A collection of the most ornamental perennial summer-flowering herbaceous plants. A new collection of summer-flowering herbaceous ornamental plants has been launched at Vilnius University Botanical Garden in Kairėnai in 2020. The plan is to collect the most ornamental summer-flowering herbaceous perennial plants that require minimal maintenance. The collection is intended to introduce visitors to the diversity of these plants, their care, and how they combine to form flowerbeds and decorate the environment. More than 20 genera of plants are to be exhibited.
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Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris L.) Perennial herbaceous plant 30-80 cm tall, 10-40 cm wide. Stems are erect, hairy, or bare. The basal leaves are double-trifoliate, with long thin petioles, and the leaflets are rounded and hairy. The flowers are pentamerous, clustered in apical sparse clusters, and are blue, purple, rarely pink or white. Flowering in June and July. After flowering, after cutting the stems, it often blooms a second time in late summer. In Lithuania it is a native species, growing on dry and semi-humid slopes in the southeast, in forests and meadows. Propagation by seeds sown in spring. The young plants are thinned out afterward, leaving a distance of 25 cm between them. Self-seeding is possible. The plant remains ornamental for up to 5 years. Thereafter, the bush should be renewed by dividing it in spring as the leaves unfold. It prefers partial shade and is undemanding but grows more vigorously in fertile soil. Poisonous. Grows in nurseries and flower beds as an ornamental or medicinal plant.
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Mullein foxglove (Digitalis thapsi L.) Perennial herbaceous rhizomatous plant. Grows 30-90 cm tall. The stem is erect, unbranched, bare at the base, and covered with glandular hairs at the top. The leaves are oblong or obovate-ovate, with a saw-toothed margin. It has a rhizome covered with tufted roots. Flowers in a unilateral cluster. The corolla is tubularly bell-shaped, 3-6 cm long, pale pink, with a brown spotted inner side. Flowering in June-August. Seeds mature in fruit boxes. It grows in sunny and semi-shade-loving areas. It prefers light-fertilized soils with moderate moisture. Does not like waterlogging. Propagation is by seeds sown in May-June and covered with a very thin layer of finely sieved sand. The emerging seedlings are then picked in August and planted in a permanent place 40-50 cm apart. Poisonous. Cultivated in gardens and flowerbeds as an ornamental or medicinal plant.
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Hollyhock (Alcea rosea L.)
Biennial herbaceous plant. Grows 80-250 cm tall. Stems are ribbed, hairy, and erect. Lower leaves are large, up to 15 cm across, palmately lobed, hairy, and saw-toothed. The petiole is long. In the first year of life, the plant forms a rosette of leaves, and in the second year, 2-3 flowering stems on which the leaves are arranged alternately. The flowers are regular, five-lobed, collected in a simple bell-shaped inflorescence of (15) 20-60 pieces. The flowers are varied in color, ranging from white and pink to dark red or purple. The large, bell-shaped corolla is up to 10 cm across. It flowers in the second half of summer, in September. Cross-pollinating plants. Prefers moderately moist and drier soils. Light-loving. Propagated by seeds sown in July in open ground. The seedlings are then pitched. Planting distance 30-40 cm. Does not like abundant watering. It is best planted in a shelter or near supports, as it may break in strong winds or rain. An expressive plant was suitable for composite floral accents in gardens and parks.
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Panicled phlox (Phlox paniculata) It's an herbaceous perennial. Height: 50 to 130 cm. Width: 20 to 60 cm. Roots wispy, superficial. The stem is erect. Stems are abundant, cylindrical, and green. The lower part of the stem becomes woody in the autumn. Leaves are stalkless, green, narrow, wedge-shaped, 3-10 cm long, and finely spatulate at the stem top, with an axillary arrangement. Flowers are regular, corolla can be 1,5 to 3 cm across, concentrated in numerous panicles. Inflorescences can be dense, large, globular, or conical, and very fragrant. The corollas are colored in shades of white, pink, purple, and magenta, with varying intensities and combinations of colors. Depending on the cultivar, the flowering period can last from early July to October. Fruits: brown capsules with small, brown seeds. Growing characteristics: The species originated in North America and has been the basis for a large number of ornamental cultivars. The plants are light-loving and grow well in open, windy areas where the water table is low, but the moisture regime is constant. Prefer light, fertile soils or loams. If too wet and too densely planted, they may suffer from powdery mildew, root rot, and longitudinal stem splitting. Use: grown as an ornamental plant in mixed flower gardens. Many cultivars have been bred since ancient times. For best results, plant in groups 40-50 cm apart. Propagate every 3-5 years, in autumn, by splitting bushes. The inflorescences are suitable for harvesting. Flowers are intensively visited by bees. Overwinter in Lithuania without a covering. The climate zone is from 5 to 7. Thirteen cultivars of panicled phlox are cultivated in the Vilnius University Botanical Garden.
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