Features of the large-leaved brunner and its cultivation

Brunner's large-leaved in the wild grows only in the Caucasus. But since the 19th century, this plant has been actively cultivated, and it is, indeed, able to decorate the site. Brunner looks gorgeous both in group plantings and as a curb plant. And it cannot be said that she is especially demanding in care.

This culture belongs to the borage family. It happens to be confused with forget-me-not. It will not exceed 60 cm in height, but due to the huge leaves, the plant looks like a small bush. It seems that the forget-me-nots were combined with some burdock-like plants. But it is precisely this combination that attracts. Something important about Brunner:

• another name for this flower is ankhuza forget-me-not;
• refers to perennials;
• in the south it is considered a winter-green plant;
• basal leaves grow up to 25 cm, have a long-petiolate structure, kidney-cordate, peaked;
• the leaves are dark green on top, grayish below, rough from the villi;
• the fruit is a nut;
• flowers are small, no more than 1 cm in diameter, dark blue with a white median spot;
• flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescence;
• flowering occurs from the end of April to June (if the weather is warm, the brunner can bloom again in the fall).

There are varieties that are so spectacular that you want to immediately find a place in the garden for them.

• For example, Betty bowring - grows up to 40 cm or less, has heart-shaped leaf plates, dark green in color and rough in texture. The flowers of such a brunner are white, appear in the second half of spring.

• A grade Hadspen Cream interesting in that the green leaves are framed with a cream border. And on sunny areas, the leaves can even be almost completely white. They must be removed, because with aging they will become brown, ugly.

• Silvery leaves have a variety Jack Frost, and this silver has beautiful green veins and borders. The plant quickly becomes decorative, but a place for planting still needs to be found. If the sun is with him only in the morning, the leaf will turn white and blue, and the veins will also turn bluer - and this is very beautiful. If the sun shines on Brunner for more than three hours, a large area of ​​the leaf will become white, only the veins will be green with blueness.

• An unusual variety can be considered Langtrees, its height is up to 40 cm. Dark green leaf plates with silvery-gray spots in the interstitial area attract such pigmentation - it will persist throughout the growing season. The flowers of the variety are blue, small.

• And also an interesting variety Silver Wings, whose beauty will not be visible immediately. The bush becomes ornamental only in the third year, when light spots on its leaves acquire a pleasant silvery color. In the morning, this variety especially needs the sun, and in the afternoon it must be in the shade, otherwise the leaf plates will turn pale disadvantageously.

• In Russian literature, breeders and plant breeders emphasize, the most popular varieties are Alexander Great, Mister Morse, and also Silver Hart and Variegata. Their popularity is dictated by the high decorative and unpretentious varieties.

Direct sunlight is almost always leaf burns, after which they lose their decorative effect. Therefore, it is better to plant the brunner in partial shade or shade, ideally if it is located near the water. In such a place, the plant will delight all season with its picturesque color. By the way, it is not difficult to care for a Brunner bush, but some problems may arise with its planting. In most cases, planting involves dividing an already old bush. In one place, Brunner is able to live for 15 years, it is better to plan the division and reproduction of the plant every third year.

What are the features of the Brunner planting:

• it is necessary to trim the uterine bush up to 20 cm in height;
• dig up the root, which then rinse well in water;
• divide the root into parts - usually the bush disintegrates itself, but you can also help it, only with a sterile instrument;
• dip the roots of each separated bush in a preparation - a growth stimulator;
• plant the plant in pre-prepared holes, maintaining a distance of 50-70 cm;
• water the freshly planted brunner.

It is not difficult to care for the Brunner growing in the open field. Nevertheless, leaving, as always, presupposes complexity.

• Conditions... If a brunner grows, for example, in a mixborder, her “relatives” will be the most successful neighbors for her - different varieties of this almost forget-me-not look great in one composition. It is very important to weed the soil in a timely manner, because if weeds with powerful roots appear, it will not be able to take its food from the soil. Sometimes weeds completely clog the Brunner root system. And the bushes of the plant must be thinned out from time to time. Cold, the plant, by the way, endures staunchly. But if the frosts negatively walked through the flowering of the culture, then with the onset of summer the flower is almost always calmly restored. The main thing is that it grows in the shade or partial shade, or better, next to the reservoir.
• Watering... Those shrubs that grow in partial shade are undemanding to watering. They can only be moistened a few times during the growing season. To reduce moisture evaporation, experienced gardeners are advised to mulch the soil.
• Top dressing... If the soil is suitable, then no additional feeding is required at all. Only on depleted soils will the introduction of nutrients be required. And complex preparations are suitable for this. But you only need to take them in half the concentration, which is what the instruction suggests. It will be enough to apply fertilizers twice. It is impossible to create a mineral overfeeding of the soil, because the decorative properties of the foliage will suffer from this. They will be covered with rust spots.
• Transfer... This is the division of the bush. Brunner's root system is good in that after digging out, parts of the plant can separate themselves, without using a knife. Shake the earth from the roots carefully. Separated parts of the root dug into different holes usually adapt well, rarely a plant does not take root in a new place.

Dividing the bush is the predominant breeding method for Brunner. But the seed method also exists. However, collecting the seeds of the forget-me-not is not easy. The fruits simply do not always have time to ripen. It is better to plant seeds in open ground in the fall, but if you plan to do this in the spring, the seeds are stratified in a cold place throughout the winter.

It is a healthy flower with strong immunity. He really rarely gets sick. But if the summer is too hot, or, conversely, it is very rainy, diseases can affect him too. For example, powdery mildew or brown spot can "attack" the brunner. In this case, you must use products with copper content. And after the first spraying, one and a half to two weeks should be repeated. This will save the flower from recurrence.

If the soil is waterlogged, and this lasts a long time (the period of prolonged rains), the leaves of the brunner become brown, and this is a threat to the death of the plant. And of the pests, aphids and whiteflies should be feared, any drugs against these parasites will help the Brunner. Finally, often changes in the color of the plant with subsequent signs of wilting are associated with burns: perhaps the place for the forget-me-not was chosen too sunny, active

This culture has a wonderful feature - both its leaves and flowers are decorative. And you can't tell right away which one is more beautiful. In the garden or on the brunner's plot, it will look good in different places.

• Border... Low-growing varieties of forget-me-not are good for its design. They are planted along the path that runs around the building to create a modest but attractive curb.
• Rockeries... Forget-mech is considered a plant that loves moisture, and therefore it can be planted near a pond. Next to reddish stones, such a flower looks especially impressive.
• With successful neighbors... They can be, for example, lungwort, daffodils (white and yellow), spurge. Yellow, purple, blue, white - these are the colors that Brunner partners should be.
• With hosts and ferns. This will be deep greenery, which makes the site more mysterious and interesting.
• Like a rise above a forget-me-not carpet. You will get a very beautiful glade of small flowers. Brunner herself is planted in the background, and Alpine forget-me-not or color is planted in front of her. On the front - creeping. It will be incredibly beautiful.