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Every time I return from Italy, I am determined to decorate the windows of my apartment with flowers. After all, it seems to be so simple. And everyone around, looking at me, will plant small flower beds on the facade of the house. But apparently in middle lane Russia can do this only for experienced flower growers. Or maybe that's not the point?
It's all about tradition. Italians since the time of Ancient Rome sacredly honor flower traditions, passing them from generation to generation. The ancient Romans gave flowers a special place and endowed them with symbolic properties. For example, a rose was considered a symbol of martyrdom and secret knowledge, a lily - hope: its image was even placed on coins. From the ancient Romans came to us male flower gladiolus is a symbol of purposefulness and fortitude. The tradition of giving poinsettia for Christmas also comes from Rome. Even the word "floristry" comes from the goddess of flowers, Flora.
· What is the meaning of flowers in Italy? Italians have long been considered gurus in floristry. The bouquets they make are a reflection of their bright temperament. An Italian will never give a small faded bouquet. With loud exclamations, he will present the girl with a colorful bouquet of roses: “Per te, amore mio!” (For you, my love!). By the way, our men also learned to give beautiful bouquets of roses. For example, on Valentine's Day, February 14, in Samara and Omsk, Khabarovsk and Krasnodar, Moscow, Tula https://tula.megaflowers.ru/ and other cities of Russia, roses become the most popular flower. But back to our Italy. The Italian presents flowers with a wish of prosperity and kindness, and this is reflected in the shape of the bouquet: sheaves, flower wreaths and compositions up to one and a half meters high. They decorate the house during the celebration. Traditionally, olive branches are inserted into bouquets, symbolizing fertility, and sunflowers, as a symbol of harmony and peace in the house. And by the presence of orange tree flowers in the bride's bouquet, you will know that she wants to have a big family. Orange color has long been a must-have at the wedding ceremony. By the way, the fashion for decorating a wedding cortege with flowers also came from Italy. But if you give Italians white chrysanthemums, you will find yourself in an awkward position. Chrysanthemums are flowers of sorrow and are worn on the graves of the dead.
· Flower holidays. Every year in May, a lot of guests come to the town of Gensano, where the Festival of Flowers is held. The whole town seems to be covered with a blanket of roses - so many of them can be seen in the form of various creations of florists. This is a real pink boom!
And at the end of February, the Folklore Festival dedicated to almonds takes place, and it is associated with the beginning of spring. The heady smell of blossoming almonds, apricots and roses envelops Sicily. Restaurants these days serve dishes from a special, "almond" menu. The flower festival is held with an interesting entertainment program.
In April, Italians gather for the Tulip Festival in Castiglion del Lago. The apogee of the festival is a procession where you can admire how the inhabitants of the town decorate castles and figures with the help of tulip petals.
In May, in the Tuscan city of Lucignano, the Maggiolata festival starts, at which the carnation becomes the queen. How many carnations do you think were used to create a summer women's hat and accordion?
· Decoration of windows with flowers. The humid Mediterranean climate is just a paradise for flowers. And everyone is watching the beauty of their windows and balconies. Entrepreneurial people have learned to make a business out of this: special vases with minerals and dry grass are offered on the market. And flowerpots are hung on window sills and even electric poles. Special people control the state of grass and flowers in the yards. And for the uncut lawn grass a fine is imposed.
In conclusion, I would like to say that if you are "sunk" into the soul of floral decorations in Italian style, boldly take on the realization of your dreams. Surround yourself with flowers and give them to your loved ones. And let the answer sound to you: “Benissimo! Che bello! (Great! How beautiful!)
Galina Parusova Domitalia
While vacationing in Italy, in addition to photographs of sights and myself beloved against their background, I brought photos of plants and flowers of the Adriatic. Not all plants remain identified, but photographs of those whose names and history are known to me are collected in this report. Photos of the flowers of Italy are supplemented by my impressions and information gleaned from the Internet, in books, from the stories of guides. So, a little botanical trip
Not knowing grief, grief, grief
In the land of magnolias, the sea splashes.
The boys are sitting on the fence
And they make me sad
Magnolia grandiflora (Magnolia grandiflora)
Magnolia - a tree with incredible beautiful flowers, spreading an alluring vanilla-lemon aroma. high evergreen tree with large leaves and huge white flowers up to 25 cm in diameter.
Magnolia grandiflora (Magnolia grandiflora)
Named after the French botanist Pierre Magnol in 1703. Magnolias are among the oldest flowering plants. They appeared at a time when there were no bees yet, therefore they are adapted for pollination by beetles.
Magnolia grandiflora (Magnolia grandiflora)
In China, a symbol of virgin purity. In the East, they say that a blooming magnolia is a song of Love.
Magnolia grandiflora (Magnolia grandiflora)
Resinseed comes from the subtropics of Japan and China. In nature, it is a tree or shrub (3–9 m high) with upright branches forming a dense, beautiful crown. The flowers of the resin seed are small, white with a creamy tint, collected in shields. Some specimens of Pittosporum are attractive in that you can see flowers of white, cream and pale yellow color nearby in one inflorescence.
Common resin seed, fragrant, Tobira (Pittosporum tobira)
Pittosporum flowers exude a strong sweetish-citrus aroma, reminiscent of a spicy orange scent. The seeds are in three-celled boxes, are orange in color and covered with a sticky resinous substance. Therefore, the plant is called resin seed.
Common resin seed, fragrant, Tobira (Pittosporum tobira)
Nandina is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the Barberry family. The only representative is Nandina home. In nature, the range of the species covers China and Japan. Another name is sacred bamboo. And although it has nothing to do with bamboos, it is true that it is very similar to bamboo due to its thin long stems.
Nandina domestica (Nandina domestica)
In spring and early summer, it is decorated with loose racemes of white flowers, consisting of sepals alone, so it seems that the flowers are double. By autumn, a mass of white and then reddening berries ripen on the bush. And all this against the background of magnificent foliage, dark green in the summer, and by the autumn acquiring a reddish-brown color.
Nandina domestica (Nandina domestica)
Yucca (Yucca)
This plant looks like a palm tree, but it is not at all. Evergreen, woody plants from the Agave family with a low, slightly branched or not branching stem at all, sometimes the stem is almost absent and only a bunch of large, xiphoid leaves rises above the ground. The leaves are spirally arranged. Inflorescences are very large, up to 200 cm long, erect, wide spreading panicles emerging from the middle of the leaf rosette. Flowers are bell-shaped, up to 7 cm long, drooping, white.
There is a belief that the yucca saved the ship in distress by stretching its branches out into the storm. And she held him better than any rope! Surprised sailors decided to investigate the properties of the plant. They found that the leaves and wood contained pita fiber. To this day, ropes are made from it, the strength of which does not lose to steel!
Yucca (Yucca)
It is a member of the euphorbia plant family Kutrovye ( Apocynaceae). A beautiful fast growing vine with glossy dark green waxy foliage and jasmine-like flowers with a strong pleasant scent.
Trachelospermum jasminoides (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
Blooms from early spring to autumn. A highly decorative plant, cultivated near a support as a liana or with regular pruning and pinching - as an ordinary shrub.
Trachelospermum jasminoides (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
Carefully! All parts of the plant poisonous. The strong scent of the flowers can cause headaches.
Trachelospermum jasminoides (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
It is a semi-evergreen or evergreen, winding or creeping fast-growing vine up to 10 m in length, originally from East Asia(hence the name).
Young shoots are pubescent. In the armpits of the leaves, two surprisingly fragrant flowers with the scent of jasmine are formed. The plant blooms from June to July. New opened white flowers gently contrast with yellowish (yesterday).
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
Hello, beautiful lantana, -
You captivate the admiring gaze!
With you in relentless thought
I weave the pattern of the past ... And there is a lot of rainbow in it ...
And God spoiled in abundance ...
And the Bird of Happiness did not sleep,
Protecting my threshold ... I do not value self-deception -
I do not pour oil on the past ...
I do not dream of a foggy future -
Lantana is dearer to me now - In the bliss of the blanc dawn
She is enthusiastically sung...
Margarita Meteletskaya
Unpretentious and plentiful flowering shrub. In India, lantana has been nicknamed "the curse of the planters" for its wild, indomitable growth. “Girl's word” - this is how lantana flowers were nicknamed in the Czech Republic because they change their color every day. This color change indicates to pollinating insects that it is ready to be pollinated.
Lanthanum leaves are poisonous to many animals. In addition, she highlights special chemical substances to suppress the growth of nearby plants.
The beautiful inflorescences of lantana camara amaze with their multicolor: the individual flowers of which they are composed change color depending on the degree of ripening. At first they are orange or yellow, then they turn dark red or pink. There are also rarer monochrome varieties, for example, with white flowers.
Lantana vaulted or prickly (Lantana camara)
Semi-shrub with strong shoot formation, eventually covers large areas. The leaves are oval, dark green, opposite, preserved in winter. Its flowers are huge, pure and bright yellow with golden reflections, and the fluffy corolla of stamens and pistils resembles the sun's rays.
St. John's wort, or St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum)
Distributed in Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece. In Europe it is used as an ornamental plant and is planted in parks and gardens.
St. John's wort, or St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum)
Banana
It turns out that this is not a palm tree or a tree, as is sometimes believed, but a giant perennial herbaceous plant, which has a powerful rhizome. From a botanical point of view, a banana is a berry, multi-seeded and thick-skinned.
Cultivated forms often lack seeds that are unnecessary for vegetative propagation. The leaves, tightly encircling each other, form a false stem, and it rises high above the ground.
Family Begoniaceae. The plant is native to America and Southeast Asia.
Begonia evergreen (B. semperflorens)
The ever-flowering begonia is especially valued for its very abundant flowering, which at proper care may continue all year round.
Begonia evergreen (B. semperflorens)
This is a bushy compact plant up to 25 cm high. The stems are succulent, fragile, branched, bare.
Begonia evergreen (B. semperflorens)
The leaves are rounded, with a slightly wavy, slightly pubescent margin, from light to dark green, sometimes even burgundy.
Begonia evergreen (B. semperflorens)
The flowers are double, white, pink, red, 2-4 on a short peduncle.
Begonia evergreen (B. semperflorens)
The plant is very unpretentious and easy to care for.
Begonia evergreen (B. semperflorens)
There are many hybrid forms with flowers ranging from white and pink to orange and red, as well as miniature varieties.
Begonia evergreen (B. semperflorens)
A genus of evergreen shrubs or small trees of the Myrtle family native to Australia and partly New Caledonia.
The first specimen, Callistemon lemon, was brought in 1789 by Joseph Banks to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. The nomenclatural name comes from the Greek. kallos - beautiful and stemmon - stamen, indicating distinctive look flowers with long red stamens.
Callistemon, Beautiful stalk, or Red stalk (Callistemon citrinus)
The common name comes from the appearance of the inflorescence, reminiscent of a bottle brush. The Germans believe that these flowers look like brushes for cleaning fireplaces. To the British, they resembled lamp-glass brushes. Smokers have seen pipe cleaners.
Callistemon, Beautiful stalk, or Red stalk (Callistemon citrinus)
The main part of the flower is made up of numerous long, multi-colored, protruding stamens. Depending on the color of the stamens, they are bright red, less often yellow, green, orange, cream or white. Each flower has a five-lobed calyx and corolla and a lower 3-4-locular ovary. Callistemon is a cross-pollinated plant, it is characterized by pollination by birds.
Callistemon, Beautiful stalk, or Red stalk (Callistemon citrinus)
Or Calicanthus, or calyx. Abundantly flowering shrub, especially valued for its fragrant flowers. All parts of the plant are aromatic. Wood retains its smell even when dry. For this aroma, the plant is classified as a spice, called clove tree and Jamaican pepper (Allspice).
Blooming Calicant (Calycanthus floridus)
Shrub 1-3 m high, rather spreadingly branched. Young branches are densely hairy, one-year-old branches are thinly and softly pubescent, obtusely ribbed, olive-brown, with numerous light lenticels.
Blooming Calicant (Calycanthus floridus)
Large, up to 5 cm in diameter, unusually painted in dark red-brown, fragrant and seemingly velvety flowers that appear in June-July are very beautiful.
Blooming Calicant (Calycanthus floridus)
After flowering, a spectacular jug-shaped fruit up to 7 cm in size is formed.
Blooming Calicant (Calycanthus floridus)
Pomegranate (Punica)
In the pomegranate garden
fragrance flowers,
Here the nightingale sings
Love confessions...
Here the breeze swayed slightly,
Branches of blooming clouds
And the most delicate swarm of petals,
Strives to meet the ground.
Garnet. Everyone knows what a pomegranate fruit looks like and what it tastes like. But other features of this plant are not known to many. It was named so for the similarity of grains with precious stones - garnets. Blood-red varieties are similar to pyrope or Bohemian garnet, red-violet - to almandine, pale pink and yellowish - to spessartine and grossular (owe its name to gooseberries). The Latin nickname for pomegranate (Punica granatum) literally translates as Punic pomegranate. It is Punic by region of origin (suffice it to recall the Punic wars waged by the Romans against the Carthaginians).
Pomegranate (Punica)
Pomegranate is a perennial tree or shrub 5-6 m tall in a subtropical climate. The flowers are bell-shaped, orange-red, up to 4 cm in diameter.
Pomegranate (Punica)
Poppy self-seed (Papaver rhoeas)
An annual herbaceous plant. Distributed throughout the Mediterranean. Bright lights with silky petals are very beautiful.
The milky juice of poppies is called "opium", which means "poppy juice" in Greek.
Samoseyka poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
Most poppies grow in arid places - steppes, semi-deserts, deserts, dry rocky mountain slopes.
Samoseyka poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
One of the most common flowers in Italy is, of course, geranium,
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
or how to call it correctly - pelargonium.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
A plant of the geranium family, the progenitors of many cultivars - South Africa.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
Popular indoor plant grows beautifully
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
in Mediterranean conditions in the open field.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
Very loved by gardeners for the sun endurance.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
Front gardens, courtyards, windows and balconies, flower beds throughout Italy are colored with bright hats.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
Without bright pelargoniums it is impossible to imagine a single street or a single town in the Mediterranean.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
It blooms tirelessly, developing multi-colored bright cute caps of flowers all year round.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
Zonal, ivy, royal, fragrant
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
Any variety pleases with multicolor.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
Many pelargonium bushes bloom so luxuriantly that from afar they can be mistaken for roses.
Pelargonium, geranium (Pelargonium)
roses
Of course, among the flowers in the gardens of the Mediterranean, there are many chic roses.
And it would be unfair to pass over in silence the queen of flowers.
Rose is the name of the cultural forms of plants belonging to the family Rosaceae, or Pink, the genus Rose, or Rosehip, accepted in decorative floriculture.
The name "Rose" comes from the Old Persian 'wrodon', which in Greek changed to 'rhodon', and in Latin it became 'rosa'.
Noble roses with a deep symbolic meaning and a wide range of colors,
ranging from the classic and always popular red
and ending with interesting and unusual shades of white, pink,
yellow, orange and even purple.
A variety of shapes, sizes, aromas and colors make the rose a welcome guest in the flower beds.
Balsam New Guinea
Balsams are a very extensive genus with more than 500 species. The balsam got its popular name “touchy” because the ripened seed pods burst at the slightest touch, scattering the seeds.
Balsam New Guinea
Hybrid balsams "New Guinea" as ornamental plants have been in use since 1972.
Balsam New Guinea
The difference between New Guinea balsams and other species is a stronger stem, fleshy leaves and flowers, and they also have a more compact bush. In addition, the flowers of the New Guinean balsam are very large (5–8 cm), white, pink, lilac, orange, red and burgundy, monochromatic and bicolor, beautifully shaped.
Balsam New Guinea
Winter in Italy is the time of the reign of cyclamen. In winter comes their holiday and parade. And in early March, we were still admiring these beautiful flowers with might and main. Numerous and varied cyclamen, whose flowers are painted in different colors and shades, with straight and carved petals, we met everywhere. Cyclamens grew on every window and balcony, in all the flowerbeds of the streets, in all the gardens.
Cyclamen, or Dryakva, Cýclamen
Cyclamen is a tuberous plant that belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennials. blooms beautiful flowers different colors in the autumn-winter period, when there are so few bright sunny days. Its delicate flowers create a cozy and joyful atmosphere in the room. In nature, the cyclamen flower is found in Iran and Northeast Africa, but most often in Turkey and Italy.
Cyclamen, or Dryakva, Cýclamen
There are many interesting legends about this exotic flower. Here is one of them:
Cyclamen, or Dryakva, Cýclamen
When King Solomon built the temple, he needed a crown. The masters offered him crowns of the most different shapes, but none of them suited the king. Feeling upset, he went for a walk through the fields and hills and saw that the whole earth was covered with a flower carpet. Each flower tried to attract royal attention and offered the king to test himself as a crown. But the humble King Solomon did not want his head to be crowned with self-satisfied and boastful flowers.
Cyclamen, or Dryakva, Cýclamen
Returning to the temple, he noticed a timid pink cyclamen lurking among the rocks. His eyes lit up, and he decided to make himself a crown in the shape of this very modest flower. The king thought that this crown would be a reminder to him that the people needed to be ruled wisely and at the same time modestly. After the death of King Solomon, cyclamen became sad and bowed his head even lower as a sign of grief.
Cyclamen, or Dryakva, Cýclamen
Mandevilla ( Mandevilla), or Diplosion
Genus of climbing flowering plants of the Kutrovye family ( Apocynaceae). The range of the genus covers Central and South America. Evergreen shrubs and climbing subshrubs impress with their flexibility and elegance. All mandevilles grow rapidly, their shoots, stretching from 1 m in length, are smooth and rather thin.
The foliage of the Mandeville is glossy, dark green, up to 9 cm long, beautifully rounded, ovoid in shape with a pointed apex. Liana flowering is plentiful. Funnel-shaped, with five limb petals slightly “twisting” like a windmill, the flowers reach a diameter of 10-12 cm and stand out not only for their beauty and showiness, but also for their pleasant aroma.
Mandevilla, or Diplatia
The palette of colors of the mandeville includes white, pink and red spectra, from pastel and light, to quite bright, but always pure tones. The outer side of the tube at the base of the flower turns white.
Mandevilla, or Diplatia
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Like all representatives of the kutrov family, to which it belongs, it is very poisonous, and the whole plant is poisonous from root to flower. The milky sap and seeds are especially poisonous.
This beautiful plant is a common inhabitant of the vast expanses of many Mediterranean countries, an integral part of their landscapes. Especially noticeable here is this low evergreen shrub during flowering - from June to October.
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
There are many cultivated varieties of this plant with many color shades of inflorescences: white, pink, raspberry, beige, plain and double.
Grow as bushes and trees. The flowers are collected in large inflorescences, crowning the ends of the branches over narrow, like a willow, leaves. Lanceolate oleander leaves up to 15 cm long, pointed at the end, smooth, leathery.
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Type of deciduous ornamental shrubs of the Pink family (Rosaceae). Spirea is a perennial deciduous shrub that is valued for its long and lush flowering.
Japanese spirea (spiraea japonica)
Spireas are generally very popular shrubs, and "Japanese spirea" occupies a special place even among its relatives, since its decorative qualities are preserved from spring to late autumn. Japanese Spirea is a beautiful shrub that blooms with pink-red flowers all summer.
Japanese spirea (spiraea japonica)
lamprantus
Lamprantus is a genus of plants in the Aizaceae family. Classified in 1930. About 217 species are distributed in nature. From South Africa. The life form is a one- or two-year-old grass with erect or creeping shoots.
Lamprantus can be grown all year round in a residential area, or on the street as an annual as a decoration of a garden, courtyard, on an alpine hill.
lamprantus
Lavender (Lavandula)
An evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region.
Lavender (Lavandula)
The name lavender comes from the Latin word "lava" - to wash, the Romans added lavender to baths for a relaxing effect and aroma. The long stems of the plant with blooming flowers of blue-violet color are unusually picturesque and fragrant.
Lavender (Lavandula)
Wisteria (Glicinia - "sweet") or wisteria (Wisteria)
I walk, I look out the window, do I -
Flowers and the sky is blue
Then magnolia is in your nose,
Then wisteria in your eye
V. Mayakovsky
Spring in Italy is a real flower explosion!
In March we caught the flowering of wisteria. This is one of the most beautiful liana trees with a very fragrant flowers. These purple waterfalls are simply mesmerizing.
Wisteria (Glicinia) or wisteria (Wisteria)
Wisteria (or "wisteria") belongs to a number of large woody deciduous vines. This deciduous liana belongs to the legume family, its fragrant flowers are collected in racemes 20-50 cm long. It came to Europe and Japan from China.
Wisteria (Glicinia) or wisteria (Wisteria)
A long time ago - several millennia ago - there lived a girl named Gui in China. She was so beautiful that even the moon envied her and, seeing Gui from afar, hid behind a cloud in annoyance. But despite the beautiful face, slim figure and easy gait, Gui's greatest asset was her hair - in the sun they sparkled blue and purple hues, and in the evening, in the white light of the moon, they radiated a bluish-lilac glow.
Wisteria (Glicinia) or wisteria (Wisteria)
Everyone loved Gui, but one day a misfortune happened - an evil dragon attacked her. He grabbed the girl, flew away with her far into the mountains and tore to pieces there. Heaven could not endure such villainy. No sooner had the dragon moved away from the body of his prey than he felt that his body began to stiffen until it became a twisted vine with a cracked bark. And instead of the fiery flame spewed from its mouth, clusters of beautiful flowers appeared, which in color resembled the braids of the deceased Gui.
Wisteria (Glicinia) or wisteria (Wisteria)
Since then, every spring, the liana, which people called wisteria for its wonderful aroma (translated from Greek, its name - glycos - means "sweet"), blooms to the delight of everyone - they say, this is how the evil dragon atones for his guilt for the ruined life of the unfortunate beauty Gui.
Wisteria (Glicinia) or wisteria (Wisteria)
Paulownia (Paulownia)
Paulownia or Adam's tree is a perennial tall (up to 15 - 20 m in height) and fast-growing deciduous plant with very large leaves (from 20 cm to 50 cm) and beautiful fragrant inflorescences (up to 30 - 50 cm long) of pale purple (sometimes white) flowers. Distributed in North America, Europe and Asia as a valuable landscape gardening culture. Named after Queen Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Pavel I Petrovich. For the same reason, the tree is also known as the "princess tree".
Paulownia (Paulownia)
In China, paulownia is called "dragon tree", and in Japan - "kiri". All types of paulownia are fast growing trees. For this reason, they are used to produce wood, biomass, ethanol, fodder, paper and other products. Paulownia is widely used for landscaping urban landscapes, in landscape gardening, to create recreation areas .. The tree is incredibly beautiful at the time of flowering, which occurs before the leaves are fully blooming, in late spring - early summer. Clusters of bluish-lilac (sometimes pale blue or white) inflorescences, consisting of large (up to 6 cm in diameter) bell-shaped flowers, exuding vanilla, with a slight almond flavor, attract honey insects.
Paulownia (Paulownia)
In the Mediterranean countries they call the Judas tree, this name is associated with the legend of Judas hanging on it.
Crimson carob or European Cercis, Cercis siliquastrum
Crimson blooms in spring before foliage blooms, blooms for a short time - 3–4 weeks.
Crimson carob or European Cercis, Cercis siliquastrum
But there are so many flowers that they cover both thin shoots, and thick skeletal branches, and even the trunk.
Crimson carob or European Cercis, Cercis siliquastrum
Small flowers of the moth type, like most legumes, are collected in bunches, bunches - in lush "caps".
Crimson carob or European Cercis, Cercis siliquastrum
In the spring, during flowering, the trees are magically beautiful.
Crimson carob or European Cercis, Cercis siliquastrum
In the countries of the Mediterranean, in carpentry work, light crimson wood with a beautiful black-and-green pattern and yellow paint obtained from the same wood are highly valued.
Crimson carob or European Cercis, Cercis siliquastrum
Evergreen shrub, approximately 0.6-1.8 m tall with several upright stems and slender branches densely covered with leaves that resemble myrtle. At the ends of short branches are brushes bearing large flowers of purple or mauve hue, similar to fluttering butterflies. The flowering period is quite long.
Myrtle leaf (Polygala myrtifolia)
Polygala in Greek consists of two words: polys (a lot) and gala (milk), as some members of the genus tend to increase the secretion of milk.
Myrtle leaf (Polygala myrtifolia)
This evergreen tree of the rose family blooms at the beginning of winter, and by May the fruits ripen. Only then can they be tasted, because juicy and tender fruits are not stored at all.
Japanese loquat, Eriobotrya japonica
The birthplace of the medlar is the humid subtropics of China and Japan, where it grows, as a rule, on mountain slopes. In the 19th century The plant was brought to Europe. In May, medlar is sold in small markets and shops. The taste is sour, pleasant, the smell is unusual for a fruit - the smell of a rose is mixed in.
Japanese loquat, Eriobotrya japonica
Oranges, Citrus sinensis
Oranges, Citrus sinensis
The name in Russian is borrowed from the Dutch language and means - Chinese apple. These plants, which have become common in the Mediterranean, were brought in the 15th century from China by Portuguese sailors.
Orange Garden and Basilica of St. sabina
Evergreen cypress, Cupressus sempervirens
In Jesolo they saw a cemetery surrounded by cypresses. According to legend, the cypress is called the tree of the dead, a symbol of sadness, and branches of the tree are often used in burial rites.
alley of cypresses to the local cemetery
Pinia, Pinus pinea
The peculiar crown of the pine will make any landscape Italian. Pine cones are not small - up to 15 cm long. The seeds are edible, 3-4 times larger than pine nuts. They write that the most correct and expensive traditional Italian pesto sauce is made with crushed pine seeds, and the cheaper one uses almonds. And the famous Pinocchio Pinocchio was carved, it turns out, from a pine log.
Pinia, Pinus pinea
Plane tree (Platanus)
Under the plane tree, under the plane tree
it’s good for southerners to sit:
even on the hottest day
shade under the thick plane tree.
Maple foliage and hedgehog fruits,
he is always in the south with us.
Nasimovich Yu.
Plane tree (Platanus)
The unusual appearance of the trunks of these trees attracts attention at first glance. old bark flakes off in parts, and the trunk becomes spotty.
Plane tree (Platanus), trunk
In autumn, plane tree leaves are as good as the maple leaves they look like, and in winter all the trees are covered with seed balls.
Plane tree (Platanus), fruit
Linden (Tilia)
How fresh it is here under the thick linden -
The midday heat did not penetrate here,
And thousands hanging over me
Swing fragrant fans ...
Athanasius Fet
Linden (Tilia)
Tall deciduous tree. Linden is very decorative. It grows quickly, develops a large leaf mass, tolerates dust and soot well, as well as pruning and crown formation.
Linden (Tilia)
It is highly valued in landscaping cities when creating street, park and natural plantings. The flowers are yellowish-white, very fragrant, so ka linden is a wonderful honey plant.
Linden (Tilia)
An evergreen treelike plant of the genus Cycad, we meet it as a houseplant. The cicada revoluta grew in a pot in the courtyard of the apartments, and it was at least a meter tall.
drooping cycad (Cycas revoluta)
In Italy, even in its northern part, flowering plants can be seen almost all year round. You look at some and often do not know - what kind of flowers are they? We have made a selection with photos and descriptions of the most beautiful herbaceous plants, trees and shrubs. We will update it periodically.
After returning from my first trip to Italy, I began to look at kilometers of photography - and almost a third of them were devoted to flowers. I clicked everything in my path.
Some of these plants I knew well, they grow here too. I saw others in greenhouses, and under open sky met for the first time. I didn't even know the names of some of the plants. I'm not a nerd, just curious. I had to turn to an expert.
And so this list was born. It contains both popular garden and wild plants, which are often found in northern Italy - from the Mediterranean to the Alps.
Azalea
At the end of March, azaleas begin to bloom in gardens on Lake Como, Maggiore and elsewhere, peaking in April and early May. Bushes planted on the slopes, covered with colorful flowers, look unusually beautiful. There are travelers who specially from afar come here at this time - just like in Japan for sakura. Azaleas, which adorn the gardens of Italy, are predominantly of Asian origin and are relatively recent in Europe. In Europe, they are widely distributed in Great Britain and on the Atlantic coast of France. In Italy, azaleas do well in the north, there are many of them in the foothills of the Alps. Interesting places for visiting: Parco della Burcina in Piedmont, villa Carlotta and Melzi to Lake Como in Lombardy, as well as in neighboring Switzerland - the most beautiful Parco San Grato in the mountains near Melide on Lake Lugano.
Oleander
Traveling through blooming and green Italy, first of all you pay attention to the numerous alleys of oleanders. This beautiful shrub in Italy it is found everywhere - it grows along roads, in squares and parks, decorates villas. Indigenous inhabitant of the Mediterranean region - blooms from early summer to September inclusive, tolerates well summer heat and warm Italian winter. Tall bushes with dark green leaves can grow singly, or can create entire thickets. Groves of several varieties look especially beautiful - oleander blooms with white, light pink, yellow, red, crimson flowers. If, looking at this beauty, there is a desire to pick a branch for yourself, you need to remember that oleander is very poisonous plant, all its parts and the secreted juice are extremely dangerous, so you should only admire it from afar.
bougainvillea
Get to know bougainvillea among others flowering trees and bushes is not difficult - at the peak of flowering, the earth around it is strewn with a purple, pink or purple carpet. In this case, you will see not petals, but something similar to leaves. The fact is that the bougainvillea flower is quite small and white, and it is already surrounded by large bracts - modified colored leaves. Due to the appearance of these stipules, fragile as paper, bougainvillea is called the "paper flower". Bougainvillea is found in the form of trees, bushes, but most often - lignified vines. Two-tone bougainvilleas look very interesting. This tree is very popular as an ornamental tree, decorating gardens, fences and walls of buildings, it remains green all year round - the leaves do not fall. Due to its resistance to drought and salt, it is an ideal resident of seaside areas. The further south and warmer, the better it feels and the longer this plant of stunning beauty blooms.
Magnolia
Thanks to large flowers and oval shiny leaves, the magnolia tree is difficult to confuse with something else. It is found on the embankments, in parks, botanical gardens and just on the streets of most cities in the Mediterranean. In northern Italy, magnolia blooms in February-March, and thousands of people come to see this pink miracle, which also exudes a strong and pleasant aroma. After the leaves fall, no less remarkable fruits appear - large, fleshy, similar at the same time to a cone and some kind of exotic fruit. This is one of the oldest plants on earth, shrouded in legends, which, moreover, has medicinal properties, and the smell of magnolia underlies many perfume compositions.
cistus
The flowers of this wild-growing shrub are similar to wild roses, which is why it is sometimes called a rock rose. The flowers are white to dark pink and purple, with a conspicuous dark red blotch at the base of each petal in several species. The leaves and young shoots of some species, such as Cistus ladanifer, release an aromatic resin from which frankincense oil is made. Shrub, as a rule, not high, up to 1 meter. Stem woody, with bark. Blooms in April-June. Distributed in Val Maira (Piedmont), Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria, Tuscany, etc. The photo was taken on Mount Conero near Ancona.
Heather
The inhabitants of northern Italy love to decorate their terraces and balconies with pots of flowering heather bushes, although heather almost does not grow in the wild nature of Italy - they prefer more northern countries. Walking the streets of cities, sitting in coffee houses, it is impossible not to pay attention to beautiful decor- wicker baskets, terracotta or metal pots with small flowers on twigs look charming. Heather flowers can be of various shades, the most interesting is the combination of several varieties in flower arrangements. Heather begins to bloom at the end of summer and continues during September-October. In the markets and even in supermarkets at this time pots with these plants under the international name Calluna are massively sold. You can bring home such a souvenir, however, this is a rather capricious plant, demanding on the acidity of the soil.
Campsis
This creeper is deservedly respected by the owners of gardens and villas - it can be seen in large and small cities in Italy along the streets, where it wraps around walls, fences and poles. An unpretentious, fast-growing plant in the warm climate of Italy all summer and even in autumn produces abundant inflorescences with clearly visible tubular flowers, most often orange, but yellow, pink or crimson varieties can also be found. Thanks to aerial suction roots, it can rise to a height of up to 15 m. It feels good in an urban environment - it is resistant to gases and smoke. For the winter, sheds leaves, lignified thickets of vine stems remain. It is also known by the names tekoma and trumpetflower.
Wisteria
Another liana that often becomes an object for photographing while traveling. Like bougainvillea, it looks very impressive on the streets of ancient cities, wrapping around walls, supports and lanterns. In April-May, its flowering begins, and this is just an amazing sight - it blooms magnificently, inflorescences-brushes fall in a lilac or blue waterfall. When entire alleys of wisteria bloom in parks or botanical gardens, this phenomenon is in no way inferior to the famous cherry blossoms in beauty. This is a deciduous, frost-resistant liana, it can grow up to 15-18 m in height. Another name is wisteria, the flowers resemble an acacia in structure, both of them belong to legumes. Wisteria is able to release phytoncides - active substances that suppress tubercle bacillus, insects die next to a broken branch. It is also believed that its flowers and beans are highly poisonous to humans.
Hibiscus
These large bright flowers well known to fans beautiful plants. In Italian gardens, squares and parks, in hedges near houses, you can often find these evergreen shrubs with red, orange, yellow flowers, simple or double. In the warm climate of Italy, it blooms from spring to autumn. One of the varieties of hibiscus is known as sudanese rose, hibiscus tea is made from it. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the rose - hibiscus belong to the mallow family.
orchis purpurea
This wild herbaceous plant up to 70 cm high from the Orchid family blooms from April to June. The flowers exude a light vanilla aroma. Distributed almost throughout Italy, prefers mountainous areas where there are few people. Grows in pastures, meadows, in rare light forests. This type of orchid is found in Russia and Ukraine, but is considered rare.
Picturesque Italy is a country of passionate love, bright colorful courtyards, rich ancient history winding streets, where many cozy cafes greet visitors with the smell of coffee and freshly baked bread, thin pizza and mouth-watering pasta. Over the years, the Italians have become generally recognized leaders in the art of floristry, so this country is no less remarkable for its special, very curious flower traditions.
Italy is famous for its rich floral tradition.
We inherited the tradition of decorating a wedding car with fresh flowers from sunny Italy. In ancient times, it was believed that a wagon decorated with flowers would bring the newlyweds to a brighter future.
The ancient Italian custom of decorating a wedding procession with flowers has spread throughout the world.
The inhabitants of Italy can be recognized anywhere in the world, because they are temperamental, always joyful and very smiling people. It is not surprising that Italian men easily conquer women's hearts: they know how to look after girls brightly and imposingly, and beautifully present a bouquet of flowers. An Italian will never give a girl a modest nondescript bouquet - the inhabitants of this country prefer floral luxury.
Italians prefer to give girls bright bouquets of luxurious flowers.
Cozy Italian patios
Probably, in no other country in the world you will see so many flowers on the street as in Italy. Local residents try to decorate almost everything around them: every window, a balcony in small courtyards, ceremonial halls and shopping centers, the buildings of cafes and pharmacies on the streets are twined with garlands, decorated with unpretentious flower miniatures or luxurious original plant compositions.
Almost every balcony and patio in Italy is decorated with flower arrangements.
Floral traditions of Italy
The custom of giving each other flowers came from the past, when most local population lived in small villages. That's probably why the best gift in Italy, flower bouquets are considered in the form of small sheaves. They are very popular, they are given just like that, regardless of the occasion for the celebration, except that the size of the "sheaves" varies from miniature to huge armfuls.
Bouquets are made up of a wide variety of flowers, often diluted with spikelets of wheat and other cereals, dry leaves, sunflowers, tied with a sheaf of straw. Sunflowers occupy a special place in Italy, they are more often present in traditional bouquets than other flowers. Italians give each other sunflowers with the wishes of wealth, health and abundance, the local population associates this flower with warmth, sunlight, joy.
The most popular bouquets in Italy are sheaves, they are often given to friends and relatives even for no particular reason.
Wedding bouquets in Italy
In Italy, flowers of exotic plants, such as orange blossoms, are often chosen for the bride's wedding bouquet, which here symbolize friendly relations in the family. It is interesting to know that the wedding in Italy is called "Fiori d'Arancio", which means "orange flowers". It turns out that it used to be customary to choose only flowers for wedding bouquets. orange color, and today in the bouquets of Italian brides there are often sunflowers - the favorite flowers of Italians.
But it is not customary for brides to give flowers to brides at weddings in Italy, and the reason is very simple: a lot of importance is given to the wedding decorations of the church, the banquet hall. Being aesthetes by nature, the Italians do not want to disturb the harmony of the wedding celebration with colorful colorful bouquets brought by the guests.
At an Italian wedding, it is not customary to give flowers to the bride, so as not to disturb the design of the celebration
Chrysanthemum - a symbol of deep silent sadness
If you decide to give the Italians our favorite chrysanthemums, especially white ones, you will be misunderstood, as they say. The reason is the dissimilarity between the traditions of Russia and Italy: on the Day of the Dead, locals bring wreaths of chrysanthemums or simply cut flowers to the graves of relatives. According to Italian legend, a poor woman brought paper flowers to decorate her son's grave. And the next morning, when she came to mourn his death, she saw that the paper flowers she had brought the day before had sprouted and turned into white chrysanthemums.
Luxurious nature and unique climate of Italy has made it one of the most "blooming" countries in the world. Here, indeed, flowers are honored and endowed with the qualities of living beings. Even the word "flora" itself takes its origins from ancient Roman mythology - that was the name of the goddess of flowers. It is not surprising that the art of floristry appeared in this country, and today the Italians are the recognized leaders of this art.
In Italy there are even a number of holidays associated with different colors and plants are Camellia, strawberry, artichoke holidays and others. These days the whole country is decorated with these plants and celebrates such an event.
Of course, all kinds of floral compositions are also popular - in Italy they are presented in such an assortment, which, perhaps, cannot be found in the whole world. Plants are imported into this country and, of course, a lot of plants are grown on the territory of Italy itself and exported to other states.
One of the favorite plants of Italians can be safely called sunflower - it symbolizes the sun and light. No less popular is the olive, which grows almost everywhere here - that plant is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Often it is with these plants that a strict and concise business bouquet is made, which at the same time serves as a wish for success and capital increase.
In general, in Italy they prefer such compositions that resemble sheaves in shape, and the dimensions of the compositions can vary significantly - they can be from very small to huge, almost two meters. Small compositions are often put on the table, it is customary to give them with or without reason, but large “sheaves” are most often installed at the entrance to a restaurant, cafe or store on its opening day, such “giants” can decorate housewarming parties, banquets, etc. .d.
In such "sheaves", in addition to the favorite sunflowers and olives, spikelets are often present. Like the Slavic peoples, they symbolize abundance, prosperity. For this reason, they are included both in business compositions and in festive compositions timed to coincide with some solemn occasion.
Another symbolic plant in Italy is the vine. Here it is customary to worship her as a symbol of fertility and inspiration - wine is made from it, houses are built. Often in the compositions there are grape brushes - they personify fertility, numerous offspring, a rich harvest, happiness.
Lovers here give each other roses and carnations- these plants in Italy are considered to be talismans of love, passion, fidelity. And in any online flower shop here, orders for compositions from these buds are most often addressed.
In general, in Italy, as nowhere else in the world, plants are honored, and every inhabitant of the country seeks to decorate both his home and the territories adjacent to it as best as possible. large quantity colors.
