The flower of the cineraria is the standard of refinement

It is difficult to describe the rapture that this plant evokes with its exquisite beauty. Sea cineraria is a species of a perennial herbaceous shrub plant, whose native land is the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In our latitudes it is grown as an annual culture. Its original exterior - almost silvery-white carved leaves, it has earned the glory of an unsurpassed setting for flower beds and flower beds, for creating background patterns together with plants of bright, contrasting color. Patterns, where the cineraria is combined with the usual marigolds, petunia, salvia, are conquered by their originality and beauty.

Plants are sun-loving and drought-resistant, except for the period when growth begins. They are undemanding to the ground, although they prefer a loose and nutritious soil. In its development reach a height of 20-25 centimeters and have an elegant rosette of pubescent decorative, like velvet, silvery-white leaves. They do not require special care. Enough watering in the dry season and weeding from weeds. On less fertile soils look even more impressive, because the bushes remain compact, with a practically white, silvery color.

The flower of the cineraria multiplies by seeds, which are sown in February-March to the surface of the soil of the seedlings, without being closed. Shoots germinate at a temperature of 18-20 degrees and sufficient moisture in the second week after planting. In the phase of the appearance of the first real leaves, the plants are dived into more spacious containers. Sometimes the planting of seeds at the end of April is practiced immediately in unheated greenhouses, but the plants lag behind in their development for a whole month. In the open ground, young plants are planted in early June, when the spring frosts have already passed. Between them the distance is not less than 20-25 centimeters. Although, if the flower of the cineraria is used as a curb or carpet plant to create ornaments on flower beds, it can be planted at a shorter distance. Soon after the adaptation in a permanent place, they turn into charming compact bushes, the decorative carved foliage of which seems to be covered with silvery frost. Mainly from here the name of a grade of a cineraria diamond powder occurs.

Blossoms of cineraria with small yellow flowers collected in the inflorescence. Decorative value these flowers do not represent, and they are usually removed at the bud stage in order to preserve the ornamentality of the plant bush. In the middle zone of Russia it blooms very rarely. It retains its decorativity all summer, right up to the very frosts. In the south of the country, the plant can winter in the ground if it is provided with easy shelter. In the spring, taking off the shelter and cutting the frozen shoots, you can feed the overwintered cineraria and again admire its carved, exquisite beauty.

If desired, it is possible to transplant the plant's bush in the fall before the onset of frost, where it will calmly overwinter in a cool place. In the spring, returned to its place, it will continue to please you with its beautiful decorative view.

In addition to seeds, the flower of the cineraria can also reproduce and cuttings. For this, in the summer time it is necessary to choose well-formed lateral shoots, not less than 10 centimeters long. After removing the lower leaves and having sustained sections of shoots for a couple of hours in a solution of the growth stimulant, they should be planted in loose soil and covered with the top part of a plastic bottle. The landing site must be shaded.

The flower of the sea cineraria is valued in landscape design and urban landscaping with its characteristic silvery-white color, which harmoniously looks next to any flowering plants. This makes it universal when choosing decorative elements for creating original flower beds, curbs and garden compositions.

In addition to the cineraria of the seaside, which was discussed above, two more species of this plant are cultivated: the bloody cineraria and the cineraria are exquisite. Both these varieties are characterized by the fact that they have a green color of leaves and flowers, simple or terry, of a variety of colors. For the bloody cineraria are characterized by chamomile flowers collected in beautiful inflorescences. In landscape design, it is widely used as an annual crop, and its individual varieties can be grown as houseplants.