Veronica is a plant that is valued not only for its beautiful appearance, but also for the fact that it contains a large amount of useful substances.

Veronica belongs to the Plantain family. About five hundred species of this plant are known. Grown as a perennial or annual. You can also find a semi-shrub. It is widely found in various countries around the world, especially in regions with a cool climate.

Today Veronica is also known by other popular names. In everyday life, it is most often called a snake, snake grass, Verenikov grass, goat's face, cyanosis, consumables, borage, forget-me-not, paleika and many others.

Veronica refers to ground cover plants. Therefore, it is often planted in flower beds together with other brighter flowers.

The roots of a plant, depending on its species, are thin and long, or vice versa, thick and short; in some representatives of the genus, the root system has a filamentous structure.

The aerial part is represented by straight or creeping stems, the height of which can be from two centimeters to one and a half meters. The leaves on the stem are opposite or alternate, there are specimens with leaves arranged in whorls. The shape of the leaves is quite diverse, but very beautiful, they are painted green, less often gray.

Delicate openwork flowers are painted in blue (natural tone), white, pink, blue, purple hue (obtained through the painstaking work of breeders). Small flowers are collected in inflorescences, which can be in the form of a spikelet, umbrella or panicle. The flowering period is long and depends on the variety that grows in the garden. A skillful combination of which will delight the eye with bright colors throughout the spring-autumn period.

Caring for Veronica is elementary simple. The Veronica plant is so unpretentious and hardy that it even fully recovers after trampling.

Description of popular species and varieties

The species diversity of the Veronica plant allowed breeders to adapt it for cultivation in a cultivated form in the garden and suburban areas, as well as to obtain a number of new varieties that surprise even more with their external data, but at the same time fully retained their medicinal qualities. Below is a description of the most popular species that are actively grown in open ground:

• Armenian Veronica is a perennial with a dissected leaf shape, blue flowers and a height of up to ten centimeters;

  

• Veronica Caucasian - also has dissected leaves, but the shade of flowers is more interesting. Lilac petals cover thin purple stripes;

  

• Veronica large - represented by rather large specimens with single stems and flowers collected in inflorescences of white, pink or blue;

  

• Gentian Veronica is a low-growing plant whose flowers bloom in early summer and bloom until autumn. Petals are painted white with blue stripes;

  

• Veronica woody has creeping stems of small size with gray-green leaves and pink flowers;

  

• Veronica Crimean grows up to twenty centimeters in height and has juicy green leaves and blue flowers that bloom from the first days of summer;

  

• Veronica filiform refers to spring flowers. She dissolves her inflorescence in mid-spring;

  

• Veronica gray is characterized by an unusual decorative appearance, as its leaves have a bluish tint, which is complemented by beautiful bright blue flowers;

  

• Veronica peduncle blooms with beautiful blue-blue inflorescences;

  

• Veronica longifolia is one of the tallest representatives of this genus. The height of its stems reaches one and a half meters. The inflorescences have a beautiful shape and a beautiful purple hue. One of the advantages of the plant is the flowering period. Long-leaved blooms all summer and the first half of September;

  

• Veronica officinalis or common, refers to perennial plants. Veronica officinalis is a ground cover plant with soft green leaves and light purple flowers, which can also have blue and pink hues.

  

All of the listed types of Veronica are also represented by a large number of decorative forms and varieties that are used to decorate gardens and parks.

We also note that Veronica long-leaved and ordinary is especially popular with gardeners, since these perennials, in addition to their beautiful appearance, have a huge range of healing properties.

Veronica longifolia is a natural antiseptic. It has high anti-inflammatory, wound healing, hemostatic, choleretic and antispasmodic properties. In folk medicine, Veronica longifolia is used in the form of decoctions, tinctures, powder from leaves and flowers. I use this herb for many ailments. In addition, Veronica longifolia is a good honey plant. Its varieties Blauriesen and Schneeriesen look great in group plantings in the garden and city parks.

Veronica vulgaris is a perennial herb that also has a lot of healing properties. This herb in alternative medicine is used for memory loss, diseases of the digestive system and urinary system. It is used as a medicine for women's diseases, inflammatory processes and colds. Also known recipes for the use of veronica in the treatment of cancerous tumors of the stomach.

But, let us once again remind you that any self-treatment can lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, before making a diagnosis and prescribing herbal treatment on your own, it is still worth getting professional advice from a specialist. After all, many herbs have individual intolerance and can be categorically contraindicated for use.

Cultivation and care

Veronica refers to absolutely unpretentious plants. Caring for her does not require much time or special efforts. Of course, cultivation has some of its own characteristics, which we will briefly consider now.

Veronica belongs to the sun-loving species, of course it will grow and develop in partial shade, but the decorative qualities will be lost. The flowers of the plant will be small and inconspicuous, and for some species they may be absent altogether. Therefore, landing should be carried out in an area where there will be enough sun. Under such conditions, the plants will not only fully develop their decorative qualities, but also retain their healing properties.

Caring for Veronica should include proper watering. The fact is that not all types of plants can tolerate drought well, some need moist soil for normal growth and development. Mountain views can do without long-term watering. Veronica ordinary, gentian, filiform, prostrate, long-leaved varieties need timely watering. But this should be done only after the topsoil has completely dried, no more than once every three weeks.

Perhaps the safe cultivation of Veronica in household plots and garden beds and without additional dressings. Since the plant is unpretentious, it has enough natural reserves of nutrients in the soil. In the case when the planting of decorative flowers was carried out in soil of low quality, then every two years it is recommended to add organic matter (fertilize the soil with cow manure or humus). This is best done in early spring.

Plant care must necessarily include care for the stems. Tall species need a garter, otherwise growing up to one and a half meters, straight stems begin to collapse on the sides, which does not add decorativeness to the shrubs. You also need to periodically remove faded inflorescences that spoil the appearance, new ones will appear in their place.

Many varieties of Veronica perfectly tolerate a decrease in air temperature to minus twenty-nine degrees and do not die. If your region has more severe winters or you have planted a more capricious species, then you need to cover the roots with peat or humus for the winter. Such care will not only protect the plant from the cold, but will also serve as additional feeding.

Growing Veronica is not difficult. The grass has good immunity and rarely suffers from diseases and pests.

What you can meet is downy mildew. When it is detected, flower beds should be treated with fungicidal preparations.

Veronica can also get the ring spot virus.

Among pests, caterpillars, scoops, moths, long-whiskered moths are most common. You can get rid of them with the help of insecticidal preparations.

Rarely, but even so, there are also nematodes that affect the root system. They are destroyed by special preparations of directed action, which are applied directly to the soil.

Reproduction methods

Self-cultivation of beautiful Veronica is unlikely to do without the desire to get more copies in your area. Make it simple. Veronica reproduces well in the following ways:

• dividing the bush;
• cuttings;
• seeds.

Most often, gardeners use the simplest way - this is the division of the bush. It allows you to get a 100% result at no extra cost. This procedure can be carried out at any warm time of the year, but it is preferable to choose early spring or late autumn, when Veronica does not bloom. Bushes are dug out of the ground and carefully divided into parts so that each part has a growing point. Then the delenki are planted in wet peat or sand for rooting and covered with a film or glass, if it is a group planting under a greenhouse, or with a glass jar, each planted part of the root. After ten to twelve days, the jars or film are removed. The first push was given and during this time the root went through the first adaptation and began to actively develop.

Propagation by cuttings is carried out in the summer. To do this, choose healthy stems and cut shoots up to ten centimeters long from them. Cuttings should be without tops and inflorescences. They are planted for rooting in boxes with wet sand or peat at an angle of seventy degrees to a depth of two centimeters, and then covered with glass. Cuttings should be regularly aired and watered periodically. The glass is removed when the first young leaves appear. Plant in open ground in the spring, when the soil has warmed up and the threat of night frost has passed.

Growing veronica from seeds is also perhaps the most uncomplicated process and therefore often used by gardeners.

There are two landing methods:

• spring;
• autumn.

Veronica seeds need preliminary stratification. If you plan to sow them in the fall, then they will go through this procedure in a natural way, after lying in the ground for the winter. And in the spring they will delight with friendly shoots.

Spring planting of seeds should be preceded by their forced stratification. To do this, they must be placed in the sand and kept for a month or even two at a temperature not exceeding five degrees. And only after that they are planted in the ground to a depth of no more than two centimeters, after watering and fertilizing the soil with humus. Top planting is recommended to be mulched with peat or humus.

Among such a huge number of species and varieties of Veronica, there are individual specimens about the reproduction of which is hardly worth thinking about. The fact is that some representatives of the genus have a high ability to germinate and can even compete with weeds in this. Any part of the stem of such a plant, falling into the soil, begins to actively take root and develop beautifully while maintaining maternal qualities.

Today, due to the high decorative characteristics of Veronica, it is actively used in landscape design, since the grass is a good honey plant, its breeding is welcomed by beekeepers. To all this, the high medicinal value of the plant is added.

Perhaps, many have met this flower in a meadow or forest clearing. Veronica plant is quite cute, has inflorescences of bluish or blue hues. Due to the fact that certain species are often found in nature, they cannot be found in garden plots.

It is considered a fairly well-known plant, varieties of which can be seen in different parts of the world. This is explained by unpretentiousness, its resistance to a dry period, which makes it possible to survive in many climatic zones.

The flower does not impose special requirements on the soil composition, it feels equally comfortable on sand, clay and even marsh soil. At first, the plant was considered an ornament of mountains and forests, a little later it began to be used as decorative flowers.

As soon as Veronica became a cultivated plant, it was taken as the basis for breeding new varieties used in horticulture. The flower has been known to humanity for a long time, as it is considered a plant with medicinal properties.

The most beautiful type of flower - Veronica Bolshaya. This is a perennial that forms thick shoots, the height of which reaches fifty, and sometimes seventy centimeters. Leaves are placed oppositely on them, resembling testicles with their jagged shapes.

A sparsely planted plant with its shoots forms darkish bushes resembling domes. With the end of spring and until the middle of the summer season, the top of such a bush turns bright blue.. This blooms a large number of flowers, the diameter of which does not exceed one and a half centimeters. Due to the beautiful appearance of the inflorescences, it is often called Royal Veronica.

The most famous varieties

From the huge number of popular types of flower, the following plants can be distinguished:

Medicinal

It grows in wooded areas. Distinctive features are undersized stems, creeping carpet. They have pale green leaves and purple inflorescences.

branched

The main habitat is mountainous terrain. It looks like low thickets covered with inflorescences of blue and pink shades.. This variety is demanding for care. It is difficult to tolerate drought, in winter it can freeze.

dubravnaya

It is found on the territory of Siberia, the mountains of the Caucasus, in European countries. Perennial plant of low growth, forms jagged leaves that remain green in the winter season. Veronica oakwood blooms in blue, blue and even pink shades.

small

The look is very unique. Its distinguishing features are short stature, small leaves, inflorescences of lilac and blue hues.. This variety is quite whimsical, only experienced gardeners are engaged in its cultivation;

woody

Perennial of low growth. Forms creeping stems covered with numerous foliage. In winter, without snow cover, it can freeze slightly.

Landing and care

Although the flower is unpretentious, it needs moderate watering. Too much moisture can cause it to die. Flower care is not difficult, any soil is suitable for planting.

Feels most comfortable at temperatures from 14 to 20 degrees Celsius.

A considerable number of varieties are known that can grow well in the dry season. Most plants need water in the spring, before flowering begins.. By the time the first inflorescences open, watering must be stopped.

Pruning is carried out after the flower has faded. This measure will be an excellent stimulant for the formation of young foliage.

Veronica reproduces in several ways:

• division of rhizomes;
• cuttings;
• seeds.

Growing such a flower, gardeners prefer the appropriate option.

Sowing is carried out in autumn. But it is possible to sow in the spring, if the seed fund is previously stratified.

Cuttings are recommended to be carried out in the summer. By this time, young stems are preparing. They are then placed in soil or water to allow roots to form. After that, the seedlings are allowed to be transferred to open ground.

The division of the rhizome is the most popular way of breeding veronica. The fact is that it does not imply costs, and the survival rate is high. This type of breeding is recommended in spring or autumn.

To begin with, the stems are removed, the bush is dug up. The roots are cut with a knife or spatula.

Divide the bush into equal parts so that there are at least three shoots on the first root. After completing the procedure, it is necessary to immediately land in the ground.

Useful qualities

The medicinal properties of the plant have been known since ancient times. Veronica has long been used as a remedy for various diseases.

Of particular value are the tops of the stems with leaves and inflorescences.. Harvesting is carried out with the onset of summer, when the peak of flowering is observed. Drying time must be reduced to a minimum, for which a temperature regime of forty degrees is created. This allows you to reduce losses, preserve the shade of colors. If everything is done correctly, then Veronica will retain healing properties for two years.

Besides, used as an ornamental plant to beautify the garden.

Veronica is grown today in any type of soil composition. But the plant feels best on loamy soil. He needs a sufficient amount of light, although shady areas are suitable for breeding.

Veronica longifolia: decoration and medicine

Veronica longifolia is a representative of a large family of plantains. In the wild, it grows in wetlands and near shrubs. In the steppes - near the banks of streams and canals. The plant attracts gardeners with its unpretentiousness. In addition, it is used for medical purposes.

Description

The lower small petals of Veronica grow together, thus forming a tube. The inflorescences below are fluffy, they can be in the form of spikelets or brushes. The color can be blue, blue, sometimes even pink or white. Veronica's root is long and creeping.

Source: Depositphotos

Veronica longifolia - unpretentious care garden flower

Popular types:

• Big. The height of the species is slightly more than 0.5 cm. The flowers are bright blue, collected in brushes.
• Gentian. Veronica of this variety has very few leaves and flowers are pale blue or white.
• Dubravnaya. A perennial plant reaches a height of 40 cm. There are two rows of small hairs on the stem. The leaves have a rounded shape, reach a length of 3 cm. The flowers on the plant are bright blue and large. The roots are thin and creeping.
• Kolosovaya. It has single stems, flowers are purple and white. The plant blooms for a month and a half.
• Medicinal. A perennial herb that blooms all summer. Flowers blue or pink.
• Filiform. Perennial very small grass - plant height 5 cm. It begins to bloom in April and ends in June. It has thin stems and light green rounded leaves. Flowers are usually light blue or white. Gardeners use this species to create a "carpet".
• Field. An annual plant 30 cm high. Flowering begins in May - June. Small flowers of a blue or white shade, collected in fluffy brushes.

Almost all perennial species are resistant to low temperatures and calmly survive the winter. But some types of Veronica still need to be covered with spruce branches for the winter. This includes Veronica branched.

Planting and breeding methods

The flower is unpretentious and undemanding to the soil. But it is better to plant the plant on light, with a neutral level of acidity, the soil. Although all types of Veronica love moisture, they can also endure a short drought. The main thing to consider when planting Veronica is lighting. She loves a lot of light, but is not afraid of light partial shade.

Source: Depositphotos

A site with strong shading is not suitable for planting a plant.

Propagation with seeds. You need to sow the seeds in the fall, they will bloom only after a couple of years. If you want to plant in the spring, then you need to stratify the seeds:

1. Pour drainage and substrate into the pot.
2. Gently spread the seeds on the surface and sprinkle with earth.
3. Do not pour water on them - just spray with a spray bottle.
4. Make holes in the bag and cover the pot with it.
5. Keep three weeks in a cool room or refrigerator.
6. Then rearrange for a couple of weeks in a warm and lit place.

Propagation of cuttings. This is the most convenient way. To do this, choose only young branches. Put them in water, and in about two weeks they will have a root system. After that, plant the young plant in the soil in your area.

Reproduction by dividing the bush. In this way, propagate veronica in early spring. Divide the shoots with a developed root system and plant them in different holes.

plant care

Veronica does not tolerate a drop in temperature - signs of development of powdery mildew immediately appear on its foliage.

Remember the main rules for care:

• In too hot weather, water the plant regularly and abundantly.
• Cut off the shoots when all the buds wither. After that, an active growth of shoots will begin. It turns out that in this way you rejuvenate the plant.

Veronica blooms and develops well, despite the conditions and degree of care for her. But, when you choose a place for her, remember that the flower has a fragrant smell. So there will be a lot of bees.

The use of veronica in medicine

When the plant begins to bloom, pick off the stems and dry. Then pour boiling water over the grass and leave for a couple of hours. For one teaspoon of Veronica, use a glass of boiling water. This infusion helps to get rid of cough and shortness of breath. Also, if you have a sore throat or laryngitis, drink the infusion four times a day and gargle.

Also, Veronica's infusion on alcohol can cure skin and nail fungus. To do this, smear the affected areas with medicine in the morning and evening, and soon you will forget about the fungus. It is better to store the tincture in the refrigerator.

Veronica longifolia contains choleretic properties and substances that promote wound healing

Make a powder from fresh veronica flowers and leaves - it is good for sweaty feet and diaper rash. You can also cure lichen by making poultices with this powder.

Landscape designers love Veronica longifolia, not only because it is an unpretentious plant. She also decorates the garden with her blue flowers and looks great in flower beds, rockeries and alpine slides. Gardeners also plant Veronica because it can be used in medicine.

Veronica is an unpretentious plant that does not require much physical effort for its cultivation. Flower growers grow it both to decorate flower beds and for medicinal purposes. There are more than 500 species for decorative floriculture. This plant can be an annual, perennial, and even shrub species. Under favorable weather conditions and proper care, it blooms from early to late summer. At the same time, the plant is not at all afraid of trampling, and if this happens, the stems and leaves quickly straighten.

Veronika belongs to the Podorozhnikov class, but is completely unlike her representative. But it has signs of nettle and bluebell.

There are three main ways to grow a flower. This is seeds, we divide the bush or prepare cuttings.

Seeds are prepared and sown if it is necessary to grow a healthy varietal bush. Sowing is carried out in the fall directly into the ground or in the spring we prepare seedlings for planting in the ground. If the seedlings have sprouted too densely, it is necessary to thin out, leaving a distance between the bushes of 20-50 cm. For tall species, we create even larger gaps of 50-80 cm.

Before planting the plants, the seedlings are hardened by spending a long time on the street or on the balcony.

The fastest and most convenient way of reproduction can be considered the division of the bush. To do this, cut off a few sprouts with a knife or a shovel and plant them in a new place. The distance between plants of high varieties is 50 cm, lower ones 40 cm and 30 cm for small ones. It is better to do this in early spring and then the flower will please with its flowering in the same year. You can do everything in the fall, but after the flowering of Veronica.

When propagated by cuttings, shoots up to 10 cm are cut and placed in water for germination. Greenhouse conditions are also created by covering the cuttings with jars or cut plastic bottles with the hole up. After the roots appear, they are planted in the ground. It is better to do this in August, so that the stalk is strengthened in the ground and can already bloom next season.

Of course, both cuttings and ready-made sprouts separated from the bush, as well as seedlings - all require watering after planting.

Varieties of planting material and popular varieties

Veronica's huge variety of species has made it popular in landscape design. These are Allioni, Alpine, Armenian, Austrian. It is ground cover, tall, evergreen. Flowers can be white, blue, purple. To choose the right plant for your flower garden, you need to determine the conditions of the site.

If Veronica is purchased for a rock garden or rockery, then a short variety is well suited, and tall species are perfect for mixborders. One of the popular varieties is Veronica Bolshaya. It grows 50-70 cm in height. It blooms in mid-summer with fluffy inflorescences. Veronica spikelet flowers are shaped like candles. Their height does not exceed 30 cm. It is also worth noting such varieties as:

• medicinal,
• branched,
• dubravnaya,
• Small.

Almost all of them are blue in color. New hybrid varieties are available with white and bright purple buds.

Landing and care

This flower belongs to the unpretentious type, but moderate watering will not harm it. Especially in dry spring before flowering. Watering is recommended to be done with warm settled water. Excess moisture can lead to the death of the plant.

Herbaceous sprawling species do not tolerate drought, stop blooming and may die. Tall varieties tolerate heat easily. Veronica gray-haired survives if it loses most of the moisture. The most resistant to drought is small-fruited. Filamentous, gentian, prostrate speedwells love damp soil, but they also tolerate dry times. Any beginner florist can easily cope with the care of this plant.

Absolutely any soil is suitable, but loamy soils are better. The flower feels great in open sunny areas, but it also copes well with shading. It should be said that the shade and partial shade will not allow all the decorative properties of the plant to be revealed.

When the flower fades, it is pruned to make the flower beds attractive. Pruning also gives impetus to the growth of fresh foliage.

Veronica requires almost no fertilizer or top dressing. If the soil is very poor, this can be done once every two to three years.

You need to feed with organic fertilizers in the form of peat, manure.

Wintering

Veronica tolerates frost well and does not need shelter. Peat or humus can be added to the roots, which will only improve the quality of the soil, and the ground part is cut off completely.

Branched and woody species require protection from extreme cold.

Neighborhood with other colors

A flower looks beautiful with different plants in a flower bed: roses, lilies, daisies. It looks good and elegant in a fully finished flower garden, fits into it. It is also good in the design of the banks of reservoirs and small ponds. Veronica brook grows on water and floats on the surface. A small disadvantage of tall flowers is that they must be tied up so that the bush looks aesthetically pleasing and beautiful. Undersized ones are updated by removing faded inflorescences and the appearance of fresh ones, which give the flower an attractive look all season.

Diseases and pests

Veronica is a disease and pest resistant plant. The threat to the flower will be downy mildew, which appears during prolonged rains and high air temperatures. If this happens, the shoots are removed completely.

Veronica arable is subject to a viral disease of raspberries, ring spot. Occasionally, caterpillars of scoops and moths can attack. Caterpillars are especially fond of young shoots and foliage.

Increasing soil temperature, stopping watering, and regular maintenance (weeding) help control pests. This flower loves aphids and nematodes. The plant is treated with insecticides according to the instructions. Dried inflorescences are removed from decay, which prevents the disease.

In eronicas - magnificent universal plants, ranked among the best herbaceous perennials from among partners. They are equally beautiful and green, and flowering. Being both the main competitor and a good companion for sage and Kotovnikov , a true decoration of rocky gardens, veronica captivates with a combination of high decorativeness with endurance and undemanding care. This plant fits perfectly into a garden of any style and composition of any size.

Perennial veronicas - hardy generalists

Veronicas are not large, but prominent garden perennials. Among them there are both turf forms and carpet plants. But all veronicas are characterized by equally attractive greenery and flowering. About what the name Veronica means, disputes are still ongoing. Some botanists associate the Latin name with Saint Veronica, others with the medicinal properties of Veronica vulgaris and translate it as “real medicine”. But be that as it may, veronicas are unique cultures in all their talents. ▲

Veronicas are herbaceous perennials and subshrubs that form dense clumps or cushion-like rugs with numerous straight or outstretched shoots. The root system is powerful, fibrous. Simple or pinnate, rounded or lanceolate leaves are always sessile, collected in whorls or arranged in pairs and alternately on shoots, creating a dense cushion of greenery. But their size can be large, up to 10 cm, and almost needle-shaped. As a rule, very bright shades of dark green color are characteristic of veronicas. Veronica flowering is typical for partner soddy perennials. Spikelets or narrow racemes of inflorescences bloom on the tops of the main and side shoots. The flowers are small, consist of free corolla petals at the top and fused at the bottom. In different types of Veronica, the limb of the corolla can be both wheel-shaped and two-lipped. Despite its medium-sized size, not only a bright spot in the center of the pharynx, but also a pistil with an elongated column, and only 2 stamens stand out brightly on the flower. After flowering ▲ two-celled fruit boxes are tied, hiding very small seeds.

The flowering period of veronicas falls on a fairly long period from May to the end of summer. Most species bloom just at the beginning of summer, as if bringing islands of coolness in the first hot days.

The color range of perennial veronica is limited to cold shades of the spectrum. The plant is valued as one of the most beautiful blue and purple-colored crops, but snow-white, pink, and blue colors are also found in Veronica.

Growing and planting conditions

It is difficult to find a perennial more undemanding than garden speedwell, planting and caring for which is not difficult. The only thing that the plant makes at least some strict requirements for is the intensity of lighting. Without exception, Veronica perennials are light-loving crops. And the place for them needs to be selected only sunny and diffusely light.

But in everything that concerns the soil, garden veronica is unpretentious. This plant grows well in the usual "average" garden soil - processed and fairly loose. Veronica gentian prefers moist soil, but Veronica spikelet, Austrian and other carpet species are content with any, even the most meager stony soil. Only veronica spikelet is sensitive to the reaction of the soil, which grows only in stony calcareous soils. High soil fertility is undesirable, average indicators are sufficient, but veronica grows quite successfully on poor soil.

Planting Veronica for many years will not cause difficulties. The plant is planted in individual pits, in arrays - in grooves, setting it while maintaining the same growth depth or a little deeper and watering abundantly after filling the planting pits with soil. Immediately after planting, it is advisable to mulch the plants.

Wintering Veronica

Without exception, all perennial veronicas are crops with high frost resistance and do not need to be prepared for winter, and even more so in shelter even in the first year after planting. Only in rock gardens on a hill in windy places is a light preventive shelter useful in case of snowless winters.

Reproduction of Veronica

Veronica perennial is an easy-to-breed culture, the planting material of which is quite easy to obtain. You can propagate this perennial:
- dividing bushes in early spring, at the stage of unfolding leaves or in August (bushes can be cut into both large and small divisions with at least 3 shoots, completely cutting off the aerial part before digging and separating plants with stumps);
- by cuttings (for rooting under a cap, the tops of young shoots that grow after pruning are cut);
- seeds (sowing seeds is carried out on seedling beds in the fall, plants will bloom only in the second year).

Types and varieties of Veronica

The genus Veronica unites about three hundred plant species that are found almost all over the globe, but the favorite perennial species that are used in landscape design came to us from the Mediterranean and Europe.

A little less than two dozen perennial speedwells are grown as ornamental plants.

Widespread types:

(Veronica chamaedrys) is a very beautiful perennial plant that grows rapidly thanks to creeping roots. The stems are ascending, from 10 to 40 cm in height, the leaves are ovate, with a beautiful jagged edge and velvety pubescence, making the intense green color even brighter. Loose racemes of inflorescences consist of large, blue or blue flowers. Blooms in May-June.

Veronica spiky or spike(Veronica spicata) is a symbol of the whole genus and one of the most beautiful sod garden perennials. Dense bushes up to 40 cm high conquer with rather large, lanceolate or rounded leaves. The shoots are strong, crowned with thick brushes of inflorescences up to 10 cm long. The bright blue color contrasts perfectly with the muted velvety greens. There are varieties with purple, lilac, pink and white color. Flowering of Veronica spikelet lasts up to 45 days and starts in June. Examples of varieties: Heideking, Barcarolla, Unique Baby (a series of varieties), Iceicle.

(Veronica filiformis) is the most famous and underestimated of the ground cover speedwells. With a height of up to 5 cm, this perennial is distinguished by a delicate light green color of small rounded leaves and the thinnest long shoots that form green lace on the soil. Flowers solitary, on long pedicels, blue and thinly veined or blue-white. This veronica blooms early, as early as April, but is able to bloom until the beginning of summer. This species is often considered a weed, but when controlled, it can create stunning carpets.

(Veronica longifolia) - widely used by landscapers, usually in a group planting. In the nature of Russia is widespread. Settles in damp places, mainly in forests. The area includes many countries of Europe, Asia, the Caucasus. The stems reach one and a half meters or lower. The leaves are collected in 3-4, arranged alternately, elongated, lanceolate, up to 15 cm. The inflorescence-brush can consist of several hundred 3-4 mm flowers, its total length reaches a quarter of a meter. Veronica longifolia is also known as a medicinal plant and is used by folk and Tibetan healers. It has many ornamental varieties, for example, Royal Pink, Evelyn, Blaurizin, Schneerizin, Antarctica, Plamoza (a series of varieties).

Also in the design of the garden use these types of perennial veronica:

Veronica branched, or bushy,(Veronica fruticans) - a very beautiful ground cover species, develops in the form of a pillow from low creeping shoots and leathery lanceolate leaves. The flowers sit in racemes on very long pedicels, conquer either bright blue or pink with purple streaks. Flowering begins in June.

(Veronica austriaca) - a tall and very showy species that forms dense clump bushes from 30 to 70 cm high. Upright shoots are hidden under bright, pinnate-lanceolate leaves. The flowers almost hide the shrub under them from May to July. Asymmetrical flowers with a dazzling bright blue-lilac color sit in 2-4 pieces. in the lateral brushes, together creating a kind of cloud.

(Veronica gentianoides) - one of the most powerful and spectacular species for flower beds and flower beds. At a height of up to half a meter, the bushes still resemble pillows. Leaves in dense basal rosettes are replaced by a slightly leafy crown. The inflorescences are tall, spike-shaped, loose, of blue, pale, decorated with bright dark blue veins. Flowering Veronica gentian lasts up to 3 weeks in June.

(Veronica stelleri) is a medium-sized but beautiful species up to 25 cm high, forming lacy hemispheres of curtains. The leaves are dark, densely arranged, the inflorescences are loose heads that seem to hover over a curly bush and form a haze of dark purple or white.

Veronica thyme(Veronica serpyllifolia) - also a medium-sized, surprisingly wild-looking perennial up to 25 cm high with greenery resembling thyme and delicate watercolor flowers, the veins on which can be viewed endlessly.

(Veronica surculosa) is a miniature, cushion-forming species with greyish hairs and mauve flowers, forming curly dense mats and blooming relentlessly from May to July.

(Veronica peduncularis) - a profusely flowering carpet species that forms a dense lacy turf and fully reveals its beauty only when grown on elevations, like a semi-ampel hanging from boulders or walls, with rich small leaves and bright blue-ultramarine flowers with a white eye. This species blooms in early May.

(Veronica armena) is a very dense, dense densely sod perennial with recumbent or ascending, thin, gradually woody rough shoots up to 10 cm long, forming a thick cushion. Pinnately dissected leaves with needle-shaped lobes change color from dark to bluish green. Very fragrant inflorescences-brushes bloom in the middle of the rally, consist of blue or lilac flowers, few-flowered, glow on the surface of the carpet.

Veronica Caucasian(Veronica caucasica) - a similar carpet species up to 20 cm high with pinnately dissected needle-like foliage and small racemes of inflorescences on filiform peduncles with lanceolate petals and a blue color with lilac stripes. This veronica blooms in early summer.

(Veronica prostrata) is a beautiful gray-green carpet perennial with shoots capable of rooting at the nodes, lanceolate leaves and dense racemes of purple flowers, under which greenery is often not visible.

In the design of reservoirs, two more types of veronica are used - veronica key(Veronica anagallis-aquatica), a creeping plant with lanceolate leaves and loose racemes of numerous pale blue flowers, and Veronica entrusted, or flow,(Veronica beccabunga) - a species with fleshy large leaves and charming brushes of inflorescences.

Use in garden design

Representatives of perennial species of the genus Veronica are not accidentally called one of the most versatile perennials. Veronicas, whose species differ in size, but not in their ability to grow, are valued primarily as cultures that can fill gaps and clearings, form continuous plantings in decorative compositions.

Low species, in particular, oak veronica in the garden, offer not only to admire the beauty of textures and flowering, but also to use universal perennials to create a stunningly beautiful and dense cover. Veronica can be used both in the foreground of flower beds and between solo plants as a universal filler. There will be a place for veronicas in flower beds, and in discounts, and in landscape groups, and in arrays or spots of various sizes.

Most veronicas are indispensable sustainable perennials for decorating rocky gardens - from ordinary alpine hills to retaining walls and terraces, landscaping slopes, decorating rockeries. Veronica's greenery perfectly emphasizes the beauty of scree, gravel, and large boulders.

These perennials are also suitable as a masker, hiding communications and unsightly places in the garden, and for decorating the edge of a lawn or flower beds. Veronicas are also used in borders, subject to mandatory pruning to control growth. It is difficult to imagine a plant that would look better at stairs and multi-level transitions.

Certain types of perennial veronica - brook or gentian - are used to decorate reservoirs near the coastline.

It is very easy to pick up partners for Veronica Sadovaya. Perennial veronicas go well with bluebells, cornflowers, primroses, garden geraniums, catnip, sage, milkweed, gravel, saxifrage, stonecrop, all kinds of carnations. They perfectly reveal the beauty of roses and other flowering shrubs.