Rock Cress "Red Cascade"
Rock Cress "Red Cascade" - Aubrieta Adans.
Hardy Herbaceous Perennial.
Plants form beautiful glaucous cushions up to 15 cm high, wintering under the snow. The leaves are small, oblong-spatulate, with serrated edges. Flowers up to 1 cm in diameter, purple, lilac. The whole plant is very decorative during flowering, when the leaves are almost invisible due to the mass of flowers. Blooms from May to 40 days.
The selection of the crop has a long history. To this day, old varieties bred at the end of the 19th century have been preserved in amateur gardens abroad. They are characterized by strong plant development, a good carpet shape and abundant, but small flowers.
Location: only sunny, even in partial shade, aubrieta stretches out and practically does not bloom. However, the plant grows and develops better where the summer is moderately hot.
Soil: the crop prefers light, not very fertile soils with the addition of lime or chalk. It absolutely does not tolerate souring heavy waterlogged clays, as well as fatty soil containing peat. Moisture is especially destructive in winter, so plants are planted on rocky hills, on raised or well-drained areas. In the middle zone, watering is required only for young plantings or in extremely dry times, and in the south it is mandatory.
Care: Aubrieta is very responsive to the surface application of sand (even if the soil is quite light in mechanical composition). It is recommended to mulch this way with a layer of 3-5 cm 2-3 times a season. After flowering in May, the plants are immediately cut, which promotes new rapid and more compact growth. Repeated flowering is observed in autumn. They are winter-hardy, but in severe protracted winters with sharp temperature fluctuations, some varieties may fall out. Therefore, in the northern regions, a light cover with dry leaves is necessary.
Flowering period: Spring to Summer.
Ideal for: Ground Cover, Rockery.
Sowing Instructions: Sow from late winter to early summer in a good free draining seed compost just covering the seed. Make sure the compost is moist and not wet and seal in a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 14-21 days at +18 °C.
Growing Instructions: transplant when large enough to handle into boxes and then 7.5 cm pots. Later plant out 30 cm apart into a well drained garden soil preferably containing lime, in a sunny site.
Hardy Herbaceous Perennial.
Plants form beautiful glaucous cushions up to 15 cm high, wintering under the snow. The leaves are small, oblong-spatulate, with serrated edges. Flowers up to 1 cm in diameter, purple, lilac. The whole plant is very decorative during flowering, when the leaves are almost invisible due to the mass of flowers. Blooms from May to 40 days.
The selection of the crop has a long history. To this day, old varieties bred at the end of the 19th century have been preserved in amateur gardens abroad. They are characterized by strong plant development, a good carpet shape and abundant, but small flowers.
Location: only sunny, even in partial shade, aubrieta stretches out and practically does not bloom. However, the plant grows and develops better where the summer is moderately hot.
Soil: the crop prefers light, not very fertile soils with the addition of lime or chalk. It absolutely does not tolerate souring heavy waterlogged clays, as well as fatty soil containing peat. Moisture is especially destructive in winter, so plants are planted on rocky hills, on raised or well-drained areas. In the middle zone, watering is required only for young plantings or in extremely dry times, and in the south it is mandatory.
Care: Aubrieta is very responsive to the surface application of sand (even if the soil is quite light in mechanical composition). It is recommended to mulch this way with a layer of 3-5 cm 2-3 times a season. After flowering in May, the plants are immediately cut, which promotes new rapid and more compact growth. Repeated flowering is observed in autumn. They are winter-hardy, but in severe protracted winters with sharp temperature fluctuations, some varieties may fall out. Therefore, in the northern regions, a light cover with dry leaves is necessary.
Flowering period: Spring to Summer.
Ideal for: Ground Cover, Rockery.
Sowing Instructions: Sow from late winter to early summer in a good free draining seed compost just covering the seed. Make sure the compost is moist and not wet and seal in a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 14-21 days at +18 °C.
Growing Instructions: transplant when large enough to handle into boxes and then 7.5 cm pots. Later plant out 30 cm apart into a well drained garden soil preferably containing lime, in a sunny site.
Why hasn't aubrieta become widespread in landscaping?
This is not a plant that can be planted and forgotten. It requires constant attention and love, otherwise it will disappear one day, unnoticed and without a trace.
Our heroine is undoubtedly suitable only for gardens with individual care and for true amateur gardeners.