Night violet - planting and care. Application and useful properties of the evening party

Choosing decorative plants for their garden that can give the site a unique, memorable appearance, summer residents often pay attention to lushly flowering species. Therefore, in the light of day, flowerbeds and front gardens delight with bright colors and aromas, and with the onset of twilight, the corollas are closed, the smells are dispelled. But at night such a garden loses its charm and its former charm. And all because for most flowering crops, pollinators are insects. It is for their attraction that flowers tear off variegated corollas and spread their fragrance.

And yet there are plants which, having planted in the garden, you can enjoy the stupefying aromas all night. One of them is the night violet flower familiar to many gardeners. Under this popular name, two related cultures belonging to the cruciferous family are grown on the flower beds.

These are hesperis and matthiola, fully revealing their corollas in the evening and all night spreading a very pleasant smell around the neighborhood. Plants, very similar in type and structure of flowers, have a very unpretentious disposition and a long history of growing in the gardens of Europe and our country.

None of the plants is biologically related to the species with respect to viola, uzambara and horned, grown as indoor and garden crops. Violets are called flowers due to the gamut and shape of the corollas that once fell into the culture of cruciferous plants.

Hesperis - night violet for a beautiful garden

If a person unfamiliar with the plant looks at the hesperis, obeying the first impulse, he will certainly compare the flower with. Plants form the same dense curtains with tall erect stems decorated with large lilac, pink or white inflorescences. Here are just simple phlox corollas combining five petals, and the hesperis, or night violet, as in the photo, has only four, which fully corresponds to the characteristics of plants from the cruciferous family.

In Russia, hesperis among gardeners is known as an evening party or night violet and, as in the photo, varieties of this culture can reveal flowers of white and lilac hue.

The species that came from Europe gained popularity in our country two centuries ago, and in France and the Mediterranean countries the hesperis became famous as a decorative and medicinal plant in the Middle Ages.

Group plantings are especially beautiful, while the cultivation of violets does not require special skills and even beginners in floriculture can do it. Unfortunately, recently summer residents have lost interest in this culture, which once created a unique atmosphere in the landscape parks of Russian estates and country estates until the beginning of the 20th century.

Under the name Vespers, nocturnal violet or Hesperis flower unites about 30 related subspecies, some of which found a place on and in the parks. Some representatives of the species grow in Asia Minor and the Caucasus. Moreover, under favorable conditions, the hesperis is a perennial herbaceous plant found almost everywhere in the wild, from roadsides to forest edges and the banks of water bodies.

In culture, night violet is grown as a biennial, which allows to achieve the most magnificent and even flowering of plants.

Hesperis stems covered with simple lanceolate leaves reach a height of 90 cm. The foliage is pubescent with small sparse hairs, attached to the shoots on short strong petioles. The lower the soil, the larger the size of the leaf plates, while the largest leaves can exceed 12 cm in length and reach 4 cm in width.

Inflorescences are quite dense, in the form of a brush or hat. Flowers of all varieties of violets, as in the photo, open from the periphery to the center. In some cases, the length of the brush reaches 20-30 cm. The flowers themselves are small, symmetrical. Corolla diameter from 1 to 2 cm.

The first buds open in May, and then the hesperis blooms almost without a break until mid-July. In place of the flowers, narrow oblong pods appear in which small seeds of brown or brown color ripen. If the peduncles are not cut, the ripening seeds spill out and are able to produce young shoots next year.

Despite the night opening of the corollas and the fragrance of the flowers of the night violet, it is a photophilous plant. But the direct rays of the sun are harmful to the hesperis, it is much better to plant branches in partial shade.

How to take care of violets so that the evening party delights with flowering and heady aroma? A plant needs light, well-drained soil that provides good nutrition to the crop. The best flowering is observed on slightly alkaline or neutral soil. During the growth and set of flowers, night violets provide good watering, but do not forget that stagnation of moisture does not affect the plant in the best way. But even in the absence of water, one does not have to wait for plentiful flowering.

Nevertheless, the cultivation of hesperis is very affordable and not burdensome. For tall varieties of violets, as in the photo, provide backwater. And for repeated flowering, you only need to timely cut off the fading flower stalks that take away from the plants.

Growing violets is akin to the agricultural technology of other biennials. Plants are propagated by seeds, which are sown for seedlings at home, and then transplanted into the ground. It is also possible to sow in film greenhouses right on the site, this will allow seedlings to take root faster and more painlessly.

Shoots appear after 20-30 days, when the soil warms up to 18 degrees. Plants that have formed three true leaves dive, and at the end of summer they are planted in a permanent place. By this time, the sockets are fully formed and will easily survive the winter. Between the plants of night violets, it is better to leave an interval of 25-30 cm.

Wintering curtains, if there is not enough snow on the site, cover with non-woven material or sprinkle with needles.

Mattiola: how to grow and properly care for violets

Like vespers, matthiola belongs to the cruciferous family and spreads its aroma in the evenings over the garden. The genus was first discovered and described back in the 16th century and was named in honor of the famous Italian doctor and botanist Pietro Mattioli.

Today, botanists have identified about five dozen species of this night violet, in the photo, growing in the Mediterranean region, in the North of Africa and Asia, in the countries of Central Europe and even in Russia.

The species contains both annual and perennial crops of various shapes and sizes. Matthiola or night violet is familiar to gardeners by a different name - Levka, which was an unusually popular ornamental plant several decades ago. But, it turns out that levkoys can be found not only in flower beds, but also in the wild.

For example, in the Don region, in the Voronezh region and in the environs of Rostov-on-Don, the left-smelling odorant grows - a rare perennial plant included in the Red Book. In appearance, this sort of violet, as in the photo, does not produce the impression of a decorative one. Stems up to 40 cm high are very pubescent, a rosette of narrow bluish leaves is noticeable near the ground, and the flowers are very small and dim.

But the garden levkoy or matthiola gray from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the south of France and the Canary Islands is a real decoration of the garden, especially if the grower is engaged in the cultivation of terry violets.

In nature, very few are matthiols. They are unpretentious and easy to care for when they get into the garden.

In the middle zone, night violets of this species are cultivated as annual plants, forming stems from 20 to 80 cm in height during the season. Usually the shoots are densely covered with narrow, dense leaves, which, depending on the variety and type, can be smooth or pubescent, green or silver-gray.

Terry varieties of violets are especially decorative and attractive to gardeners, as in the photo. Such plants, like Mattiola with simple flowers, smell wonderful, suitable for cutting and use for landscaping.

In one inflorescence, sometimes from 15 to 40 buds are combined. If a simple corolla consists of four petals, then in the terry pompom of a night violet, in the photo, they can be counted up to seven dozen. The brush continues to remain decorative until three weeks. After the flowers wither, in their place there appear narrow fruits similar to pods of hesperis, inside of which many small seeds ripen.

In addition to the left-handed, on Russian flower gardens you can see Mattiola the bicorn, originally from the Adriatic coast and Asia Minor.

This night violet has been grown since the 16th century, and during this time breeders have obtained many varieties that give florists fragrant inflorescences of lilac, burgundy, pink, white and yellowish hue. Matthiola has erect, smooth or, depending on the variety, covered with felt, stems. Their height is from 20 to 50 cm. The leaves, like that of related species, are oblong, often whole, growing to the base of the rosette.

Violet cultivation begins in May, when the time comes for sowing small seeds of this annual crop. The first sprouts become noticeable after 8-14 days, and flowering begins after another two or three months.

To bring the desired appearance of buds closer, night violet is planted with seedlings, sowing seeds in the second half of April. The development of the sprouts is best done in a light substrate at a temperature of 17 ° C to 20 ° C. The grown plants are planted in the soil, observing an interval of 10-15 cm.

Proper care of the violet consists in regular plentiful watering, monthly top dressing of growing clumps, weeding and pruning of dry flower stalks.

Weeding is especially important at the initial stage, until the matthiol sockets have grown. When watering, you can not allow overflow of flower beds, and long drying. Fertilizers can be taken complex, for decorative crops.

The greatest effect of the plant can be achieved using matthiola in group plantings or mixing several varieties of night violets on one flower bed. In this case, such a corner of the garden will be especially attractive not only for nocturnal insects, but also for people.

Hesperis Video

Vespers Matrona differs in small flowers that look a bit like violets. This is probably why another name for this flower is night violet. The official name of the plant is hesperis. It is important to know that the evening party can cause an allergic reaction, so all work with it is best done with gloves.

Translated from Latin, Hesperis (Hesperis) means evening. The fact is that night violet in the late hours of the day exudes a pleasant aroma, and therefore it is simply impossible to confuse the plant with others. The matron's evening party blooms with purple or white buds. Homeland is Russia and the Mediterranean. Grows in areas for 2 seasons, after which transplantation or reproduction is necessary.

The night violet of the evening of Matrona takes root well in the gardens and does not need special care. For planting, light fertile soils should be chosen. It is desirable that the soil was slightly alkaline and pass air well. At the same time, peat should not be added to the ground: it slows down the growth of hesperis. Also, the soil should not accumulate water, otherwise the plant will rot.

Hesperis has very short roots. In this regard, the hole for planting should be dug no deeper than 15 cm. Be sure to put filler from humus, sand and soddy ground at the bottom.

Vespers Matrona well tolerates both direct sunlight and partial shade. Experienced gardeners recommend choosing a place to plant under the crown of trees. At a well-defined location, the plant blooms mainly from the end of May to July.

When caring for hesperis, it is important to observe the following rules:

1 During flowering, the stems sharply begin to grow in height. In this regard, they need support and tying.
2 The flower loves moist soil, and therefore requires regular watering. In a particularly hot period, drying of the soil should not be allowed, otherwise the plant will stop flowering. With the onset of cold weather, the number of irrigations is reduced.
3 Vespers of Matrona grows very quickly, and therefore it is necessary to protect it from weeds and loosen the soil as often as possible. If you don’t prune unnecessary stems in time, the plant can turn into a weed, which will then be difficult to get rid of.
4 Timely remove faded flowers and yellowed stems.

Hesperis is loved by gardeners for being a frost-resistant plant and does not need additional shelter for the winter. However, in conditions of a cold, but snowless winter, it is advisable to cover the roots with leaves or spruce branches. In spring, plants should be cleaned of weeds, rotted stems, etc.

Feeding, transplanting and reproduction

Night violet does not need constant fertilizer. Before feeding, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the soil from weeds. During the period of active growth, 2 times use mineral fertilizer. In addition, in summer, organic compounds can be added to the soil.

The plant is transplanted after two years. The best time to move is the end of August and the beginning of September. In this case, the soil must be well moistened, and lay out the drainage layer on the bottom. A distance of at least 30 cm should be observed between the bushes.

Under favorable conditions, hesperis is able to reproduce independently. Basically, the seedling method is used. For this, seeds are collected from faded inflorescences and stored in a dry place until the beginning of April. Then seeds are poured into prepared containers and covered with a mixture of humus and peat. In this case, the layer of the mixture should not exceed 1 cm. Seeds should be carefully compacted, and the soil should be well moistened.

After all the manipulations, the containers are covered with a film and kept at an air temperature of at least + 20 ° C. The first sprouts can be expected in 3 weeks. The development of seedlings depends on proper watering. The soil must be moistened, but an excess of water in the ground is not allowed. Seedlings can be transferred to open ground after the appearance of 3 leaves.

To quickly adapt the flower to the ground, it should be regularly watered, and the soil should be loosened. This will give air access to the roots, which will lead to the rapid growth of stems. The night violet will bloom the next year after planting. Hesperis can be transported to the open ground in the fall. This will lead to the spread of plants in the garden. Typically, experienced gardeners produce seed propagation after melting snow and before the first frost.

Some experts propagate a terry evening party by dividing the bush. To do this, in early September, you must carefully dig a plant from the ground and divide it into several parts. It is very important not to damage the roots and stems of the plant. Then the parts should be planted in the prepared soil. They are recommended to be insulated for the winter with leaves. Usually, after such a transplant, the flower takes root well in a new place and gives an abundant seed crop.

Possible difficulties

Night beauty is rarely susceptible to disease and pest attacks. Occasionally, caterpillars can eat lower leaves. In this case, it is necessary to spray the plant with special chemicals. Cruciferous fleas often appear on the flowers, which are easily removed by the pressure of water from the hose. Slugs and keels are also destroyed by chemicals.

The most common cause of death of a flower is non-compliance with watering rules. Due to excessive moisture in the soil, the roots of the evening party rot quickly and it dies. Due to a lack of water, the plant begins to dry out, the leaves turn yellow, and the inflorescences fall off. In winter, the roots of the hesperis can rot during snowmelt. To prevent this, it is recommended to lay the drainage layer on the bottom, as well as mulch the roots.

Experts recommend that in the spring thoroughly loosen the soil, remove all weeds, replace the mulch. In order to prevent the occurrence of pests, the flower can be sprayed with special means for cruciferous plants.

In general, with proper watering, timely weed removal and regular transplanting, night violet will delight gardeners with beautiful flowering and a pleasant aroma.

Night violet (hesperis) is a two-year-old plant native to Greece and Asia Minor. Grows in the Caucasus, the Mediterranean, Western Siberia, the European part of Russia.

The stem of the flower is erect, 40-50 cm long, covered with glandular villi. The leaves are serrated, small, bare, sharp and linear. The flowers are simple or double, up to two centimeters in diameter, pale lilac or purple.

Night Violet (Hesperis)

The plant has a pleasant aroma, intensifying in rainy weather and at night (evening) time of day. That is why the flower was called the evening party or night violet.

Mattiols bloom in late May flowering time - 1-1.5 months, depending on weather conditions: in a hot dry period - much less. Small, grayish-brown matthiola seeds retain their germination for 2-3 years and are located in a small pod, 6 cm long.

The night violet propagates perfectly by self-sowing, so in order to prevent your flower beds from overgrowing, it is recommended to thin them out periodically (every 2-3 years).

Evening party. Cultivation and care

Night violet is a unpretentious flower, it feels great both in semi-shaded areas and in places well-lit by the sun. The plant prefers well-drained slightly alkaline or neutral enriched soils. . During the period of active vegetation, it is necessary to carefully monitor watering. Vespers do not tolerate drought, but at the same time moisture stagnation and waterlogging cannot be allowed. Watering should be frequent, but not excessive. To avoid lodging high stems, the plant can be tied up.

Night violet has good frost resistance and does not need any additional shelter in the winter. An exception may be snowy frosty winters - then the flower must be covered.

Breeding

The evening party propagates well by self-sowing, but if you do not yet have a flower bed with violets, and you really want to get it, you can try to propagate the seedlings. To do this, in early April, place the seeds in small containers, sprinkling them directly on the surface of the soil. Then sprinkle a small layer (up to 1 cm) of peat-humus on top, condense, moisten and cover the container with plastic wrap. At a temperature of +20 ° C, seedlings will appear in 2-3 weeks. Providing seedlings with good watering, but without stagnation of moisture, you will very soon get healthy plants with 2-3 real leaves. Now the flowers are ready for planting in the open ground.

The plants transplanted into the garden also need regular watering and loosening of the soil in order to provide open air access to the root system. By the end of summer, powerful and very thick leaf sockets will appear on the flowerbedthat will begin to bloom in spring.

In subsequent years, you can leave one plant from the group for self-sowing.

Before sowing, organic fertilizers should be added to the soil.

The following varieties exist:

"Star Light". A plant with a fairly high stem (up to 50 cm) and flowers of various colors.
"Evening scent." A rather spectacular plant 45 cm high with an intensely branching stem. Exudes a unique aroma and blooms profusely.

Diseases and Pests

Regular waterlogging of the soil can lead to decay of the root system and possible death of the plant. If you notice any lesions on the leaflets - immediately remove diseased specimens until the infection has spread further.

Night violet can get sick with keel (root disease), which is common for all cruciferous. In this case, the affected plants must be destroyed (burned), and the soil should be lime and treated with special means.

In dry weather, a cruciferous flea may appear on the flowers. Its presence is determined by the formation of small holes on the leaves. To get rid of the pest, it is necessary to grind wood ash into dust and sprinkle plants and soil around it.

When white butterflies (cabbage butterflies) appear, the violet should be treated twice with insecticides (Fury, Tsimbush, Kinmins, Arrivo).

Application and useful properties of the evening party

Night violet is perfect for landscaping loggias and balconies, it feels great near the house on flower beds and beds. Insofar as matthiola well adjacent to brightly flowering plants (for example, calendula), you can make original fragrant-smelling compositions in your garden or on the balcony.

In the garden, it is better to plant matthiol in groups of 5-10 plants, at a distance of 35-45 cm from each other. And then in late spring, when the plants bloom together in your garden voluminous spots appear and the impression is created that a fragrant lilac fog has frozen over the flowerbed.

In addition, the plant is widely used in folk medicine.

From the seeds of violet night receive the following substances:

cardenolides;
steroids;
alkaloids;
digitoxyside;
glycobiovihozide;
biovihoside.

In pharmacology, the plant is used as a diuretic, cardiotonic. The leaves contain saponins, flavonoids and essential oils. From leaflets you can also prepare an antibacterial agent based on alcohol.

The infusion of seeds and herbs of matthiola is used as a diaphoretic, as well as for the treatment of rheumatism and gout. For cooking, you need to take 0.5 tsp. seed of night violet and 1 tsp. herbs. Mix the components thoroughly and pour boiling water (1/2 l.). Insist for two hours. Take 3-4 times a day, 100 ml.

Grass is harvested in May-July, seeds - in August-September.

Use caution when collecting and harvesting raw materials, as well as when using grass inside. Since night violet is a poisonous plant.

Germinated seeds of matthiola (night violet) are rich in minerals (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron), as well as vitamins A and C. The violet sprouts have a beneficial effect on the body's regenerative resources, have a softening and anti-zingotic effectstimulate appetite. In addition, seedlings are used in cooking. They can be added to various dishes (snacks, pasta, salads, etc.) to give spice.

Thus, the evening party gives not only aesthetic pleasure, but also used as home aromatherapy when planting it on a balcony or garden plot, as well as a medicinal plant for some diseases.

Each gardener knows that basically, plants for a personal plot are selected according to their external qualities. However, there are exceptions, because plants can not only delight the eye with their beautiful flowers and green foliage, but also other qualities, for example, it can be useful medicinal herbs or those flowers that smell literally dizzy. This is exactly what night violet is, a flower whose name is soft and pleasant for the ear - matthiola. It is planted in gardens and flowerbeds not because of a decoratively attractive appearance, but because of the amazing smell that it spreads around itself during flowering.

Description of Violet Night Vespers

The plant is classified as a biennial, begin to bloom in the second year after planting. Representative of the cruciferous family, inflorescences are collected in a bouquet, and the leaves are in the form of thin lines. There is a slight resemblance to phloxes - the same inflorescences with bright colors. They can reproduce by self-sowing, therefore, it is close to them in the flowerbed, and they move to nearby territories.

Height: hesperis herbaceous bush, which over the summer can grow up to a meter. It is better to plant on a flower bed as an accent or background.
Stem: erect, branching to the top, where several panicle-inflorescences are formed.
Leaves: oblong, pointed at the ends, dark green in color, located before the inflorescences. On each leaf there is a slight pubescence, which gives a light blue plant.
Flowers: small, four-petal oblong in shape with a yellow stamen. The color scheme is scattered from purple to white. There are terry varieties, but those with smooth flowers are more popular.
Flowering: buds begin to open in late May, which delight the eye until the first frosts arrive.

A long flowering period made night violet a welcome guest in city and park flower beds and private garden plots.
Hesperis can be recognized by its bright panicles and light but steady fragrance.

Gorgeous and unpretentious night violet: when to plant and which soil to choose

It is clear that when we already figured out the preferred places, it was time to talk about the landing itself. Moreover, you need to understand that a night violet, a flower, the photo of which you can carefully examine, will not at all require you excessive time and effort, it is so easy to grow and care that it is preferred for most beginner growers. However, here there are a couple of rather simple rules that must be followed so that the night violet flowers, the cultivation of which we are just discussing, give abundant and fragrant.

How to plant a night violet in a summer cottage?

Sowing of seeds is carried out somewhere in early April, when the probability of occurrence of frost is excluded. Also, for good and stable growth, it is best to follow some recommendations:

Location. It is better to choose a landing place that is sufficiently lit, but not in the open sun. It is good if there is a slight dimming nearby from a sprawling tree or shrub. You should not sow seeds near such vegetable crops as cabbage, tomato and potatoes, since there is a possibility of moving pests to violets.
The soil. The flower does not like too acidic soil, so it is best to remove the top layer and mix it with ash. It is also important to remember the nutritional value of the land by adding peat or humus.
Humidity. The amount of moisture does not affect the growth of the plant. Night violet calmly tolerates drought, but it can still affect the appearance.

How to care for a night violet?

As mentioned above, night violet does not need complicated care, so anyone can grow it in their summer cottage. What does care include?

Watering. Water the flower no more than once a week. If it rained, then even less. The main problem that owners of night violets may encounter is severe overmoistening, which leads to rotting of the root system.
Weed control. Large weeds can muffle flower growth, so be careful to destroy all weeds in time and loosen the soil.
Pest spraying. As for insects, the night violet is not much exposed to their attack, but it is still necessary to protect the plant. For this, you can use both chemical and folk remedies.
Fertilizer. As a food, mineral fertilizers for flowers, which can be purchased in all specialized stores, are an excellent solution.

So, night violet flower, photo, landing and care which is uncomplicated, will become an excellent decoration of your summer cottage, and also fill it with a beautiful, delicate aroma.

Nocturnal violet, or according to scientific hesperis, refers to two-year-old plants. The flower has a pleasant aroma that intensifies by night, simple, but spectacular flowers of delicate pink, lilac color, as well as long flowering.

Diseases and Pests

Night violet is not too susceptible to diseases and spoilage by pests. But still, not a single plant is safe from these situations. Therefore, it is better to study in advance the possible diseases that most often overtake evening parties. Root rot. This trouble arises in the event of excessive soil moisture. The main symptom is leaf damage. As a treatment, you need to dry the soil as quickly as possible and subsequently carefully monitor the amount of watering. Affected leaves should be removed immediately. If you do not take timely measures, then the plant will die.

Kila. This is a root disease that affects many cruciferous. A plant with such a disease begins to die. There is no cure. You need to immediately burn the diseased plant, and treat the soil with special means and mix with lime. Cruciferous flea. This pest leaves small holes on the leaves. Defeating the flea is quite simple - just sprinkle the plants and soil with ground wood ash.

Growing night violets from seeds

Agroholdings for seed production offer several options for the names of night violets: Hesperis Matrona or Vespers Matrona. There are one-color sets and color mixes. Some companies offer terry varieties. All of them are equally beautiful and unpretentious in leaving.

How to plant a night violet with seeds in open ground:

planting by seeds directly into the ground from May to October (autumn sowing will sprout immediately after the snow melts);
sowing depth 1-2 cm in moist soil;
he transfers the transplant with great success, it is better to remove it from the ground with a small lump, without clearing the roots of the soil (this reduces the risk of overdrying the root system);
The distance between the bushes is best left at least 30 cm, and you can 35-40.
flowering usually occurs in the second year of life, but with early planting of the first buds, you can wait by the end of summer;
fruits, brown-brown pods, give offspring self-seeding or specially organized seeding at any time.
seed ripening varies from late August to September.

How to plant a night violet with seeds for seedlings:

When to plant night violet to get seedlings from seeds? Sowing dates - from the twentieth of March to the beginning of April. The seeds are small, so most often flower growers sow them in boxes or containers, and then dive into separate cups. You can tinker a bit and plant 1-2 seeds in a glass so that you do not dive seedlings later. Here, everyone decides for himself which is more convenient.

It is necessary to prepare a nutrient soil with an abundance of organics or buy a ready-made soil mixture for flowers, fill the containers.
Seeding depth 0.5-1 cm.
The distance as rarely as possible, at least 2-3 cm between the plants.
When 2-3 true leaves appear, thick shoots dive into separate containers.
Care consists in regular watering and providing good lighting, it is advisable not to put plants in direct sunlight.
When the seedlings reach a height of 8-10 cm, they begin hardening: they take out the containers to the street, gradually increasing the duration of the air-solar baths.
After two weeks of hardening, plants are safely planted in open ground, the main thing is that there should be no frost at night.

Wells are prepared in advance, spilled with water. Then carefully remove the seedlings with a lump of earth and set vertically in the hole, sprinkle with earth. Abundantly watered. The distance between plants is 30-40 cm.

Reproduction of hesperis matron by cuttings and division of the bush

Terry varieties are divided by cuttings or division of the bush. Sprouts that did not have time to throw out the peduncles are selected, carefully cut and rooted in seedling glasses, planting them to a depth of 2-3 cm. You can create greenhouse conditions to accelerate root formation. Watering with root helps well.

It is very simple to divide the bush: carefully dig out the rhizome, divide it with a knife into 2-3 parts and plant the plants at the same level as before, trying not to overstate the roots and not bury excessively.

Using violets at night

Decoration of a garden or a summer cottage will be an evening party, planted near a place of rest. This will allow you to enjoy its evening aroma during walks and home gatherings, creating a mood of joy and relaxation, combining visual pleasure with the benefits of aromatherapy.

The flowers of night violets are suitable for cutting, long stored in bouquets, used in floral arrangements. On the flowerbed, the evening party is advantageously combined with bright annuals, biennials, contrasting in color, suitable in height. Charming night violets in the form of a component for monochrome planting by color, for example, a flowerbed in lilac and lilac tones, pink or white.

Having become acquainted with the abundance of varieties of night violet flowers, each gardener will be able to choose a plant depending on their preferences and capabilities. Violet night on the site will become an undoubted favorite, delighting the owner with its unpretentiousness and fragrance. Breeders recommend experimenting and trying to plant an evening party in a place where other ornamental plants do not take root. Having wild representatives growing in nature in natural conditions, night violet is sometimes able to populate and ennoble even the backyard of a garden plot.

Night violet is also chosen if there are many fruit trees on the site. A fragrant beauty will help to achieve a good harvest, attracting pollinating insects to the garden even at night.

More than a century-old history of nocturnal violet flower does not currently end. The popularity of hesperis continues to grow. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, every year new varieties and varieties of the familiar and beloved gardeners and summer residents of night violets appear.

Night violet is a rather simple, unpretentious, but at the same time completely special flower. No wonder he has a second name - Vespers.

At dusk, when other flowers close the corollas and go to bed, the night violet wraps the whole garden with its delicate fragrant aroma. Thanks to this amazing smell, even the simple appearance of the evening party acquires a certain charm and grace.

Types of Night Violet

The description of this plant was found in the works of ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus. Vespers belongs to the crucifer family and is divided into many different species.

Most of them are common in Asia and Central Europe. In our country, night violet is presented mainly in two versions: hesperis and matthiola.

It is an erect perennial plant with long stems. Height hesperis varies from 50 to 120 cm. The leaves of the plant are long, narrow and pointed. They are slightly pubescent. The closer the sheet is to the ground, the larger it is. But the most important thing is the flowers. They are quite small, each consisting of four petals. The flowers are combined into large inflorescences, similar to clusters of lilacs.

Hesperis can be pink, purple or white. Due to the small and dim colors, a separate plant is lost in the garden, so it is better to plant the evening party in groups. White night violets look especially beautiful, which at dusk become like little stars.

Mattiola

Another popular party is Mattiola. In the people it is better known under the name "Levka". Mattiola has many different varieties, but four of them are most familiar to gardeners:

two-horned left-handed - an annual self-pollinating plant, its flowers do not exceed a size of 2-3 cm and have a dark pink hue;
gray-headed levoka - a more decorative variety, the flowers of this plant can be both smooth and double, they have a wide range of shades;
"Starlight" - in these plants several varieties seemed to have mixed, flowers on different stems may be of different shades;
“Evening Aroma” is a very actively flowering Levka, the most fragrant of all matthiol.

The most decorative matthiols are, of course, varieties with double flowers. They will not only give the garden the scentcharacteristic of all night violets, but will also serve as a worthy design for any site. In each terry flower, the number of petals can reach hundreds, and the flowering period of such lefts lasts up to two weeks.

As in the case with other night violets, the photo of matthiola is not able to fully convey its beauty. Levkoy it’s good live when a weightless cloud of small flowers amidst greenery saturates twilight with a delicate magical aroma. Not for nothing that in ancient times in the parks and estates reigned a unique atmosphere, an important role in the creation of which was played precisely by night violets.

Cultivation and care

very unpretentious. It is often found in the wild, where it grows on its own. But in order for this plant to please the eye as much as possible, you need to pay some attention to the rules of planting and growing.

First of all, you need to choose a place for the future fragrant cloud. Despite the fact that night violet is a twilight flower, it still loves light. Therefore, it is better for her to choose a well-lit area. In this case, the evening party calmly transfers both direct sunlight and scattered light. However, if the air temperature is excessively high, the plant will feel comfortable in the shade.

The next place selection option is the soil. In the wild, the evening party is most often found on the banks of ponds, and she also loves meadows and fields. Accordingly, this plant prefers moist, loose and fertile soil. It is desirable that lime be present in the soil, and its reaction is either neutral or slightly alkaline.

Night violet is very resistant to various pests and diseases. However, you should not plant it in the area where cabbage used to grow. All the health problems that this vegetable had could quickly go to evening meal.

You also need to pre-select the optimal neighborhood for the evening party. This factor does not affect the health and comfort of the plant, but is important for enhancing effect. Night violet is ideally combined with various types of summer flowers and with herbs. The most popular neighbors of the party are:

petunia
viola;
nasturtium;
yarrow;
nyvyanik;
geranium;
monarda;
melissa;
fragrant basil;
mint;
climbing rose.

The smells of these flowers and herbs and the aroma of night violets form a unique combination.

Landing

Some varieties of vespers can multiply by dividing the bush, but this is more characteristic of terry varieties. The main method is considered seed.

Planting can be pre-made in seedling pots, this is done at the beginning spring. But the seeds of night violets have a high level of germination, so they can be planted immediately in open ground.

The optimal period for sowing: the end of spring - the beginning of summer. Seeds are very small, so they should not be sown to great depths. When sowing, great accuracy should be avoided. An ideal option would be to plant plants in individual dishes. This will make further weed control much easier.

After planting the seeds, the earth must be properly moistened. This is done using spraying. Watering should not be used, as this is fraught with erosion of the soil along with the seeds. After moistening the soil, you need to cover the seeded area with a film. Subsequently, it will need to be periodically cleaned to provide land access fresh air.

The first sprouts of vespers appear in about a month. As soon as the first three leaves are formed, shoots is necessary to dive. Then you need to make plentiful watering and cover the sprouts from the sun. If the party went up too crowded, then it must be thinned out. Each plant needs a place with a diameter of about 30 cm or more.

If you still decide to pre-grow seedlings, then you need to prepare small containers. First you need to pour soil into them, then sow the seeds on it. Then a layer of about 0.5 cm thick is laid on top, consisting of peat and humus. At the end, the soil needs to be slightly compacted and watered. Moisturizing should be moderate. After watering, the containers are covered with glass or a film that transmits light.

Seedlings must be in warmth room with an air temperature of at least 20 degrees. The first shoots will begin to appear on about the fifteenth day. Sprouts need to be regularly watered. When three leaves appear on each of them, seedlings can be relocated to the open ground.

Before offensive in winter the soil needs to be mulched - covered with a layer of compost. This is necessary so that the sprouts can calmly survive the cold. Especially dangerous for immature winter plants with thin snow cover and severe frosts. Therefore, composting is a must.

Night violets begin to bloom only a year after planting. This usually happens at the end spring. The first flowering is the longest, it can last a whole month. However, this period varies depending on the variety. After two years, the flowering time is significantly reduced, so the plants will need to be updated by planting new ones. Although quite often the night violet itself copes with this matter. After flowering, seed pods appear on it. As the grains mature, the pods burst, and the ground next to the plant is automatically sown.

Adult Plant Care

Absolutely violet night not demanding, therefore, caring for it comes down to following a few elementary rules.

Watering. The evening party is rather capricious about the amount of moisture. Too much water, and even more so, its stagnation is unacceptable. Dry soil will also have a very negative effect on the condition of the plant. Therefore, when watering, you need to observe the middle ground. Soil moistening is best done in the evening. If the garden plot is located in a swampy area, then even before planting, you need to provide the land with quality drainage.
Loosening the soil. This process needs to be done regularly. Loosening will help to maintain soil moisture longer, preventing its drying out.
Weeding. Like other garden flowers, night violet feels uncomfortable next to weeds. Therefore, the flowerbed should be weeded as they appear.
Garter. Many varieties of vespers are tall and have thick heavy inflorescences. Therefore, they can be treated, especially in windy weather. To avoid this, you need to arrange in advance the adjacent supports, to which it will be possible to attach the stem as it grows.

Also, one should not forget about the love of the Vespers for fertile soil. Therefore, the land needs to be fertilized periodically, but not more often than once a month. Night violet prefers slightly alkaline and neutral soil.

Therefore, it is considered an ideal fertilizer. It will give the soil all the necessary nutrients, and also enhance the alkaline reaction. As a result, soil acidity will decrease. In such conditions, the evening party will feel most comfortable, and its flowering will become plentiful and long.

Diseases and Pests

Night violet not too much susceptible to disease and damage by pests. But still, not a single plant is safe from these situations. Therefore, it is better to study in advance the possible diseases that most often overtake evening parties.

Root rot. This trouble arises in the event of excessive soil moisture. The main symptom is leaf damage. As a treatment, you need to dry the soil as quickly as possible and subsequently carefully monitor the amount of watering. Affected leaves should be removed immediately. If you do not take timely measures, then the plant will die.
Kila. This is a root disease that affects many cruciferous. A plant with such a disease begins to die. There is no cure. You need to immediately burn the diseased plant, and treat the soil with special means and mix with lime.
Cruciferous flea. This pest leaves small holes on the leaves. Defeating the flea is quite simple - just sprinkle the plants and soil with ground wood ash.

Useful properties of night violets

An evening party gives people not only an amazing aroma. It contains many useful substances that help in the treatment of certain diseases. The pharmaceutical name of this plant is roots salepa.

For medical use only tubers night violets. They should be collected during flowering or immediately after it.

Harvesting raw materials

In dug up tubers, the aerial part must be cut and the bark removed. Then the peeled roots are dipped in boiling water for several minutes. This is necessary so that they do not germinate subsequently. Processed raw materials must be dried in the open air. Also for this the procedures You can use dryers or furnaces, the temperature in which should not exceed 55 degrees. Dried roots can be stored for no more than six years.

Application

Salep contains a lot of mucus. Therefore, the main function of this drug is enveloping. Using a decoction of the roots, you can alleviate the symptoms and speed up the cure for diseases of the digestive system, indigestion, and inflammation of the genitourinary system.