Has a piece of land formed on your site, on which nothing but grass has been growing for a long time? Do not rush to be upset, because you have a very real chance to become the owner of a gorgeous flower garden made of decorative cereals. Cereals in landscape design- the brightest "squeak of fashion" in modern designers... How to use the advice of professionals and create a unique cereal bed - we will tell you today.

What you need to know about ornamental cereals

Cereals - perfect solution both for decorating uncomfortable "poor" plots of land, and for creating flower beds - real masterpieces of garden design.

Cereals are seemingly simple plants that no one should pay attention to. But one has only to place them in a flower bed next to other plants, as they will immediately give your flower bed an exquisite look.

The brightest representatives of this plant species are: molinia, reed grass, sedge, millet, sesleria and others. Cereals are planted anywhere in the garden (near paths, in flower beds, near ponds). They give the surrounding area a natural touch, without the need for fertilization and special care.

Cereals are perfect for landscaping an artificial pond. So, if there is one on your site, feel free to plant a lightning or reed grass

Cereals in garden design - mainly perennial plants although there are also one-year-olds. What should you choose? Experienced gardeners consider it inconvenient to spend a huge amount of time on arranging a cereal garden from annual species, so that later in the spring everything will be redone. Therefore, experts recommend using perennial varieties or herbal compositions.

Compositions from herbs

The conditions are not the same for all types of cereals. Therefore, it is necessary to select compositions of moisture-loving cereals for planting near water bodies or in moist soils. Drylands have their own special types. Consider the features of planting cereals for different types soil.

Fescue is perfect for planting on rocky surfaces ( alpine slide, for example). She will add bright touches to gray stones

Universal appearance has phalaris. Plant it anywhere in your flower bed, it will look beautiful anywhere

1. Cereal compositions for "oily" and moist soil

For planting cereals near a decorative pond and in places high humidity we recommend the following scheme:

• Blue-eyed (Sisyurinhiy)- low-growing semi-cereal - we plant it along the edge of the flower bed or along the perimeter of the pond at a distance of 1 meter between the bushes.
• In contrast to the blue-eyed, both in color and biological characteristics, we plant a yellow-variegated bush Glyceria on both sides sisyurinkhia.
• Iris Siberian- very beautiful plant, able to decorate any place in the garden. Iris does not belong to the cereal family, but it is quite difficult to distinguish it from cereals. Fountain-like Iris bushes beautifully set off the variegation of Glyceria, so you can safely plant iris bushes near it (4-5 bushes).
• For several bushes of Siberian Irises we define a couple of bushes of real cereal - Miscanthus Sugarflower.
• Immediately behind Miscanthus (you can by the water itself) it will look great Daylily Hybrid... It is as if this plant was created by nature for a cereal garden, giving it grace with its flowers.

Isn't that wonderful? Proof that grains look great anywhere

Ozhika, like phalaris, will look great anywhere on your flower garden.

Useful information from florists:

If you dream of creating a southern-style cereal bed, plant among the cereals Sage... This plant will delight you not only with beautiful lilac flowers but also a real southern flavor. Lovers of the exotic can be offered to decorate the cereal garden with decorative bows. These flowers produce bluish, tall, globular buds that give the flower bed an exotic look.

2. Cereals for dry soil

• Sizay fescue- surprisingly beautiful dry-loving plant. Cultivated successfully in stony and sandy soils and looks great next to conifers... Fescue bushes should not be planted close one to one, 2-3 copies look much better at different ends of the flower garden.
• Bulbous ryegrass- perhaps the most unpretentious decorative cereal. It grows very quickly, so it is advisable to limit its root space. It is recommended to plant it along the edges of the garden or on hills.
• Ozhika — flowering plant that will exist in harmony with any cereal.
• Falyaris can be defined in any place of a cereal flower garden. Looks beautiful thanks to variegated leaves with white and green stripes.

Miscanthus will grow well on wet soil and delight your eyes

Siberian iris, although not cereal plant, but it will all look great next to cereals

Cereals grow well on "poor" soils, so it is absolutely impossible to fertilize the soil with manure or compost before planting. This can lead to overgrowth and bushes collapse.

Preparing the soil for a cereal garden:

Stage 1. The first step in preparing the soil for planting cereals is digging.

Stage 3. Now you should make the marking of the seats for each type of grasses and cereals with light sand.

The ruler was created by nature itself for a flower bed of cereal plants

The planting area of ​​cereals grows as the size and density of the plant bushes increases. For example, Fescue needs very little space (5-6 bushes can be placed on 1 linear meter), and a large Miscanthus needs 35-40 cm for one bush.

Perennials usually have beautiful foliage that will delight you for many seasons.

It is important to know: many grains spread very quickly, and so that they do not fill your entire garden, you need to limit their living space to a bucket without a bottom or a net.

Let's summarize

Cereals are wonderful neighbors for any garden plants, both decoratively and biologically. They are in harmony with conifers, ferns and flowers. Even the simple addition of cereals to a flower garden will give it natural beauty and grace.

Modern flower beds are hard to imagine without ornamental grasses... Here are used those that are absolutely stable in middle lane Russia does not require shelter for the winter: huge two-meter reed zippers, the bearded Gerardi and the hesitant comrade. For the middle of the flower garden - schizahirium paniculata, and for the front edge - blue lightning Variegata, pike, blue sesleria and palm-leaved sedge. In the one-sided view composition, the tallest plants are located near the fence.

Flower garden on the background of a white picket fence

The white color of the low picket fence makes the composition adjacent to it very elegant. Its height has been increased to 2 m due to a simple wooden structure, attached to it and allows you to grow vines. There are two of them: a graceful lemongrass and an old, very resistant variety of the pale pink climbing rose New Dawn. Part of the shoots of the rose is launched along the structure, part goes along the picket fence. Thuja Smaragd1 is planted on the left side of the composition, it seems to balance the volume of leaves and flowers of a rose climbing the fence. Most of the perennials that are used here bloom with pink and blue flowers. In order for the composition not to be completely “sweet”, purple is added, these are Vision astilbe inflorescences and purple-leaved Heuchera.

From cereals, a soddy pike was used, planted in the foreground. Its shiny small spikelets of green, yellowish, pale purple, appearing in July, become straw-golden as they ripen. They and the paniculate inflorescences of Heucher give the composition lightness and delicacy. Shelter for the winter requires only climbing rose, all other perennials are absolutely stable in central Russia.

The scheme of a flower garden with decorative cereals

1 - Heuchera hybrid (Heuchera x hybrida);

2 - Echinacea purpurea, Razzmatazz cultivar;

3 - Echinacea white (Echinacea purpurea), Jade cultivar;

4 - Heuchera hybrid (Heuchera x hybrida), grade Obsidian;

5 - deshampsia, turfy pike (Deschampsia cespitosa);

6 - Chinese lemongrass (Schisandra chinensis);

7 - round-leaved bell (Campanula rotundifolia);

8 - splayed phlox (Phlox divaricata);

9 - western thuja (Thuja occidentalis), cultivar Smaragd;

10 - phlox paniculata (Phlox paniculata), grade "Margri";

11 - blue onion (Allium caeruleum);

12 - phlox paniculata (Phlox paniculata), cultivar Eden Smile;

13 - Chinese Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis), Vision grade;

14 - climbing rose (Rosa climbing), variety New Dawn

The charming spikelets that appear on the pike in July vibrate with the slightest breeze, bringing movement to the flower beds. A surprisingly decorative pike is represented by a large number of varieties, differing in the height of the stems and shades of spikelets. It goes well with plants that have a different foliage shape, such as buzulniki, rogers, here they are astilbe and heuchera. The pike are unpretentious, not susceptible to diseases and pests.

Growing features

Spring... Pay attention to the geychera, they are divided every 2-3 years, it is better to do this in the spring, when new leaves appear, but before flowering. The splayed phlox begins to grow in early May, in late May - early June it is covered with numerous blue flowers. After flowering, it actively grows and needs a complete feeding mineral fertilizer... The climbing rose is opened in early May, after the ground has completely thawed. White small waxy fragrant flowers appear in Schizandra in late May - early June, over time they turn into spherical red berries, juicy, with the taste and smell of lemon, with healing properties.

Summer... In June-July, for 18-30 days, blue onions bloom with blue spherical medium-sized inflorescences. The round-leaved bell blooms with blue flowers all summer. Paniculata phlox bloom in the middle of summer. From the second half of summer, echinacea blooms for two months. Astilbe blooms profusely, climbing rose blooms for a long time and profusely.

Autumn... Lemongrass is the most colorful in autumn, decorated with bright, abundant fruits that persist until persistent frosts and stand out effectively against the background of yellow foliage. Deschampsia does not need care, only pruning, it should be done early in the spring or late in the fall. A climbing rose requires protection from frost, it is lowered from a support, shoots are laid on spruce branches or boards so that they do not touch the ground, and are covered in mid-autumn.

Winter... You can admire the slender bright green thuja Smaragd1.

Heuchera hybrid (Heuchera x hybrida)

Height 30 cm

Green leaves with purple lining, blooms with small flowers

Ornamental-leaved plant, flowers in July-August

Heuchera hybrid (Heuchera x hybrida), grade Obsidian

Height 30 cm

Very dark black-purple leaves, blooms from June for two months

Ornamental plant

Echinacea purpurea (Echinacea purpurea), cultivar Razzmatazz

Height 1 m.Large double flowers with a lush middle and downward side petals

Blooms in July-August for two months

Echinacea white (Echinacea purpurea), Jade cultivar

Height 60 cm

Flowers with a dark green center and not drooping greenish-white petals. Blooms in July-August for two months

Deschampsia, turf pike (Deschampsia cespitosa)

The height of the "skirt" is 40 cm, with spikelets - 1-1.2 m. Narrow long green leaves, elegant spikelets

Chinese Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)

Deciduous liana up to 15 m long. Small white flowers in June, spherical red berries in autumn.

Most decorative in autumn, when bright fruits appear against a background of yellow foliage

Round-leaved bell (Campanula rotundifolia)

Height 30-40 cm Blue flowers

Blooms from June to late September

Split phlox (Phlox divaricata)

Height 30 cm

Numerous blue flowers with a delicate aroma

Begins to grow in early May, blooms from late May - early June

Blue onion (Allium caeruleum)

Height 80-100 cm

Blue globular medium-sized inflorescences

Blooms in May-June for 20-25 days

Phlox paniculata (Phlox paniculata), cultivar Eden Smile

Height 85 cm. When blooming, the flowers are pink-purple with a white star, then silver dusting appears on the petals, and a purple star appears in the center. Blooms in July

Thuja western (Thuja occidentalis), cultivar Smaragd

Height 2 m

Coniferous plant of narrow conical shape of bright green color

Decorative all year round

Phlox paniculata (Phlox paniculata), grade "Margri"

Height 80 cm

Blooms in July

Chinese Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis), grade Vision

Height 50 cm

Dense, lush purple rhomboid panicles, shiny dark green leaves. Blooms late, in August-September; decorative all season

Climbing rose (Rosa climbing), variety New Dawn

Height 2-3 m

Delicate pink flowers up to 7 cm in diameter, small shiny leaves

Blooms profusely, remontant, from July to frost

Decorative cereals on the background of a stone wall

The composition contains several large shrubs - climbing rose varieties Rosarium Uetersen 2 m high and 1.5 m in diameter with double dark pink flowers; a huge purple-leaved vesicle Diaboio, an alpine currant "Schmidt" sheared with a ball about 2 m in diameter, and smaller shrubs - Bumald's spirea Froebelii and a very short Japanese spirea Little Princess. The composition is effectively decorated with a hexagonal transparent glass column with a recess in the upper part, which serves as a bath and drinker for birds. The luxurious bird drinker is adjoined by several specimens of the palm-leaved sedge variety Silberstreif. The plants near the drinking bowl should be short, otherwise there is a possibility that domestic cats hunting birds will hide in them. All kinds of lilies you will not see now in our gardens. Fancy colors, elegant flowers, exquisite aroma ...

Breeding produces more and more new varieties, it is impossible to resist them, but after the flowering of lilies, their stems cannot be cut off, the plants must be vegetated. If in the foreground, their yellowing "palms" remain in sight and are very annoying. What to do? Plant in front of them plants (here spiraea of ​​the Froebelii variety), which will cover this "disgrace" after the lilies have faded.

Composition scheme 6 × 3m

1 - oriental hellebore (Helleborus orientalis);

2 - giant angelica (Angelica gigas);

3 - escholzia (Escholzia californica);

4 - palm-leaved sedge (Carex muskingumensis), cultivar Silberstreif;

5 - camassia (Camassia guamach);

6 - veronicastrum (Veronicastrum virginica), cv. Alba;

7 - wormwood (Artemisia stelleriana);

8 - alpine currant (Ribes alpinum), grade Schmidt;

9 - climbing rose (Rosarium Uetersen);

10 - bladderwort (Physocarpus opulifolium), cultivar Diaboio;

11 - Armeria maritime;

12 - lily (Lilium), a group of Asian hybrids;

13 - Helenium autumnale, variety Moerheum Beauty;

14 - Japanese spiraea (Spiraea japonica), cultivar Little Princess;

15 - spirea Bumalda (Spiraea x bumalda), cultivar Froebelii;

This composition uses a one-year-old escholzia, a California poppy. Its flowering begins approximately 40-45 days after sowing. Escholzia tolerates frosts down to minus 4-5 ° C, when sown in April, immediately to a permanent place, you can enjoy abundant flowering from June to October. Escholzia is decorated with gray from a wax bloom, dissected foliage and, of course, cupped flowers, simple or double, white, cream, yellow, orange, depending on the variety, they are open only on sunny days and only in the daytime, somewhere from 10 up to 16 hours.

Growing features

Spring... Immediately after the snow melts, the eastern hellebore blooms. Don't forget to remove the rose's winter shelter. It is necessary to trim shrubs, Japanese and Bumald spireas, alpine currants and a bubblegum, this will not only not damage them, but will give a neat combed look, in addition, will not allow them to take up more of the space assigned to them by the gardener. In April, they sow escholzia in a permanent place. Since May, the seaside armeria blooms for 70 days.

Summer... In early summer, Camassia blooms for two weeks, this bulbous plant fits perfectly into a mixborder. Asiatic lilies bloom in mid-summer. In the second half of summer, veronicastrum and helenium bloom. Escholzia blooms all summer. You cannot pass by such a plant as the giant angelica, its domed purple-violet inflorescences attracting butterflies are expressive and absolutely incredible. They flaunt on maroon stems up to 180 cm high and bloom from late July to autumn. The plant requires a lot of space, keep this in mind. The soil he needs is fertile, non-acidic, moist, but not damp.

Angelica is magnificent during flowering, but it is monocarpic, that is, it dies after ripening. Most often, it blooms in the second or third year of life, that is, it is most correct to grow it as a biennial. It is advisable to sow its seeds immediately, it is at this time that they germinate best, you can also sow them in late autumn or winter in January-February under snow, germination is low, it is necessary to sow thickened. Young specimens easily tolerate transplanting during the season.

Autumn... In the middle of autumn, a rose is covered. Perennials are pruned before winter.

Winter... In winter, this composition is of no interest.

Eastern hellebore (Helleborus orientalis)

Height 30 cm

Beautiful evergreen leaves, purple flowers in early spring

Decorative from snow to snow

Palm-leaved sedge (Sageh muskingumensis), cultivar Silberstreif

Height 60-80 cm

Narrow, pointed green leaves with a bright white border. Decorative throughout the season, it blooms uninteresting

Angelica gigas (Angelica gigas)

Height 180 cm

Purple-violet domed inflorescences on dark purple stems. Blooms from late July to autumn.

Escholzia californica

Height 20-45 cm

Gray dissected foliage, multi-colored cupped flowers

Blooms profusely from June to October

Camassia (Camassia guamach)

Height 80 cm

Large bluish-lilac flowers are collected in vertical inflorescences.

Blooms in late spring - early summer for 10-15 days

Veronicastrum (Veronicastrum virginica), cultivar Alba

Height 170 cm. White flowers are collected in vertical inflorescences, the "bush" does not fall apart. Blooms from June to August, decorative throughout the season

Wormwood (Artemisia stelleriana)

Height 40 cm

Carved silvery gray leaves

Decorative throughout the season

Alpine currant (Ribes alpinum), grade Schmidt

Height 2 m, shears well at any height

Ornate small three-lobed dark green leaves

Takes any shape with a haircut, decorative throughout the season

Armeria maritime

Height 15-20 cm

Pink flowers

Blooms from May for about 70 days

Lily (Lilium), a group of Asian hybrids

Height 100 cm

Large purple-red flowers

Blooms in July-August

Climbing rose (Rosa climbing), Rosarium Uetersen cultivar

The height of the bush is 2 m and a diameter of 1.5 m. Terry dark pink flowers, foliage is large, shiny.

The first flowering is profuse, then intermittently; grown as a climbing rose or bush

Bubbles (Physocarpus opulifolium), cultivar Diaboio

Height 2-3 m. Dark purple leaves.

Decorative throughout the season

Helenium autumnale, variety Moerheum Beauty

Height 130 cm

Bronze-red "daisies".

Blooms in July-September

Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica), cultivar Little Princess

Height 40 cm. Small light green leaves, pink small flowers in corymbose inflorescences.

Decorative all season, blooms in June-July

Yellow flower garden on the background of a blue fence

Two-meter board fence blue not only the background for this composition, but also its full participant, it is he who provides an effective combination of yellow and blue. Yellow is often associated with good mood and carelessness; it is a color for optimists, those who want to enjoy life and enjoy it. Yellow pairs well with blue, creating a sense of joyful excitement. The composition is located in a sunny place, and so that the combination of blue and yellow is not so harsh, pink-purple flowers are added to it.

The flower garden soloist is a two-meter giant, perennial Lemon Queen sunflower that blooms profusely almost all summer. This perennial is a unique exception to the rule: each plant only blooms for a few days. The yellow color is also supported by a low solidago blooming in August, and a daylily with apricot flowers with a yellow corrugated border and a green throat. The beginning of summer has not been forgotten either: in June, the perennial evening primrose will provide the yellow color, undersized perennial, which is most often cultivated as a biennial.

Composition size 6 × 3m

1 - New England aster (Aster novae-angliae), variety Violette;

2 - Veronicastrum virginicum, Adoration variety;

3 - oak sage (Salvia nemorosa), Mainacht cultivar;

4 - solidago (Solidago x hybrida), variety Golden Dwarf;

5 - southern baptisia (Baptisia australis);

6 - reed moth (Molinia arundinacea), variety Skyracer;

7 - blue-leafed lightning (Molinia coerulea var.variegata);

8 - subulate phlox (Phlox subulata), cultivar Purple Beauty;

9 - hybrid berry (Bergenia x hybrida);

10 - Amsonia tabernaemontana;

11 - helianthus (sunflower) (Helianthus x hybrida), Lemon Queen cultivar;

12 - shrub aster (Aster dumosus), Blue Bouquet cultivar;

13 - daylily (Hemerocallis);

14 - Rogersia podophylla (Rodgersia podophylla);

15 - perennial evening primrose (Oenothera perennis)

The composition is incredibly decorated with cereals - three huge columnar sheaves of the reed Skyracer variety with a height of 2.4 m. A low variegated thunderbolt is planted along the front border, its leaves with longitudinal stripes of yellowish-cream color support the yellow range of the flower garden. In the first half of summer, reed lightning is not very interesting, but already in August their original appearance and unusual inflorescences cannot fail to attract a florist who wants to make his garden expressive.

Growing features

Spring... The soil in the flower garden should never be left bare, it should be covered or ground cover plants, or mulch. In uncovered soil, the top layer is adversely affected by rain, wind and temperature fluctuations - the rains are washed away nutrients, the sun and wind dry up, as a result, its structure is destroyed.

Mulch not only retains moisture and protects the soil from wind and sun, but also suppresses weeds, enriches the soil organic matter, protects plants from freezing in winter. In order for the mulch to be able to fulfill its purpose, its layer must be at least 5-8 cm thick. Under the mulch layer, excellent conditions are created for the nutrition and reproduction of earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms. Mulch should not come into contact with the stems of plants, it should be placed around them at a distance of 10-15 cm. In the spring, you can take your time to cut off the old foliage of the molin, it starts growing quite late. In May, Amsonia and Badan bloom, and the styloid phlox blooms brightly and profusely. After flowering, it is necessary to cut off its upper faded part only a few centimeters long, then its curtain will not be exposed in the center. Evening primrose blooms in May-June.

Summer... Baptisia blooms in June for about 20 days. In the middle of summer, oak sage, veronicastrum, daylily bloom. In August, solidago and shrub aster bloom.

Autumn... In September, the New England aster blooms. In the middle of autumn, all perennials are pruned, except for high lightning bolts, which will decorate the garden in winter, and evergreen berry.

Winter... Admiring huge sheaves of lightning bolts, they retain their beauty until spring.

New England aster (Aster novae-anghae), variety Violette

Height 130 cm Purple flowers

Constantly decorative, blooms from September

Solidago (Solidago x hybrida), cultivar Golden Dwarf

Height 50-60 cm Flowers are yellow

Constantly decorative, blooms in August

Veronicastrum Virginicum, Adoration cultivar

Height 180 cm

Lilac vertical inflorescences

Decorative during the season, blooms in July-August

Oak sage (Salvia nemorosa), cultivar Mainacnt

Height 40 cm

Purple-blue flowers in vertical inflorescences

Blooms in the middle of summer, retains decorative effect during the season

Southern Baptisia (Baptisia australis)

Height 1 m

Gray branches and leaves, blue flowers Decorative throughout the season, blooms in June for about 20 days

Molinia reed (Molinia arundinacea), cultivar Skyracer

Height 2.4 m

Huge columnar sheaf

Decorative throughout the season

Molinia blue variegated (Molinia coerulea var.variegata)

Height 50 cm

Leaves with longitudinal stripes of yellowish-cream color, white spikelets.

Decorative throughout the season

Subulate phlox (Phlox subulata), cultivar Purple Beauty

Height 15 cm.Numerous purple flowers Decorative throughout the season, blooms profusely in May

Badan hybrid (Bergenia x hybrida)

Height 40 cm

Green glossy leaves, bright pink flowers

Decorative from snow to snow, blooms in May

Shrub aster (Aster dumosus), cultivar Blue Bouquet

Height 50 cm

Reed flowers lilac-blue

Blooms in August-September for 35-40 days

Daylily (Hemerocallis)

Height 50 cm

Apricot flowers with a yellow corrugated border and a green throat

Blooms in July-August

Amsonia tabernaemontana

Height 60-80 cm

Narrow willow-like leaves, pale blue star-shaped flowers.

Decorative throughout the season, blooms from May to June

Helianthus (sunflower) (Helianthus x hybrida), cultivar Lemon Queen

Height 2 m

Numerous light yellow flowers Blossoms profusely throughout the summer

Rogersia podophylla

Height without inflorescences 60-70 cm, in bloom up to 120 cm

Leaves with embossed venation, bronze when blooming, later green; fragrant creamy white flowers. Decorative all season, blooms from mid-June for a month

Evening primrose (Oenothera perennis)

Height 25 cm Yellow flowers

Blooms in May-June

Flower garden with bird drinker

The flower garden adjoins a two-meter stone fence and is decorated with a ceramic white vase-shaped drinking bowl with a water recess in the upper part.

There are many ornamental cereals here. Straight "bushes" of the bearded Gerardi reach a height of 1.5-2.4 m. Its flowering, which begins in September, is beautiful and unusual, its leaves are colored in orange-red tones in autumn. In the middle part of the flower garden there is a hesitating, narrow, straight bump of thin green leaves, which acquire a bright orange color in autumn.

Spectacular two-meter panicles of copper color with bright yellow anthers. Grain schizachirium paniculata is a grayish-blue hummock 60-120 cm high. In autumn, its leaves turn yellow, brown or orange. Spikelets become silvery when dried. Sesleria is a blue low hummock with gray-blue leaves. One of the best companions for cereals is the tall New England aster 180 cm high. Its numerous dark purple inflorescences are beautiful. In July, the liatris spikelet of the Floristan Violett variety blooms with purple spike-shaped vertical inflorescences up to 80 cm high.

Composition scheme 6 × 3m

1 - oscillating trade mark (Sorghastrum nutans);

2 - foxglove penstemon (Penstemon digitalis), variety Husker Red;

3 - common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), variety Paprika;

4 - pearl anaphalis (Anaphalis margaritacea);

5 - New England aster (Aster novae-angliae);

6 - blue Sesleria (Sesleria caerulea);

7 - hybrid rudbeckia (Rudbeckia x hybrida);

8 - gravitational bright red (Geum coccineum), Prince of Orange cultivar;

9 - shrub aster (Aster dumosus);

10 - bearded Gerardi (Andropogon gerardii);

11 - Schizachyrium paniculata (Schizachyrium scoparium);

12 - open lumbago (Pulsatilla patens);

13 - calendula officinalis (Calendula officinalis);

14 - Liatris spicata, Floristan Violett cultivar;

15 - hyssop officinalis (Hyssopus officinalis)

Purple flowers go well with yellow and orange flowers. Large calendula inflorescences give us a golden yellow color. Orange flowers at the gravilata hybrid Prince of Orange, blooming from the end of May for a month. The dense corymbose inflorescences of Paprika yarrow consist of small orange-red flowers with a light yellow center, which, unfortunately, fade over time.

Bright flowers, from yellow to dark brown tones, of high hybrid rudbeckia delight us from June.

Growing features

Spring... One-year calendula is sown in the ground in a permanent place. In April-May, a little less than a month, the lumbago blooms, a low plant with hairy stems and finger-dissected leaves that appear after flowering; young leaves are strongly hairy. Charming flowers are quite large, up to 8 cm in diameter, at first they are broadly bell-shaped, later - star-shaped. On well-developed bushes, up to 40-50 flowers bloom at the same time. Since the end of May, gravilat blooms and blooms for more than a month.

Summer... At the beginning of June, spikelets appear at the sesleria. From June, rudbeckia blooms profusely, from July - penstemon. Hyssop blooms from late June to September. In July-August, liatris blooms profusely for more than a month. Its spike-shaped inflorescences of purple-violet flowers can reach 35 cm in length. Do not prune it after flowering, and it is quite picturesque when dry. Yarrow Paprika blooms from July 40-45 days. Showy panicles of copper color with bright yellow anthers appear in August. In August-September, shrub aster blooms very profusely.

Autumn... In early September, the bearded Gerardi blooms. In autumn, the leaf color changes from green to orange, the schisarium - from blue to yellow-brown or copper-orange. New England asters bloom in autumn, in September-October, and if the weather permits, in November, withstanding morning frosts down to -5 "C. Before wintering, all perennials are cut off, including the cereals planted here, which will still quickly break the snow. Harvest the calendula stalks and send them to compost.

Winter... In winter, the composition is of no interest.

Sorghastrum nutans

Height 1.5-2 m

Narrow straight bump of green narrow leaves, autumn foliage orange

Decorative all season

Anaphalis pearl (Anaphalis margaritacea)

Height 30-40 cm

Stem and leaves are white-tomentose pubescent

Decorative throughout the season

Penstemon digitalis (Penstemon digitalis), cultivar Husker Red

Why do gardeners love cereals? Obviously - for decorative inflorescences, beautiful color of leaves and for unpretentiousness.

Decorative cereals summer flower arrangements complement well, creating interesting accents in them, but in autumn they are especially beautiful. In addition to fluffy panicles, cereals at this time are decorated with colorful foliage, in addition, in autumn they reach their peak growth.

Cereals are good not only in garden flower beds, they will decorate any bouquet, both fresh and a composition of dried flowers.

Decorative grains for the garden

Here are some of the ornamental grains that we advise you to look into.

Boutellois slim(Bouteloua gracilis) - also called mosquito grass and bison grass. This plant loves permeable soil and sunny locations. Grows up to 40 cm in height. The most decorative inflorescences are spikelets growing at an interesting angle.

Gerard's bearded man(Andropogon gerardii) - the cereal forms a straight bush with long leaves and a height of up to 2.4 meters. Flowering in late summer and early autumn.

Reed spine-flowered(Calamagrostis acutiflora) is a tall grass (120-150 cm), which is good for decorating the background of a flower garden. It begins to bloom in mid-summer with pinkish panicles. With the approach of autumn, it does not lie down. Conditions - sun or partial shade. Reacts well to moderate watering.

Two-source reed(Phalaris arundinacea) - this cereal has decorative variegated leaves with a light background with dark green stripes. Not recommended for small gardens as it sometimes overgrows. Height 70-120 cm.

Cylindrical imperial(Imperata cylindrica) - decorative with its silvery inflorescences. It grows up to 1 meter, has long creeping shoots.

Keleria gray(Koeleria glauca) is a low grass (20-50 cm) with gray-green leaves and neat spikelets, blooms in June-July.

The feather grass is beautiful(Stipa pulcherrima) - very decorative, its long awns (up to 50 cm) make an impression. Grows up to 30-80 cm in height.

Sod meadow(Deschampsia caespitosa) - the colloquial name of this plant is "pike". The bush is dense, 20-90 cm in height. Loves moist soil.

Miscanthus chinese(Miscanthus sinensis) is the most popular cereal in horticulture and many varieties of Miscanthus have been developed. Very tall (up to 2 meters) plant with decorative panicle inflorescences and hard lanceolate leaves.

Moliniya blue(Molinia caerulea) is a compact decorative cereal. Blooms in summer-in early autumn, spikelets with an original purple tint. Prefers moist soils.

Viviparous sheep(Helictotrichon sempervirens) - leaves of this cereal with a blue tint. It grows up to 2.4 meters in height. Blooms in July.

Blue fescue(Festuca glauca) - short grass, forms lush bush up to 60 cm in height. Blooms in summer in June-July.

Oriental pinnacle(Pennisetum orientale) - grows up to 60 cm in height. This plant must be covered for the winter.

Fox-tailed pinnacle(Pennisetum alopecuroides) - decorative from mid-summer to autumn. It blooms with brown fluffy spikelets, plant height 70-80 cm.

Transylvanian pearl barley(Melica ciliata) - perennial grass up to 1 meter in height. It has very dense panicle inflorescences, blooms from early summer to autumn. Loves the sun and fertile soils without waterlogging.

Rod-shaped millet(Panicum virgatum) - unpretentious and grows on any soil, reaching up to 2 m in height. Large panicles of this cereal appear in July.

Spartina comb(Spartina pectinata) - blooms in August, forming straight rigid panicles. Plant height is more than 2 m. It spreads very quickly.

Hakonehloya large(Hakonechloa macra) - or Japanese herb, shade-tolerant cereal with graceful yellow-green leaves. The plant is poisonous.

Hasmantium broadleaf(Chasmanthium latifolium) - otherwise they are also called wild oats and flat grafts. Its spikelets and the entire inflorescence are completely flattened and located in the same plane. Flowering occurs in autumn in September-October. Hasmantium needs moist soil and a sunny spot. Grows up to 1.2 meters.

Maned barley(Hordeum jubatum) - sown in the ground at the end of April. It is widely used in mixborders. Perennial growth reaches 60 cm.

Combination of decorative cereals with garden flowers

Usually, cereals need space to show their decorative effect. Carefully select ornamental grasses for your garden, especially if it is small in size, since some species are aggressive in their growth and “clog” weaker plants.

Such fast-growing and strong grasses include, for example, spartina comb, canary reed and bearded Gerard. For small gardens, large hakonehloa or blue moth are more suitable - these two variegated types of cereals are pretty cute, but grow slowly.

If you choose the right partners for cereals, the composition will turn out to be very harmonious. For such a composition, choose meadowsweet, phlox, helenium, verbena, steep and burnet.

If you are making exactly an autumn flower bed, then take into account the color that cereals will begin to acquire at this time.

Plants with yellow flowers will best harmonize with the red-leaved imperata cylindrical and copper-red rod-shaped millet.

For red flowers, a combination with viviparous sheep and blue fescue will be more advantageous - these cereals acquire a bluish color of stems and leaves.

Autumn flower bed of decorative grains and perennials

This flower bed, or rather a mixborder, will occupy an area of ​​about 8 by 6 meters.

In a mixborder, cereals coexist with shrubs and perennial flowers. The peak of the decorative effect of this composition will be in the autumn - it is then that most cereals and perennials will bloom, and the shrubs will complement this riot of colors with their autumn foliage.

There are two shrubs in the background: cercidiphyllum japanese(1) and Irga Lamarca(2). Planted right in front of them miscanthus chinese two varieties (3, 4).

Perennials bloom in the middle part of the mixborder: hybrid monard (5), common mordovan (6), aconite of Karmikhel (8), helenium hybrid(9) and Bonar verbena(ten). And in the center between them, the composition balances reed reed (7).

Set slightly below: rudbeckia brilliant Sullivanta (11), millet (12), echinacea purpurea(13), bush viburnum carls (14), anemone japanese (15), sod meadow(16) and lightning blue (17).

Finally, in the lowest tier, in the foreground of the flower garden, grow: Horny Goat Weed (18), Hakonechloe large (19), Heuchera hybrid(20), japanese sedge morrow (21), marigolds fine-leaved (22), aster cushion (23), common lumbago(24) and stonecrop (25).

1 - Japanese cercidiphyllum (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), 2 - Lamarck's irga (Amelanchier lamarckii), 3 - Chinese miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis) 'Kleine Silberspinne', 4 - Chinese miscanthus 'Malepartus', 5 - hybrid monarda) (6 Monarda common mordovan (Echinops ritro), 7 - reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora), 8 - Karmichel aconite (Aconitum carmichaelii), 9 - Helenium hybridum, 10 - Bonar verbena (Verbena bonariensis), 11 - rudlivanta fulgida var.sullivantii), 12 - branch millet (Panicum virgatum), 13 - Echinacea purpurea (Echinacea purpurea), 14 - Carlsa viburnum (Viburnum carlesii), 15 - hybrid of anemone (sod) Japanese (Anemone japonica), 16 (Deschampsia cespitosa), 17 - blue moth (Molinia caerulea), 18 - large-flowered hornbeam (Epimedium grandiflorum), 19 - large hakonechloa (Hakonechloa macra), 20 - hybrid heuchera (Heuchera hybrida), 21 - Japanese sedge Morr oy (Carex morrowii), 22 - fine-leaved marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia), 23 - cushion aster (Aster dumosus), 24 - common lumbago (Pulsatilla vulgaris), 25 - flowering stonecrop (Sedum floriferum).