7 Best Flowering Plants For Ampel Compositions. Photo

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7 Best Flowering Plants For Ampel Compositions. Photo
7 Best Flowering Plants For Ampel Compositions. Photo

Video: 7 Best Flowering Plants For Ampel Compositions. Photo

Video: 7 Best Flowering Plants For Ampel Compositions. Photo
Video: 5 Ways to Compose Photographs of Plants and Flowers 2024, March
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The word "ampel" comes from the German word "ampel", meaning a hanging container for flowers. The origin of this concept indicates that the fashion for hanging flower beds came to us from Europe. And today it is very difficult to imagine a garden where there was not at least one hanging basket. In response to the growing popularity of container floriculture, a large number of ampelous plants have appeared on sale, whose shoots easily fall outside the pots. Let's talk about those that are prized for their beautiful flowers.

Petunia 'Shock Wave Deep Purple'
Petunia 'Shock Wave Deep Purple'

1. Petunia

Speaking of flowering ampelous plants, one cannot but recall the queen of annuals - petunia. As you know, all petunias are divided into bush, cascade, semi-ampel and ampel.

Often, the term "cascading" is misleading flower growers, suggesting a waterfall of stems and flowers. But in fact, cascading petunias are more likely to belong to bush and grow vertically.

As for the semi-ample, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get a real cascade here, since the shape of the bush in such petunias is closer to spherical. They are distinguished from bushy stems by thinner stems, which can bend down under the weight of flowers.

Varieties and hybrids that form falling stems more than 30 centimeters long are considered truly ampelous. We will dwell on them in more detail.

Petunia 'Tidal Wave Silver'
Petunia 'Tidal Wave Silver'

Petunia "Tidal Wave"

'Tidal Wave' ("Tidal wave", "Tidal wave"). On sale it can also be found under the name "Typhoon" or "Tornado". This truly mind-blowing petunia leaves a lasting impression on everyone who has ever seen it.

In terms of its power, the Tidal Wave hybrid has no analogues among ampel petunias, since its bush in good conditions reaches a height of 50 centimeters, and the stems hang down 1.5 meters. Moreover, the whole plant "from head to toe" is covered with large flowers so that you can hardly see the foliage.

The victorious procession of this petunia began with a single color designated "silver". This hybrid has light lilac, almost white flowers with small purple streaks in the center. Due to such a cold combination, from a distance, the flowers appear silvery.

Subsequently, the line was enriched with other colors, among which the most interesting hybrid 'Tidal Wave Red Velor', notable for very deep shades of red, which becomes almost black closer to the center of the flower. Other colors in this series: 'hot pink' (dark cherry), 'purple' (hot pink) and 'cherry' (raspberry).

Despite the fact that petunias bloom well in a small volume with regular feeding, this giant needs space for the root system to open up in all its glory.

Petunia 'Opera Supreme Pink Morn'
Petunia 'Opera Supreme Pink Morn'

Petunia "Opera"

Another popular ampelous petunia is 'Opera Supreme'. This series forms voluminous branchy bushes, which, hanging down, form a hemisphere. The length of the shoots of the Opera petunia can reach one meter, and the diameter of the bushes is 90-120 centimeters. The flowers of this series are quite large and have slightly wavy edges.

The biggest demand is a hybrid of 'Opera Supreme is of Pink Morn' («Opera Pink morning ). This is a truly ampelous petunia, which begins to form long stems even in seedling age, and after planting in a permanent place immediately tends downward. This hybrid has very delicate bright pink flowers with a white center.

Equally popular is the 'Opera Supreme Raspberry Ice' variation, which attracts with its crimson mesh pattern on white petals. However, this petunia is semi-ampelous and does not form long hanging shoots, but gives out a domed bush.

White, crimson and red petunias from this series behave like true ampelous, but the longest lashes are formed in the violet (Blue) and lilac (Lilac Ice) variations of the Opera petunia.

In recent years, a novelty among ampelous petunias of the Czech selection 'Diamond Pearly Shades' has been on sale. This hybrid features unusual wavy edges and a very pleasant shade of pink petals with a pearl tint. The shoots of such a petunia can reach 80 centimeters, and from the very beginning they show the ampelous nature of growth.

For lovers of petunias with medium-sized flowers, which are more suitable for small hanging pots, there is a variety series 'Shock wave' ('Shock wave', or 'Shock wave'). The charming flowers from this series are 3–4 centimeters in diameter. These small inflorescences are very resistant to wind and rain, making the petunia look neat in any weather.

The most interesting flower colors in the petunia 'Shock Wave Deep Purple', they have purple tints with iridescence, which in the center become almost black. The 'Shock Wave Pink Vein' hybrid is decorated with bright crimson veins on a white background, in addition, the flowers have a very pleasant aroma.

Shock wave shoots are not too long (on average 30 centimeters), and basically all colors have thin stems directed downward. The only exception is the purple color ('Shock Wave Denim'), the bushes of which often prefer to grow up the bush type.

Also noteworthy are the series 'Easy Wave', 'Wave' and surfinia, which have an ampelous growth character.

2. Begonia

For landscaping semi-shady places with container flower beds, tuber begonia competes with petunias. For hanging baskets, an ampelous version of this plant is used, but here, too, everything is not entirely simple.

Begonia 'Illumination'
Begonia 'Illumination'

In the case of begonias, as a rule, ampelous varieties are called varieties that have long flexible peduncles, due to which the flowers sitting on them hang down, but the stems grow exclusively vertically.

Questions often arise with the placement of these begonias, since in order to see large drooping flowers, you need to place a hanging basket with a plant directly above your head, like a chandelier. Such an arrangement is not always convenient, and flower growers who grow ampelous plants generally expect the whole bush to hang from the basket, and not just individual flowers.

But in fact, really hanging shoots for begonias are rather an exception, since the plant has a thick and juicy trunk, devoid of the flexibility inherent in true ampels. In this regard, even varieties that, judging by the advertising pictures, can fall over the edges of the pots, often grow upright.

However, the stubborn plant can be outsmarted a little here. If you see that the tuber has produced a single thick sprout, then most likely it will grow exclusively vertically. To avoid this, it is better to break such a sprout as early as possible, after which other buds wake up, from which thinner shoots will grow. They will be able to hang under the weight of the flowers.

A similar technique, in particular, can be carried out with respect to the begonia " Illumination", which, being ampelous, often behaves like a bush.

But such hybrids as 'Cascade Balcony', 'Cascade Pendula' and 'Splendide' do not form hanging stems, but have drooping flowers with long peduncles.

3. Brachycoma

Brachikoma is not the most popular annual, nevertheless this charming flower will adorn any hanging basket with its delicate inflorescences. Small multi-petal inflorescences resemble miniature astrochis or chamomile. The petals can be lilac, blue, lilac, lavender and sometimes pure white.

Brachycoma
Brachycoma

Moreover, not only ligulate, but also the central flowers of the inflorescence can have different colors. Thus, the center of the basket flower can be yellow, like that of daisies, brown or almost black.

An additional decoration of the brachicoma is deeply dissected feathery foliage. Thanks to the combination of openwork foliage and small flowers of heavenly color, the whole plant looks airy and weightless.

Most often, brachycoma is sold in a mixture of colors ("Swan Lake", "Blue Baby", "Margarita", etc.) and in group plantings gives the impression of clouds or sea waves.

When planted in a container, the tender brachycoma soon begins to slope downward and can be used as an ampelous plant.

The only drawback of this annual is the not too long flowering period. To stretch the time when the brachycoma is in bloom, you need to cut and feed the bushes after the first wave of flowering is completed. It is also recommended to sow the seeds at several times with an interval of 2 weeks.

4. Purslane

Purslane is an ideal ampelous plant for dry, sunny places where it will grow with minimal watering. In the open field, this bright annual is used as a ground cover plant and is planted in meadows, but this flower will look no less attractive in hanging baskets.

Ampel purslane
Ampel purslane

Purslane shoots are not too long and hang down by an average of 20-25 centimeters. Nevertheless, this is a true ampelous plant, which from a very young age will tend to go down, decorating the edges of the pots.

In addition, due to its drought resistance, the purslane will well endure the conditions of a small pots, in which the earth is rapidly drying up, and will forgive the florist for untimely watering.

Today there are a large number of purslane varieties of a wide variety of colors with simple or double flowers. Special attention should be paid to such varieties as Happy Path with interesting shading on the petals and Sandal, a series that combines very original shades of salmon and yellow.

Due to the fact that purslane is not easy to combine with other plants due to its bright appearance, it is recommended to use a solo flower in a mixture of its colors.

You should also pay attention to a bright novelty - ampelous purslane, which reproduces exclusively by cuttings. Unlike the usual purslane, its flowers are smaller, and the colors are limited to yellow, pink and salmon. However, due to the more abundant flowering and powerful bushes forming hanging whips up to 80 centimeters long, this plant looks simply amazing.

The only small drawback of any purslane is that in cloudy weather its flowers are closed.

5. Lobelia

Annual lobelia is presented in two types - bush and ampelous. The latter forms thin flowing lashes, strewn with small flowers, similar to a tiny fan. This plant can fall over the edges of the planter by 20-35 centimeters.

Lobelia 'Regatta'
Lobelia 'Regatta'

To identify such a lobelia, you need to look for the designations "cascading", "ampelous", ' pendula' on the seed bag, as well as the Latin name on the back of the package 'Lobelia erinus trailing'.

The ampel character of the plant is also often reflected in the name of the variety, for example, Lobelia "Fountain" or "Pearl Waterfall".

The most popular series of ampelous lobelia "Regatta". This line is characterized by earlier flowering, flowering four weeks earlier than most varieties. In addition, the Lobelia "Regatta" has a very rich palette of colors. In this series you can find solid blue-violet ('Regatta Midnight Blue') or sky-blue flowers ('Regatta Sky Blue'), and even original two-color colors, for example, 'Regatta Lilac Splash' has pearlescent light purple petals with blue tube.

But the most unique colors and shapes, as always, represent the vegetative series, among which you can even find lobelias with double flowers.

Often, hybrid lobelia seeds are sold as multi-pellets. In this case, several shoots appear at once from one ball, covered with a special shell, and it is not necessary to dive such seedlings at all, they may well initially grow in a "bunch", and also subsequently land in a permanent place without dividing.

6. Alyssum marine

This fragrant annual is most often used in carpet plantings in open ground, and ampelous varieties of this flower are suitable for hanging baskets. The latter have more outstretched shoots, which, when planted near the edge of the flowerpot, begin to go down.

Alyssum Marine
Alyssum Marine

When choosing a variety for hanging baskets, it is very important to find exactly those that will form long lashes, since most varieties are compact bump-shaped bushes and are more suitable for flower beds.

The most powerful bushes form vegetative forms of sea alyssum, which propagates exclusively by cuttings. Such an alissum, planted in a hanging basket, is capable of forming a real ball, consisting of an abundance of medium-sized fragrant inflorescences.

Of the varieties grown from seeds, the Big Jam alyssum is especially interesting, featuring the largest flowers with a honey aroma and powerful flowing stems.

Alyssum "Kliya kristall " also has an ampelous character - it is an improved hybrid alyssum with large flowers and long stems. When planted in hanging baskets, its slender stems will form a waterfall about 35 centimeters long.

The flowering of the hybrid is so abundant that foliage is not visible due to the flowers. This series is presented in many colors: lavender, dark purple, white and others. For maximum effect in hanging baskets, alissum is best planted in groups.

7. Bacopa

In the West, Bacopa (Sutera) is one of the most popular ampelous plants for container compositions. At first glance, this discreet annual, with small, pale flowers on thin shoots, is unremarkable. However, in combination with the brighter large-flowered annuals, bacopa plays the role of a plant that sets off their catchy beauty. And flower arrangements with this plant look more harmonious and airy.

Bacopa 'Blutopia'
Bacopa 'Blutopia'

Most often on sale are Bacopa with white flowers "Snowtopia" and Bacopa, which has lavender petals, "Blutopia". These varieties form delicate shoots that can hang down by 20-25 centimeters.

In the form of seedlings, vegetative forms of bacopa are often found on sale, which have larger and often even double flowers. Such hybrids are more effective and can be used in independent group plantings in flowerpots or hanging baskets.

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