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Modern landscape designs use a huge number of plants, each of which requires an individual approach and certain growing conditions. Among other crops, astilbe stands out; this plant is a perennial that does not require complex care, it is not picky in choosing “neighbors”, and can grow in any soil and area. The creators of landscape designs jokingly call astilbe a flower for the lazy - this culture is very unpretentious.
Read more about astilbe varieties, the rules for growing it and creating compositions involving this flower in this article.
Varieties of astilbe
Under natural conditions, the flower grows in Japan, China, and Mongolia. There are more than 30 species of this flower with different leaves, peduncles, and flowering periods.
After astilbe began to be actively used in landscape designs, breeders developed several hundred more varieties of this crop. Now the owner of the site can choose a bush of any height, density and color.
So, astilbe is divided into groups according to the following criteria:
- Bush height – there are dwarf, short, medium and tall flowers, their height ranges from 30 to 150 cm.
- Leaf color The bush can be light green, burgundy, dark green.Also, the foliage can be matte, glossy, can be covered with colored fluff or have strongly pronounced veins of a contrasting color. Astilbe, even in a non-flowering state, will adequately decorate any garden - its leaves have an openwork, carved shape and a glossy surface.
- Shade and shape of peduncles. Astilbe inflorescences can be of different sizes (average size - 30 cm). Their shape can be pyramidal, diamond-shaped, paniculate, or drooping. The range of shades of inflorescences is quite wide: white, beige, all shades of pink, lilac, many shades of red. With such diversity, it’s not at all difficult to choose the right flower for your existing landscape.
- Bush flowering period. As a rule, astilbe blooms in mid-summer - this is how most varieties of this crop behave. But there are also hybrids that produce flower stalks in spring or August. Such a variety of varieties allows you to create constantly blooming flower beds from astilbe. The flower pleases garden visitors for about a month. After flowering, however, there is no need to rush to cut off the flower stalks; even in a wilted state, they are quite decorative.
- Shade-loving and sun-loving varieties. Most varietal types of astilbe prefer moist and shaded areas. However, among the hybrids you can also find flowers that can grow even on the sunny side of the garden. The only thing is that the bushes will have to be watered more often, and they can bloom for only two weeks instead of the standard four.
How to grow astilbe
This plant is a perennial crop; astilbe can grow quietly in one place for five years, without requiring replanting or division. The total lifespan of the bush is ten years; after this period, the bush needs to be divided and new shoots planted.
The flower propagates in several ways:
- dividing the bush;
- cuttings;
- seeds.
Most often, the first method is used. An overgrown bush, which has bloomed for several seasons in the same place, is carefully dug out along with the roots. After this, the flower along with the root system is divided into several parts using a shovel or knife.
The separated parts are planted in a new place, maintaining an interval of at least 35 cm. After transplanting, the astilbe needs to be watered daily until the bushes take root in the new place.
Although propagation of astilbe by seeds is possible, in practice this method is used very rarely. Indeed, for this method, the seeds must first be sown in neutral soil, without digging them in. Place the container with the seeds in a room with a low temperature (from -4 to +4 degrees) for several days. Then bring it into a warm place and water it in a timely manner.
The grown seedlings are transferred to a permanent place, but astilbe will begin to flower no earlier than after three seasons.
Flower care
The culture is considered unpretentious, but this does not mean that astilbe does not need any care at all. This statement is partly true only for those flowers that are planted in moist soil in areas where coolness and shade prevail most of the day. In such cases, the owner of the garden will only have to monitor the condition of the flower stalks, remove faded inflorescences in a timely manner, and plant the bushes.
All in all, The rules for caring for astilbe are as follows::
- Planting a bush on neutral, loose soil. If the soil is dense, it must be mulched with peat, you can mix the soil with sand or sawdust. The acidity of the soil for astilbe should be neutral.
- Regular watering of bushes. Astilbe is a moisture-loving plant; even in damp areas located close to water bodies, this crop must be watered regularly. Flowers planted on the sunny side of the garden sometimes have to be watered twice a day. This is best done at dawn and dusk.
- Mulching will help maintain the moisture and looseness of the top layer of soil for a longer time. Sawdust, peat, and pebbles are suitable for these purposes. As a last resort, you can use grass cut from the lawn or last year's bushes of the same astilbe.
- As a rule, the flower does not need weeding at all. Its root system is so developed that weeds next to astilbe there is not enough moisture and nutrients, they simply die. For the same reason, flowers should not be planted in close proximity to trees (there should be an interval of about two meters), otherwise the tree will not allow the astilbe to develop normally.
- Nutrition is very important for this flower. Phosphorus, potassium, calcium-containing mineral or organic fertilizers can be used as fertilizers for astilbe. It is better to fertilize the bushes twice a year: in spring and after flowering.Without feeding, the bushes will be weak, the flower stalks will be sparse, because this plant is very powerful, it needs “strength”.
- Astilbe usually tolerates winter well; even in severe frosts, the bushes do not need to be covered with insulation. But in the northern regions of the country it is still better to cover bush spruce spruce branches and cut off all the greenery from the bushes in the fall. In warmer regions (in some European countries, for example), astilbe greens serve as decoration for flower beds and lawns even in winter.
- After wilting, it is better to cut off the flowers, this will enhance the development of the root system and greenery. Some designers leave dried inflorescences; even in this form they are an excellent garden decoration.
Ways to use astilbe in landscape design
Astilbe in landscape design looks advantageous with any planting method:
- In groupswhen several identical or different varieties of flowers are used, tiers are created from bushes of different heights, they play with shades of inflorescences, and select crops according to flowering time.
- Planting in flower beds mixed with other crops is also very impressive. Astilbe goes well with flowers such as lilies, geraniums, phlox, aquilegia, and podophyllum. Carved flower leaves look great next to hostas, ferns, bergenia, and juniper. Astilbe looks great against the backdrop of evergreen coniferous trees and bushes.
- Custom fit may involve decorating garden paths and lawns with individual bushes, or planting astilbe in large pots and decorating verandas, terraces, and gazebos with them.
- Use of the flower for decoration of landscape structuressuch as alpine slides, rockeries, artificial ponds. Astilbe looks wonderful against a background of stones or water.
- Tall varieties (over 130 cm) can be used to create a hedge, covering outbuildings with blooming astilbe or protecting the gazebo or house from prying eyes and the sun.
Numerous photos of astilbe in landscape design will help a novice designer decorate his site in an impressive and unusual way. The owner does not need to worry about the viability of the crop; astilbe, indeed, does not require complex care, in addition, this plant can independently cope with pests and diseases.
All that remains for the owner of the plot is to enjoy the beauty of his garden and regularly water the flower beds.
