Brunner large-leaved. When and how to plant tulips

Now in garden design often use unpretentious perennials that require almost no care. Among them is Brunner ( Brunnera) from the Burachnikov family is far from last. We grow two types: large-leaved ( B. macrophylla) and Siberian ( B. sibirica) to brunner.

This plant is considered winter-hardy, grows and begins to bloom very early, when there is still not enough greenery in the garden. It looks just great thanks to its beautiful large leaves (especially in variegated varieties). Forget-me-not (the popular name of the culture) is called so for a reason, its medium-sized blue flowers with a pleasant aroma are very similar to forget-me-nots. By the way, both plants belong to the same family.

Brunner large-leaved "Jack Frost"

Where to plant brunner?

Culture is not too demanding on the place of growth. But when planting in partially shaded (in the morning - the sun, in the afternoon - shade) wet areas, on clay soils it grows faster and looks more luxurious. In this case, the plants do not even need watering. In full shade, they grow worse.

Planted in the sun, and even in the absence of regular watering, the forget-me-not can wither and even shed its leaves.

When watering is resumed, they usually grow back. Brunnera feels fine if she is planted under fruit trees, near reservoirs, near the northern wall of the house, is not afraid of water flowing down from the roof during rain. This culture doesn't like too much fertile soils and overly abundant food (especially fresh manure). It grows in one place for a long time - about 15 years.

Forget-me-not reproduction

The division of the bush brunnera large-leaved. Toward the end of summer, the bushes are dug up with a clod of earth, the shoots are cut off, leaving stumps. After that, the bush is lowered into a container of water to remove the soil from the roots, and divided into parts. Delenki should be planted as soon as possible in a permanent place so as not to dry out their root system.

Transplanting in late summer is usually more successful than spring. But if necessary, the bush can be divided in the spring, then during the summer it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture and in the very heat of the day, shade the young plants with covering material. Waterlogging, by the way, is also unacceptable. For variegated varieties, this method, in contrast to the seed method, allows you to save all the signs of the mother plant.

Reproduction of Siberian brunners. In the second half of summer, powerful rhizomes are dug up, divided into pieces (5 - 6 centimeters) with a viable bud and seated (about 3 centimeters deep), watered. Rooted young plants next year usually bloom. Forget-me-not of this species is not planted in spring.

Growing brunners from seed. Fruits with seeds ripen by early June. Seeds need a long (2 - 3 months) stratification, so it is better to plant them before winter. Under favorable conditions, young plants will begin to bloom for 3 years. There is self-seeding.

Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ Brunnera macrophylla ‘Sea Heart’ Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’

Care

Usually there are no difficulties. If the landing site is chosen correctly, the brunner grows quickly and clogs not only weeds, but also neighboring plants. To avoid this, plants are limited during planting, leaving a sufficiently large area for nutrition. After flowering is completed (lasting more than 20 days), withered leaves and peduncles are removed. Toward the end of summer, the leaves will grow back.

Brunner large-leaved leaves do not lose their leaves after the end of flowering and look attractive until late autumn. It grows more slowly, so young plants must be weeded without deep loosening (the root system is powerful, but located close to the surface).

If the plants are planted on an elevated open space, planting is better to mulch. With the secondary appearance of flower stalks at the end of summer, it is recommended to remove them so that the plants are not weakened before wintering. Before winter (if there is no snow), it is advisable to cover the forget-me-not bushes with mulch. In the spring, after the onset of heat, the shelter must be removed and the surface loosening of the soil should be carried out.

Diseases and pests

Culture does not often get sick. But with excessive watering and in rainy summers, Siberian brunners may be affected by brown spotting or powdery mildew. The large-leaved variety almost does not suffer from these diseases. Forget-me-not pests are also not too fond of. Only occasionally attack aphids, whiteflies, slugs.

Forcing brunners

If you transplant bushes with a large lump into deep flowerpots in the fall, then in the second half of December you will be able to admire the modest, but very cute flowers of false forget-me-not. To do this, after transplanting, the plants are watered and the flowerpots are removed in a shaded place in the flower garden until real frosts. Then they are brought into a cool, but bright room (temperature about +5 degrees) and periodically watered until the shoots begin to grow. After that, the temperature is raised to +10 degrees.

We select neighbors

Hosts, ferns, Rogers, astilba, geyhera, hellebore, lungwort are well suited.

Brunner large-leaved "Jack Frost" with "partners" in the flower garden - hosts and geyhera

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Gardeners know how difficult it is to choose a flower arrangement for their site. A popular plant is Bruner in landscape design, a photo and description of the flower will allow you to make a choice in its favor. It is important to know how to care for a bruner depending on the season. This will create beautiful flower bed in your landscape.

General information about Bruner

At the moment, most designers prefer perennial and unpretentious plants. One of these is the Bruner flower (Brunnera). This flower belongs to the Burachnikov family. In Russia, such types of brunera are grown as: large-leaved (B. macrophylla) and Siberian (B. sibirica).

This plant is winter-hardy, calmly withstands frost. In spring, flowering begins early, thanks to this, Brunera will make your garden beautiful even at the very beginning of spring. The flower looks great because of its large and beautiful leaves. In the people, this plant is called Forget-Me-Not, because Brunera and Forget-Me-Not belong to the same family.

What to plant a brunner with? It can be combined with different flowers to create a beautiful composition. Popular varieties include:

• ferns;
• rogersia;
• Volzhanka.

In landscape design, brunner looks good in different compositions. Therefore, you can choose one or two plant varieties to create an interesting flower bed.

The plant is planted in separate areas for flowers, next to the house. Some owners decorate the paths along which the flower grows.

Bruner flower - planting and care in the open field

Brunera is absolutely unpretentious to the place of future landing. But if you want to further decorate your garden with this flower, then it is better to plant it in a shady place, only occasionally illuminated by direct sunlight, in clay, moist soil. In this case, the plant will grow faster.

Under such conditions, it will be possible for Bruner not to be watered for a long time, unless a drought sets in. If the flower is in full shade, then growth will be noticeably worse.

When planted in the sun, Bruner can dry out even with abundant watering. If after that you transplant it to a more suitable place and continue abundant watering, then most likely the flower will soon return to its normal state and grow its leaves back.

Brunera can be planted near the house, because she is not afraid of water flowing from the roof. Also near the house, there is almost never very fertile land. Brunera is not too fond of very fertile land and overly abundant food (such as fresh manure). With the right planting site, the plant can grow for more than 15 years.

Usually there are no difficulties with caring for a bruner. With proper planting, the plant grows very quickly, and after a while it begins to oppress not only weeds, but also neighboring cultivated plants. In order to prevent this from happening, when planting, a very large area is allocated for its growth. When long flowering bruners (just over 3 weeks) ends, you need to remove the flower stalks and withered leaves. At the end of summer they will grow back. In the photo of the bruner in landscape design, it is interesting to combine with other plants.

If you planted a large-leaved bruner, then at the end of flowering the foliage does not fall off and the flower has a very attractive appearance until late autumn. But unlike other varieties, it grows more slowly and in connection with this, it is not necessary to loosen the ground around it very much.

In winter, if the flower is not completely covered with snow, it is worth covering with mulch. As soon as snow falls or warm weather sets in, remove the mulch and loosen the ground around the brunner a little.

These flowers rarely get sick. But if the flower is watered too abundantly, or there will be heavy rains, then the plant may be affected by powdery mildew or brown spotting.

Of the pests, Brunnera is only occasionally attacked by aphids, slugs and whiteflies.

Increasingly popular in gardens decorative perennials that do not require complex care. Brunner (lat. Brunnera) is a plant surprising in its unpretentiousness, willingly filling the problem areas of the garden under the shady crowns of trees. Brunner gives a special charm to the spring site, not yet colored with colors, with its delicate blue flowering.

The striking external similarity of flowers determined the viability of the old name of the plant "forget-me-not", however, the flowers of the brunners are larger, without aroma, although of the same amazing shade, forming a blue cloud against the background of decorative, lush greenery.

Brunner large-leaved

Description

Brunner is a genus of plants represented by rhizomatous herbaceous perennials of the Burachnikov family. It has whole large leaves, forget-me-not flowers. Inflorescences paniculate or corymbose. Dry fruit includes four nuts.

In spring, in May, flower stalks appear first. Abundant flowering lasts a month, after which the deciduous mass intensively grows. In autumn, under favorable growing conditions, Brunnera may re-bloom.

Decorative species and varieties

Of the three species known today, only two are used in landscape design:

Brunner large-leaved(lat. B. macrophylla) grows in the Caucasus. It is a branched shrub with a powerful superficial rhizome. Spreading leafy stems by the end of flowering lengthen up to 40 cm, they are pubescent, rough to the touch. The leaves are basal, oblong, oval-heart-shaped, pointed, two-colored - the upper dark green color is replaced by a grayish lower one. Inflorescences are paniculate-corymbose. Decorative from April until the first significant frost, when the leaves die. During the season, the bush looks elegant, as new leaves appear constantly and regularly. Garden forms are valued for their wide beautiful variegated heart-shaped leaves.

Brunner large-leaved

brunner sibirica(lat. B. sibirica) is found in Altai. Outwardly, it is larger, more effective large-leaved. Differs in a long rhizome, single stems with rare pubescence, up to 60 cm in height. Instead of bushes, it forms dense deciduous thickets. After flowering, the leaves dry out, becoming covered with dark spots. New ones appear at the end of summer, and hold on until frost. As a forest plant, it prefers shady places with high humidity.

Photogallery of species

Cultivation and care

Properly chosen, taking into account humidity and shading, a place for landing brunners can greatly facilitate the subsequent care of her, which is already quite simple. Brunner easily grows in the most problematic shady areas of the garden, where most plants feel uncomfortable. With a good location, it instantly grows, oppressing weeds, neighboring plants. To avoid this, it is better to limit the landing site to a certain area.

In the garden, the brunner should be placed in places where direct sunlight hits in the morning, and the second half of the day passes in the shade. In heavily shaded places, plants lose their decorative effect and stretch out; with sunny placement, it is necessary to maintain sufficient humidity of the air and soil, which is possible if there is a reservoir nearby. Brunner does not survive in hot summers in sunny areas. The plant prefers constantly moist soils. For large-leaved brunners, their humidity should be moderate.

Brunner in the shade of trees

Too rich, nutritious soils will activate a continuous growth of foliage, which is different from the usual seasonal rhythm of the plant. This culture generally does not like excessive fertility, abundant nutrition. Brunner does not need additional feeding, the rapid growth of leaves caused by them even harms the plant. Do not use fresh manure for fertilizer.

Powerful rhizomes of the Siberian Brunner are intertwined, preventing the growth of weeds. This cancels weeding, assuming only the need to trim the leaves that have lost their decorative effect. Properly planted plants of this species do not need additional care.

The situation is different with the large-leaved brunner, which grows rather slowly and weakly resists weeds, especially long-rhizome perennials. Timely weeding in this case is simply necessary. Superficial branched rhizomes do not allow loosening plantings, the plant does not need watering and top dressing. To avoid loosening, the soil should be well prepared before planting. Plantings in open elevated places are recommended to be mulched. Secondary peduncles at the end of summer are best removed, they weaken the plant before wintering.

Young bush brunners

In old, overgrown bushes, rhizomes can bulge out, exposing the middle of the plant, so they need to be divided periodically. V good conditions brunnera can grow for a long time in one place - up to 15 years.

This plant is a real winter-hardy perennial, withstands frosts down to -30 C. Brunner leaves of any kind do not save for the winter. Before winter, especially in the absence of snow, it is advisable to cover the bushes with mulch. In the spring, the shelter must be removed immediately after the onset of heat and the surface loosening of the soil should be carried out.

reproduction

Brunner reproduces by seeds (self-sowing is possible) and vegetatively (by dividing a bush or rhizomes).

The easiest way is vegetative, rhizomatous segments with renewal buds. When planting rhizomes in the holes, they are not deeply buried, placing them superficially.

Segment of brunner rhizome for propagation

seed propagation brunners are possible, however, decorative variegated forms can retain the original characteristics of the mother plant only during vegetative propagation.

The division of rhizomes is carried out after the laying of flower buds of the future period, at the very end of summer. Rooting occurs in autumn, young delenki successfully winter and bloom next spring.

Brunner large-leaved, due to the peculiarities of the vertical, rather short rhizome, is more often propagated by dividing the bush. Toward the end of summer, they dig it out, keeping a clod of earth, remove the aerial part and wash the roots in water. The bush cleared of the soil is divided into parts with a sharp knife, following the natural collapse of the roots. Delenki are best planted as soon as possible in a permanent place, until their root system is dry. Autumn transplantation is usually more successful than spring transplantation. If necessary, the bush can be divided in the spring, in this case, during the summer it is necessary to control the soil moisture, in the heat to shade young plants suitable material. Overwatering is also unacceptable.

Young brunners obtained by dividing the rhizome

Reproduction of the Siberian brunner occurs only in autumn, in patches of branched rhizome. At the end of summer, they are dug up, freed from the ground and old parts, superficial, powerful rhizomes are simply broken into separate pieces. Any part of the rhizome must have a bud of future growth. Such a delenka is landed on a predetermined place, preferably marked with a sign. It is enough to slightly deepen it and sprinkle it with earth. The soil is slightly compacted, to improve contact with the roots, immediately watered. Young plants usually bloom the following year.

Growing brunners from seeds is rarely used. Seeds ripen by early June and require long-term stratification (up to 3 months), so it is better to plant them in open ground in winter. Under the most favorable conditions, new plants will bloom only for 3 years. Self-seeding possible.

Forcing brunners is possible if in the fall you transplant bushes with a large lump into a deep container and follow simple rules, already under New Year you can admire modest and cute flowers. To do this, after transplanting, the plants are watered as needed, the flowerpots are kept in a shaded place in the garden until real frosts, after which they are moved to a cool, bright room, with the start of shoot growth, they provide a temperature of about +10 C, continuing moderate regular watering.

blue clouds brunners

Propagating a brunner by dividing a bush is more reliable than rooting part of a rhizome. The division is carried out as carefully as possible, keeping the earth on the roots. It is especially difficult to root varietal plants grown in the shade.

Diseases and pests

Sick culture is quite rare. With excessive watering or in rainy summers, a low resistance of the Siberian brunner to brown spot, powdery mildew, traditional plant enemies that prefer shady and humid places, was noted. Large-leaved varieties do not suffer from these diseases.

In addition, whitefly, aphids, sometimes slugs can infect greens. But in general, pests do not like this plant, which is stable in all respects. Juicy rhizomes of brunners, on the one hand, attract mice, on the other hand, poison them. Therefore, the garden in which the brunner settled may not be afraid of rodent invasions.

Abundant spring bloom

Use in landscape design

Spectacular compositions from unpretentious plants brunner type. A variety of compositions using its dense, ornamental bushes wonderfully fit into the most unexpected landscape projects.

Brunnera large-leaved stably effective all season, does not grow, keeps its shape well, is practically not affected by diseases, therefore it is excellent for decorating borders, as well as permanent decorative group compositions as part of mixborders.

Due to the loss of decorativeness by the middle of summer, the Siberian Brunner is of less interest in the design of plantations. Its dense unpretentious thickets are indispensable for the design of shady waterlogged areas.

Brunner on the site

Partners on the site are Colchis Goryanka, primrose, bear's onion, hellebore, ferns, etc. Blue flower clouds of brunners are in perfect harmony with white, yellow, blue, purple spring flowers: hyacinths, tulips, white and yellow daffodils, blue muscari, multi-colored euphorbia are suitable . They look great next to shrubs, ornamental plants, especially with the universally recognized "queens of the shade": ferns, hosts, astilba, combinations with geyhera, rogersia, hellebore, lungwort are good.

Brunner goes well with perennials, these are, first of all, dicentra, doronicum, decorative bows, bathing suit, irises, primroses. Aquilegia is considered the most successful companion, for the ability to decorate well its foliage withering in adverse conditions.

Low-growing varieties of brunners form an unpretentious beautiful border along the paths around the house.

Moisture-loving brunnera is often planted on the shady banks of artificial or natural reservoirs, dry streams. Green, often variegated leaves of brunners create original ensembles in rockeries next to red-colored stones.

Brunner and hosta in the curb

Creating a "forget-me-not paradise" in an ordinary garden is not a problem. To decorate a meadow of forget-me-nots, it is enough to plant a brunner in the background, in front of it are alpine, colored forget-me-nots, and in front to place a creeping perennial forget-me-not. They all bloom at the same time in different shades of blue, creating an atmosphere of complete serenity around.

Brunnera is attractive not only with flowers, its multi-colored, variegated leaves are very expressive in themselves. If you approach the design of the site with imagination, you can choose varieties with decorative leaves of all shades of green, in harmony or contrasting in color. You can use some varieties of junipers, spectacular shade-tolerant crops, hydrangeas.

Planting large-leaved brunners will become a real lifesaver for the gardener, whose plot is covered by a shadow in the afternoon, accumulate in the lowlands ground water. In a word, the flower will grow well where the root system of many plants rots.

Often such places are empty, the flower beds are bare, and some owners go to tricks and plant artificial bushes. But the modest brunner has long been known landscape designers, which use its unpretentiousness when landscaping parks. Recently, this plant has been widely used to decorate alpine hills; it is planted on the banks of ponds and lakes.

Modest beauty from the Caucasus

The Borage family, and botanists attributed the brunner (bruner) to it, includes only three species of this flower. But the breeders did their best - several varieties and many hybrids were born. The beauty of a herbaceous plant is not immediately noticeable, being in the mountains, you can pass by and not see its modest charm: pubescent large stems with huge silver leaves in the form of a heart grow directly from the ground. From below, the leaf plate is pubescent even more, it seems gray in appearance, but velvety to the touch.

Advice! When making garden paths you can use two types of brunners (brunella): large-leaved and Siberian. Small differences between species will only emphasize the individuality of each, but at the same time their combination will give the composition a logical completeness.

The birthplace of the plant is the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains. It has long gained popularity among gardeners in European countries, as well as on other continents. It is grown not only to cover shady, swampy areas, but because of the short, memorable flowering. It begins at the end of April and lasts only a month: flower stalks with delicate lilac buds, collected in elegant inflorescences (panicle or shield), sprout among wide silver leaves. The most popular varieties among breeders:

• Millennium Zilber - has leaves with neat interspersed with white spots.
• Langtrees is the owner of transparent silver "dew" on the rims of the leaves.
• Hudspen Cream - famous for the openwork cream pattern on the edges of huge leaf plates.

Brunner large-leaved differs from other species in the minimal loss of decorative leaves. Some of them dry up and die off along with the inflorescences, but after a short time the plant grows green mass again. And the end of August or the beginning of September will please the second wave of the formation of lilac buds. In Western countries, the plant is dug up in late autumn, and transplanted into flowerpots - flowering will occur on Christmas Eve.

good location

To facilitate further care of the plant, you need to choose a suitable site for growing it. Places abundantly flavored with organic matter will not work - large-leaved brunner will increase a powerful leaf mass, and flowering will be scarce or disappear altogether. The most successful landing will be in heavy clay soil on which moisture traps. Usually such soils are located in shady places where the sun looks only on a hot afternoon.

Advice! The flower is so unpretentious that it grows even in direct sunlight. Its broad leaf blades evaporate a large number of moisture, therefore, in such areas, watering should be done daily.

Delicate brunnera leaves respond well to high humidity air. The plant will be a real find for the owners of gardens on the territory of which reservoirs are located: their banks will be decorated with luxurious bushes with delicate inflorescences. Some flower growers plant in large flowerpots and place them near pools and recreational areas. Given the pleasant aroma exuded by the inflorescences, a walk through such a garden will be remembered for a long time.

Reproduction methods - it doesn't get easier

After flowering, Brunner forms fruits with small seeds. If they are not collected, there will be an independent sowing on the ground and further thickening of the planting. Therefore, gardeners prefer to remove the boxes from the bushes in advance. The best time for sowing is late autumn. The fact is that successful cultivation involves the stratification of seeds, they need to stay in the cold for several months.

Advice! If planting is scheduled for the summer, you should put the seeds in the refrigerator for several months. Before that, you need to wrap them with cotton cloth.

Few flower lovers propagate large-leaved brunner seeds. The rhizome of the plant is thick, fleshy and perfectly divided into several parts without any stimulants for root formation. The middle of summer is suitable for division, when flowering has ended. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Dig a flower out of the ground and cut off the entire leaf mass.
2. The rhizome is thoroughly washed under running water and briefly soaked.
3. A sterile instrument divides into several parts (each of them must have a kidney).
4. Pieces of rhizomes are planted in prepared places.
5. Abundantly watered.

If the original plant has grown a powerful root system, it is even easier to do so. With the brunners removed from the soil, the remaining soil is washed off and soaked for several hours. And then they are divided by the natural collapse of the rhizome. The resulting parts are planted in flower beds.

Secrets of proper care

Planted under spreading trees, brunner does not need constant watering, it is produced only a few times per season. Since the flower does not require transplantation for more than 10 years, the choice shady area will reduce the care of the large-leaved brunner to a minimum. Direct sunlight quickly evaporates the moisture of a herbaceous plant, so you need to water it abundantly and often. Unlike most flowers, brunners do not require specific hours of adoption. water procedures. Even during the day, wide leaves will protect moist soil from cracking.

All sorts of weeds love the flower very much. They freely grow among the bushes, enjoying the shade and coolness. Care is complicated by constant weeding, as weeds take away from the ground the minerals necessary for the growth of large-leaved brunners. Experienced gardeners immediately after planting mulch the soil. To do this, you can use any material: needles of coniferous trees, hay, straw, leaves, high or low peat. The number of weeds after mulching is significantly reduced.

Advice! At proper care weeding and loosening are done with great care. The root system of the flower almost lies on the surface of the soil. Do not use too sharp objects, as well as deepen them by more than 2-3 cm.

Brunner grows very quickly and can shade neighboring plants. When planting and further care, you need to keep this in mind, leaving free space in the flower bed. To prevent the occurrence of fungal infections, constant thinning of grassy bushes is necessary. Timely removal of dried stems and inflorescences will also prevent the development of various putrefactive processes.

If the soil meets all the requirements of the flower, then care does not imply fertilization. Only planting brunners on depleted or scarce soils may require additional feeding. It is best to use complex fertilizers, the concentration of the solution of which should be half that prescribed. Feed the flower a couple of times throughout the summer. Excessive saturation of the soil with mineral salts will immediately affect the condition of the leaves - ugly rusty spots will appear on them.

However, such spots often indicate the occurrence of problems of a different kind. From neighboring plantings or with improper care, various rots occur on plants:

• Powdery mildew. The leaf plate and the stem are, as it were, strewn with small whitish crystals. The plant dries up and dies.
• Brown rot. The spread of brown spots begins with the upper leaves and gradually covers the entire plant, leading to its death.

Heavily damaged flowers must be removed from the ground, and then burned far from the planting site. The surviving specimens should be treated with a modern fungicidal preparation. Comprehensive care involves a weekly preventive examination in order to detect:

• Aphids. Tiny transparent pests live on the most tender parts of the brunner, feeding on their juices and causing gradual death.
• Spider mite. Often attacks flowers with improper planting or poor watering. It is easy to detect a pest by the traces left - thin shiny cobwebs.

At this stage of care, the destruction of plants is not required. It is necessary to spray the brunner with a solution of a drug with insecticidal activity. When growing flowers near potato plantations or tomato beds, the likelihood of rot increases. For prevention, you can treat plants with fungicides a couple of times during the summer.

Growing perennial brunners on garden plots does not require special preparations for the upcoming wintering. The flower is frost-resistant, the owner will only need to cut the leaves. It is better not to allow repeated August flowering, so that the plant does not waste energy on laying buds, but prepares for winter. If the soil has not been mulched before, then it must be done before the onset of frost.

If the gardener wants to surprise his loved ones with the flowering of the large-leaved brunner near the New Year tree, then the bush is transplanted into a flowerpot. About a month it should be kept in a cool place at a temperature of 6-7 ° C. And then transfer to a warm room and wait for flowering. The surprise will turn out well.

Growing brunners provides the breeder with a lot of opportunities for its use. Care for an unassuming plant will be kept to a minimum. When composing compositions in flower beds, lungwort and various varieties of ferns will become excellent flower neighbors. Planting brunners will be a good reason to get your own pond.

Gardeners appreciate the plant for the fact that its colorful decorative leaves appear earlier than others in the garden, and small blue flowers are one of the first to delight the eye in flower beds. They exude a pleasant aroma that you have time to miss long winter. In addition, Brunnera is unpretentious in care, and varieties can be selected in accordance with the characteristics of landscape solutions.

Types of brunners

This perennial plant has only three species, of which two are cultivated. The most popular can be called a large-leaved variety, the natural habitat of which is the Caucasian mountains. Therefore, this type of flower is often called "Caucasian forget-me-not". Slightly inferior to her in popularity is the Siberian Brunner, which, as you might guess, grows in the forests of Siberia. There is also an eastern brunner, whose homeland is the eastern countries: Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Turkey, Iran. But it is not cultivated in ornamental gardening. Therefore, further we will only talk about the first two types of plants.

Did you know? The flower got its official name thanks to the Swiss botanist and traveler Samuel Brunner, after whom it is named. Among the people, it is often called the magnificent forget-me-not, the fake forget-me-not, the forget-me-not, although the brunner and the forget-me-not itself belong to different species.

Brunnera macrophylla (Brunnera macrophylla)

This type of flower grows in a small bush. The stems are rough-pubescent, branched, which reach a length of up to 40 cm. The oblong basal leaves have a sharp top and a heart-shaped shape. They are located on long petioles, pubescent below, rough and gray, and dark green above. The flowers are dark blue with a white spot on the core, have a diameter of up to 7 mm. Collected in paniculate corymbose apical inflorescences. They bloom in mid-April, flowering lasts about a month. With a warm autumn, the bush can bloom a second time in a year.

Among the most popular varieties are:

• Brunnera macrophylla Jack Frost, which has silvery, almost white leaves with green veins, as well as a green border along the edge of the sheet;
• Millennium Zilber differs in leaves with large silvery-white spots;
• Langtrees blooms with blue flowers, has dark green leaves, which are strewn with silver specks on the periphery;
• Hadspan Cream produces heart-shaped wide leaves up to 15 cm in length, the edges of which are decorated with a white-cream border;
• Brunner Variegata also has a wide white-cream stripe on the edges of the leaves, but it comes on the green parts of the leaf with deep tongues. If the variety is planted in the sun, the leaves will become almost white.

Siberian Brunner (Brunnera sibirica)

This species is larger and more spectacular than the previous one. It has a long and thick rhizome, produces pubescent single stems that reach a height of up to 60 cm. It grows not as a bush, but in dense thickets. Moreover, her leaves are not the same. Those that grow on stems are practically lanceolate, sessile. The basal ones are dense, wrinkled, sit on long petioles and have a heart-shaped shape. Brunnera of this species, when blooming, produces dark blue flowers up to 5 mm in diameter with a white eye. They are collected in paniculate inflorescences and last for three weeks. The plant begins to bloom in May.

Site selection and soil for brunners

As already mentioned, the flower is relatively unpretentious, including the planting site is not particularly demanding. But under different conditions, its decorative effect can be brighter or smoothed out. So, the plant looks most spectacular in partially shaded areas, when it receives enough sunlight before lunch, and in the afternoon it is in the shade. With this planting, the brunner does not even require special watering.

Brunner grows much worse in a dark garden or in the sun. In the latter case, it sharply loses its decorative effect, and also requires constant watering. An exception may be sunny areas near water bodies. In extreme heat and insufficient moisture, the flower may dry out, but quickly revives when watering is resumed.

The large-leaved species of the plant prefers moderately fertile and moist, drained and loose soils. It does not require top dressing, as they provoke intensive leaf growth, due to which the flower loses its attractiveness.

The Siberian species grows well on clay and moist soils. Therefore, it is recommended to plant it in the northern areas and monitor soil moisture. Unlike the previous species, weeding practically does not require, as it has a powerful rhizome.

When deciding where to plant a brunner, give preference to the north side of the house, the shore of a pond, a place under fruit trees.

Important! The plant does not like fertilizers, especially fresh organics. At the same time, it can grow up to 15 years in one place.

Planting and breeding brunners

Reproduction and planting of a plant depend on its type. In any case, after planting, the site must be mulched with tree bark, limestone, sawdust, ash or coffee grounds.

Growing brunners from seeds

The flower can be grown from seeds. Large-leaved varieties are sometimes self-sowed if the weather permits. You can collect them in early June, but before planting they require a long stratification - at least two months. Therefore, they are recommended to be planted in the fall for the winter. The sown plant gives the first flowering in the third year after planting.

Important! Varieties with decorative variegated leaves do not reproduce by seeds.

The division of the bush brunnera large-leaved

The most reliable propagation of brunners is by dividing the bush. By the end of summer, the bush is carefully dug up along with a clod of earth, then the shoots are cut so that stumps remain. The earth from the roots must be removed, but very carefully. To do this, the bush is lowered into the water, and then immediately planted until the roots dry out. Make sure that each new bush has a root up to 5 cm long and a bud from which a stem will grow next year.

Delenki are planted in the ground, not deepening much, sprinkled with earth on top and watered. Keep in mind that the flower loves space, but grows quite quickly. Such a planting is recommended to be done in October-November, since in spring the plants take root worse and require additional care: shading the young in extreme heat and constant watering. At the same time, care should be taken to ensure that the soil is not excessively wet. Spring landing takes place in April, the delenki are immersed in the ground with a clod of earth.

The division of the rhizomes of the Siberian Brunner

Brunner of this species requires special rules for planting and care in open field. So, it can not be planted in the spring. The best way to propagate is by dividing the rhizome. To do this, the root is dug up in the middle of summer and divided into pieces of 5-6 cm so that each has a kidney. The resulting seedling material is planted to a depth of 3 cm and watered well. The plant propagated in this way blooms the next year.

Selection of neighbors for brunners and use in garden design

Brunner has found its application in landscape design. It is used in rockeries, borders, mixborders. The ideal flower looks in the shady parts of the reservoirs, near the stones.

Did you know? Any kind of flower looks spectacular when the bush grows more than 30 cm in diameter. Therefore, it is necessary to think carefully about the landing site, so as not to replant the plant often.

The ideal neighbors of brunners are plants with leaves of decorative shapes and colors. It can be lungwort, hellebore, geyhera, astilbe, rogersia, ferns, junipers, buttercups, hydrangeas, hostas, tulips, daffodils and others.

How to care for a brunner in the garden

At right choice Brunner landing sites do not require special care. It grows quickly and suppresses all kinds of weeds. However, the desired plants can also suffer. Therefore, it is planted so that there is enough space for growth.

Flowering brunnera lasts a little over 20 days. After that, dry inflorescences and withered leaves must be removed. By the end of summer, the plant will acquire fresh leaves. Large-leaved varieties keep their decorative leaves until late autumn, but also grow more slowly. Therefore, these varieties require a little more careful care: periodic weeding and watering.

Important! In autumn, the plant may re-bloom. It is recommended to remove autumn inflorescences so that the flower does not weaken before winter.

The root system of the plant is located close to the surface, so it is better to refuse loosening. If the flower is planted on a hill, it is better to mulch it.

Brunner pests and diseases, how to deal with them

The flower is not prone to disease. Sometimes brown spots may appear on it. It arises from too frequent watering or during a rainy summer. The Siberian species can be affected by powdery mildew. To combat these diseases, fungicides are used, for example, Bordeaux mixture. Before processing the plant, all parts affected by the disease must be removed from it.