but make a preliminary “binding”, having thought about where exactly on your site the desired ones will grow. Here you will have to take into account the nuances that it is advisable for everyone to know about. Let us recall the main ones:

• Climate, light and temperature conditions. Annuals and biennials are usually planted in sun or partial shade. Perennials are quietly accepted in the spreading shade of trees;
• Humidity. Damp, shaded lowlands are not suitable for all varieties (as well as dry “patches” with moderate watering);
• Nature and rate of growth. For plants with wide roots of the “creeping” type, proximity to other varieties will be somewhat problematic - the rhizomes may simply stick together. To form a composition in a flowerbed, it is better to use “deep” rooting;

• Finally, decorative “abilities”. In this regard, it is preferable annual species, whose short “age” is compensated by their unusual coloring. Imported hybrid lines stand out especially.

These are the kind of basics that should not be forgotten. But low, long-flowering flowers, depending on their “age,” can have both pros and cons, so garden perennial and annual varieties Even before planting, it’s worth “sorting it out on the shelves.” In favor perennials put forward the following arguments:

• Less labor intensive (no need to dig every year);
• Frost resistance;
• Reproduction by division - to obtain new seedlings, it is enough to “cut” an existing bush (again, saving on seeds);
• Easy to care for.

Among the shortcomings, one can highlight only the demanding nature of some “exotics” and the overly active growth of roots, which they “sin” individual varieties. In plants with a growth cycle of 1 or 2 years There are not so many advantages:

• They are brighter than their “older” neighbors;
• Seasonal replacement of seedlings allows you to change the appearance of the flowerbed almost every season.

Actually, this is where the advantages of “weather weather” end. The disadvantages are more complicated - there is a high cost of seeds, and high labor costs, coupled with sensitivity to soil conditions and cold weather. Despite this, many people successfully combine flowers with different “life expectancies” in their flower beds.

Basic rules for caring for low-growing flowers

Any garden plants used for decoration need special care, so low-growing annuals and perennial varieties are no exception. Let's remember the most important points growing. Among them:

• Proper placement of seedlings. The height is selected so that the shoots do not stretch out too much (a too “cramped” planting is also undesirable);
• Timely watering followed by loosening. The roots should receive air regularly, and not become crusty after moistening. We also have to take into account the “varietal” need for moisture - they try not to fill decorative arrays entirely, but to moisten each bush separately;
• Cleaning up those that have barely appeared, which are absolutely useless in the flowerbed;

Important! When planting, they try to divide long-flowering species so that about 5-6 buds remain on each seedling.

• Competent fertilizer with complex compounds. You should not overuse the drugs - they will cause the green mass to grow, and the expected flowering may turn out to be very modest. The same applies to strong “organic matter” such as unrotted manure, which, when applied generously, can burn the rhizome;
• Spraying with effective, but at the same time soft, compounds. Strong mixtures seem to remove pests, but at the slightest “overdose” they will significantly reduce the decorative effect;
• Removing dry buds and diseased specimens.

Of course, some procedures look more labor-intensive than usual, but in return you can get an impressive play of colors and tones that well-groomed plants will provide. To do this, maintain planting dates - bulbous species are placed in the ground throughout October, while similar varieties are planted in the spring. This is how they achieve the effect of constant flowering.

The right combination of colors in flower beds

This is the best “test of the pen” for amateurs landscape designer. After all, it’s not enough to stock up on seedlings; you also need to place them wisely on the site, not forgetting to combine varieties by color. It is also necessary to take into account the location of buildings or trees - the light regime depends on them.

The following combinations look most advantageous: