In Russia, the plant was called the lady's slipper, and university crackers - like a real shoe. We also have other names for the slipper of Venus, for example, cuckoo's slippers, Mary's slipper, boots of the Virgin.

And the story is this. The eternally young goddess of love Aphrodite was originally the goddess of the sky, sending rain, and, according to verified rumors that have come to us from the darkness of centuries, she was also a goddess of the sea. It would seem that the beautiful Aphrodite (aka Kytherea, Cypris, Paphia, Paphos goddess, Cythera and Venus) should not interfere in bloody battles. Nevertheless, one day, filled with pity for Ares, who was wounded under the walls of Troy, she stood up for the unlucky warrior. For this she was mercilessly thrown to the ground by the formidable Athena. Aphrodite ran to Olympus in tears, losing her shoe along the way, which turned into a lovely plant.

Over time, botanists named it Cypripedium, which translated from Latin means “Cypris’s slipper.” The full Latin name of the plant is Cypripedium calceolus L. Translated from Latin, calceolus is “little shoe.” Really, beautiful flower resembles a Dutch wooden shoe.

The plant was classified as a member of the orchid family - perhaps the most remarkable, according to aesthetes, family in the plant kingdom. Orchid flowers are so perfect and so amazingly adapted to cross-pollination that it seems that the matter could not have happened without the intervention of the gods.

Lady's slipper flowers are pollinated by small bees attracted by the succulent hairs at the base of the plant's lip, which secrete nectar. A bee can get out of a flower only through two small holes in the back wall of the cavity formed by the petals. Squeezing through it, she gets dirty with sticky pollen. Having flown to another flower, the bee leaves some of the pollen on the stigma of the new plant. And isn’t it curious that as soon as she brings pollen from another plant, the flower withers right before our eyes, in just a few hours. This was written about back in 1793 in the book “The Open Secret of Nature in the Structure and Fertilization of Flowers.”

The lady's slipper has few flowers. Most often one, less often two or three. But they are large, up to seven centimeters long. The two side petals are slightly curled, about the length of a finger. Except for the lip (it is yellow with red-brown spots), all the petals are purple-brown in color. The scent of the slipper flower is reminiscent of vanilla.

In the shady thicket of the forest, the lower surface of its leaves is dark purple. And for good reason. This color, imparted by anthocyanin, helps to make better use of scarce light and heat. By absorbing light, anthocyanin converts it into heat, somewhat warming the plant. The plant is perennial, but blooms only once every 10 or even 18 years, usually at the end May - early June.

Once upon a time, there were plenty of Venus's slippers in the Volga region and in the valley of the Kama River, along the middle reaches of the Dnieper, on the Don and in the Crimea. Nowadays they are quickly disappearing due to deforestation and thanks to flower lovers. But the shoe does not stay in the bouquet at all - it immediately fades. It is saved from animals (with the possible exception of sika deer, and there are few of them) by poisonous juice.

Medicinal properties poisonous juice This type of shoe has not yet been studied. But even Shakespeare was clear that even “in little flower poison and medicine - in a delicate shell; “Smell it and you’ll gain strength, but if you swallow it, it will kill.”

Not only the lady's slipper, or real one, was included in the Red Book, but also its closest relative, the grandiflora slipper C.macranthon. If you're lucky, it can be found on lawns in deciduous, less often coniferous pine forests. The flowers of this slipper are lilac or violet-pink. Therefore, in Ukraine they are called “chervonny zozulki”, “red cuckoos”.

Grape

In gardens and personal plots, you can choose a warmer place for planting grapes, for example, on the sunny side of the house, garden pavilion, or veranda. It is recommended to plant grapes along the border of the site. The vines formed in one line will not take up much space and at the same time will be well lit from all sides. Near buildings, grapes must be placed so that they are not exposed to water flowing from the roofs. On level areas it is necessary to make ridges with good drainage due to drainage furrows. Some gardeners, following the experience of their colleagues from the western regions of the country, dig deep planting holes and fill them with organic fertilizers and fertilized soil. The holes, dug in waterproof clay, are a kind of closed vessel that is filled with water during the monsoon rains. In fertile soil, the root system of grapes develops well at first, but as soon as waterlogging begins, it suffocates. Deep holes can play a positive role on soils where good natural drainage, permeable subsoil is provided, or reclamation artificial drainage is possible. Planting grapes

You can quickly restore an outdated grape bush using the layering method (“katavlak”). For this purpose, healthy vines of a neighboring bush are placed in grooves dug to the place where the dead bush used to grow, and covered with earth. The top is brought to the surface, from which a new bush then grows. Lignified vines are laid on layering in the spring, and green ones - in July. They are not separated from the mother bush for two to three years. A frozen or very old bush can be restored by short pruning to healthy above-ground parts or by pruning to the “black head” of an underground trunk. In the latter case, the underground trunk is freed from the ground and completely cut down. Not far from the surface, new shoots grow from dormant buds, due to which a new bush is formed. Neglected and severely frost-damaged grape bushes are restored due to stronger fatty shoots formed in the lower part of the old wood and the removal of weakened sleeves. But before removing the sleeve, a replacement is formed. Grape care

A gardener starting to grow grapes needs to thoroughly study the structure of the grapevine and the biology of this interesting plant. Grapes are vine (climbing) plants and require support. But it can spread along the ground and take root, as is observed with Amur grapes in a wild state. Roots and aboveground part The stems grow quickly, branch strongly and reach large sizes. Under natural conditions, without human intervention, a branched bush of grapes grows with many vines of different orders, which begins to bear fruit late and produces crops irregularly. In cultivation, grapes are shaped and the bushes are given a shape that is easy to care for, ensuring a high yield of high-quality bunches. Vine

Schisandra

In the literature devoted to climbing plants, lianas, the methods of preparing planting holes and the planting itself are unnecessarily complicated. It is proposed to dig trenches and holes up to 80 cm deep, lay drainage from broken bricks and shards, install a pipe to the drainage for feeding, fill it with special soil, etc. When planting several bushes in collective gardens, similar preparation is still possible; but the recommended pit depth is not suitable for Far East, where the thickness of the root layer at best reaches 30 cm and it is most often underlain by waterproof subsoil. No matter what kind of drainage is laid, a deep hole will inevitably turn out to be a closed vessel where water will accumulate during the monsoon rains, and this will entail damping off and rotting of the roots from lack of air. And the roots of actinidia and lemongrass vines, as already noted, spread in the taiga in the surface layer of soil. Planting lemongrass

Schisandra chinensis, or schisandra, has several names - lemon Tree, red grapes, gomisha (Japanese), cochinta, kodzyanta (Nanai), kolchita (Ulch), usimtya (Udege), uchampu (Oroch). In terms of structure, systemic relationship, center of origin and distribution, Schisandra chinensis has nothing in common with the real citrus plant lemon, but all its organs (roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, berries) exude the aroma of lemon, hence the name Schisandra. The schisandra vine that clings or wraps around a support along with Amur grapes and three types of actinidia is original plant Far Eastern taiga. Its fruits, like real lemons, are too sour for fresh consumption, but they have medicinal properties, a pleasant aroma, and this attracted a lot of attention to him. The taste of Schisandra chinensis berries improves somewhat after frost. Local hunters who consume such fruits claim that they relieve fatigue, invigorate the body and improve vision. The consolidated Chinese pharmacopoeia, compiled back in 1596, states: “the fruit of Chinese lemongrass has five tastes, classified as the first category of medicinal substances. The pulp of lemongrass is sour and sweet, the seeds are bitter and astringent, and in general the taste of the fruit is salty. Thus, All five tastes are present in it." Grow lemongrass

Lady's slipper or Paphiopedilum (Paphiopedilum) is a plant from the Orchid family. The name (from the Greek Paphia - one of the names of the goddess Venus and pedilon - shoe, sandal) reflects the bizarre shape of the lip, reminiscent of a shoe. Over 50 species distributed in Asia from India and China and further south - to the islands of the Malay Archipelago and the Moluccas, New Guinea.

These are terrestrial or semi-epiphytic plants with an extremely shortened stem and a rosette of double-rowed linear or oblong keeled leathery leaves.

Look at the photo of the flowers of the Lady's slipper: they are solitary or in an apical, few-flowered raceme on a long, often pubescent peduncle:

The upper sepal is larger than the rest, the two lateral ones grow together into one small one, directed downwards. The petals are spread horizontally or obliquely downwards. The lip is large, bag-shaped, with two vaguely defined, upward-directed lateral lobes. Column with a flattened staminode, the shape of which is often a diagnostic feature of the species. They are valued for the beauty and brightness of flowers, winter timing and duration of flowering (the flower remains fresh on the plant for more than 2 months), as well as stability when cut (up to 1 month).

Representatives of this genus live in the tropics and subtropics. About 50 species grow in tropical Asia, Malaya and nearby islands. Some are quite common high altitude in the mountains, with plenty of rainfall and cool temperatures. In this case, they grow in decayed organic matter, on cliffs or in crevices of calcareous rocks, partially shaded by overhanging cliffs or trees. Other species develop at low elevations, where temperatures are higher.

When describing the Lady's slipper, it is worth noting that the paphiopedilum gives the impression of an artificial flower.

As you can see in the photo, the Lady's slipper orchid looks almost unnatural: it seems that the flower was made artificially:

Types of Lady's Slipper orchids differ in terms of flowering time. Paphiopedilum flowers have dense tissues and are unrivaled in their shelf life: they can remain on the plant or kept as cut flowers for a month or more. Some stay fresh for five months.

One of the main advantages of the paphiopedilum orchid is its ease of care at home: it is good material for lovers who do not have a greenhouse, because one or two plants will bloom beautifully in pots on a windowsill or in a window greenhouse.

See what the lady's slipper plant looks like in the photo below:

Types of houseplant Lady's slipper (Paphiopedilum)

The genus is divided into three groups, according to certain characteristics of the flowers.

Group I, Brachypetalum – Brachypetalum, has almost round flowers, which is created by large rounded petals. Plants in this group have variegated leaves and require little more heat than pure green species.

Group II, Anotopedilum, has elongated, narrow petals, a clean shoe with an unpainted top. Orchids have pure green leaves and require cool conditions.

Group III, Paphiopedilum - Paphiopedilum. It is characterized by a shoe that is painted or spotted along the rear edge. There are both variegated and pure green species.

Group I, Brachypetalum.

Paphiopedilum delenatii – Paphiopedilum delenatii. It's beautiful small plant with oval leaves, dark green, with red-violet spots below. The rounded flowers of this indoor orchid Lady's slippers have an oval, pointed sepal, velvety at the back and at the edges, white with a pink tint; petals are white, rounded. The spherical lip is white and pink, with a slight hint of lavender. Grows in Indochina, blooms in late winter - early spring.

Paphiopedilum concolor – Paphiopedilum concolor. The plants are roughly the same species as P. godeflore, with leaves variegated green above and spotted with dark crimson below. The flowers are yellow with purple spots. The upper sepal is concave and almost round, the wide petals are directed downwards.

Pay attention to the photo - the lady's slipper plant of this species has a paler lip, almost cylindrical, slightly thickened on the sides:

Grows in Mulmein (Burma). Blooms in autumn.

Group II, Anotopedilum.

Paphiopedilum prestans – Paphiopedilum praestans. Amazing flowers: large, brightly colored. The upper sepal is 5 cm high, whitish, decorated with distinct purple lines. The spirally twisted petals are yellowish, with brown veins, about 25 cm long. They have fleecy warts along the edges. The lip is quite long, slightly flattened laterally, brilliantly yellow with a red tint. Grows in New Guinea, blooms in August.

Paphiopedilum sanderianum – Paphiopedilum sanderianum. It's a wonderful view. Petals are 45 cm long, twisted, pale yellow with purple stripes and spots.

In the photo of the paphiopedilum of this species, you can see that the upper sepal of the plant is narrow and pointed, yellow-green with brown stripes:

The long, prominent lip is brownish-purple and yellow. Grows and blooms in the Malay Archipelago in early spring.

Group III, Paphiopedilum.

Paphiopedilum argus – Paphiopedilum argus. Beautiful flowers medium size. The upper sepal is oval and pointed, white, with green, sometimes green and purple stripes; there may be blackish-purple spots at the base. The wavy petals have a white base with green veins two-thirds of the way down and pure purple tips. Blackish warts decorate the inner surface of the petals. The lip is brownish-purple, green underneath and the narrow, uncurved lobes are light purple, with darker spots. Variegated foliage, this type– inhabitant of Luzon (Philippines); blooms in April.

Paphiopedylum beardedum – Paphiopedilum barbatum. Attractive view, whose dark purple tones often approach red. The almost round upper sepal is folded along the midrib. It is white, green at the base, with purple bloom and stripes. The petals, bearing blackening warts on the upper edges, are brownish-green at the base and purple at the tips.

Look at the photo - the paphiopedilum orchid of this species has a dark, brownish-purple lip, and variegated foliage:

Grows in Malaya (Peninsula), usually blooms in summer.

Paphiopedilum Carlsworth – Paphiopedilum charlesworthii. This charming view with variegated foliage and medium-sized flowers. The large, unfolded upper sepal is white with a pink-purple tint and spots, the petals are yellow-green, with a brown mesh, and the lip is pink-purple. Grows in Bengal. Flowers appear in autumn.

Now check out the photo and description of the varieties of the Lady's Slipper orchid obtained through hybridization.

P. Harris (R.X harrisianum (Rchb. f.) Stein.). Garden hybrid. The leaves are oblong, light green, with a dark mesh pattern. The upper sepal is wine-red with a transition to green at the apex, white along the edge, with dark veins. Petals with a dark purple midrib, brown-red with dark veins in the upper half, dirty yellow with green veins in the lower half. The lip is pale purple, with darker colored veins. Staminode is dark brown with a greenish tint. Being a garden hybrid, in turn, it is used for repeated crossings. Has a lot garden forms and varieties. Among them is "Superbum", characterized by larger, shiny, intensely colored flowers.

P. wonderful (R. insigne (Wall.) Pfitz.). The leaves are linear, bright green. The peduncle is one-, rarely two-flowered, softly pubescent. The flowers are large, 10-12 cm in diameter, shiny. The upper sepal is almost rounded with edges curved back, yellowish-green at the base and middle part, white at the apex, with brownish cherry dots along the veins and the same stripe along the main vein. The petals are linear-oblong, with a wavy edge, pale yellowish-green with brownish-cherry longitudinal veins and hairs of the same color at the base. The lip is yellowish-green with a brownish tint, with small brownish-cherry dots on the inside. The staminode is almost square, pubescent, with an orange-yellow tubercle in the center. Homeland - Himalayas, grows at an altitude of 1800-2000 m on moss cushions covering rocks. In cultivation since 1820. One of the main types of Paphiopedilum used in crossing.

P. callosum (P. callosum Pfitz.). The leaves are light or bluish green with dark green spots and lines forming a marbled pattern. The flowers are among the largest in the genus. The upper sepal is broad-hearted, up to 7.5 cm wide, white with numerous, green below, wine-red longitudinal lines along the veins in the upper half. The petals are directed obliquely downwards, slightly bent, pale green, pale pink towards the apex, ciliated along the edge, with 4-7 dark, almost black warts along the upper edge. The lip is brownish-wine-red. The staminode is horseshoe-shaped with a prominent tubercle in the center along the lower edge. Blooms in spring - early summer. Homeland: Thailand, Vietnam. In culture since 1885

P. Spicer (R. spicerianum (Rchb. f.) Pfitz.). The leaves are wavy along the edges. The flower is 7.5 cm in diameter. The upper sepal is broadly cordate, with edges strongly bent back at the base, strongly curved forward in the upper half, almost horizontally, white with a narrow median purple vein and a large greenish spot at the base. The petals are strongly wavy along the edge, light green with purple specks and the midrib of the same color. The lip is dark brown, greenish below. The staminode is almost round, purple-crimson with a white edge. Blooms in November-January. Homeland - India.

P. Sukhakula (R. sukhakuli Schoser et Senghas.). The leaves are oblong-elliptical, acute, with a three-toothed tip, pale green with a dark marbled pattern. The peduncle is brownish-purple, densely covered with white hairs. The flowers of the houseplant Vene's slipper of this variety are about 12 cm in diameter. The upper sepal is broadly ovate, slightly concave, with a boat-shaped, long-pointed apex, white, with numerous longitudinal green veins. The petals are yellowish-green with numerous brownish spots and dots over the entire surface, along the edge with long cilia. The lip is brownish-burgundy above, pale green below. Staminode is horseshoe-shaped. Blooms in September-July. Homeland - Thailand. It grows at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level in tropical rainforests, along the banks of streams, in shady places on loose, rich soil.

Growing and caring for the Lady's slipper orchid (Paphiopedilum) at home (with video)

Temperature. In culture, cold- and heat-loving species can be distinguished by their leaves. Plants with pure green leaves require a night temperature of 10–12 °C. In fact, there is no need for a temperature as low as 10 °C, it is enough to keep it around 12 °C. Daytime temperatures should be between 18 and 22 °C in winter; Ideally, in summer the daytime temperature should not exceed 24 °C. However, cold-loving species, like most orchids, adapt to higher summer temperatures but do best if the temperature does not exceed 30 °C. When caring for Lady's slipper at home, to protect cold-loving paphiopedilums where there is prolonged heat in the summer, some gardeners place plants outdoors, in the shade of large trees. You can place the pots on a cinder bed or on benches to ensure good drainage. It is better to place them higher to block access to snails and worms.

Heat-loving paphiopedilums include variegated species and hybrids between them and pure green ones. They prefer night temperatures of at least 15 °C; In summer, temperatures can rise higher. They can be comfortably placed together with cattleyas and grown in temperature conditions, suitable for cattleyas and their companions.

When caring for the Lady's slipper orchid at home, when the peduncle reaches its full length and the buds are almost completely developed, you can lower the temperature by two to three degrees. Flowering will be delayed a little. Do not lower the temperature too early, otherwise the flower stalks will remain short and the flowering will not be as beautiful. A slight decrease in temperature allows flowers to last longer on the plant, so many gardeners, in order to preserve groups of flowers as long as possible, lower the temperature a few degrees after the plants have fully bloomed.

Watering. Since orchids of this genus grow continuously and do not have pseudobulbs, the substrate should not dry out. The frequency of watering depends on the environmental conditions and the substrate used, so it is difficult to give any recipe for all cases. During clear weather, two waterings per week may be sufficient; in cloudy weather, water less often. Spraying is usually not necessary except in hot weather. Always water thoroughly to allow water to flow through the drain holes in the bottom and wash away excess salts, as salt accumulation is harmful to the roots.

Light. Paphiopedilums do best in low light. In winter, when the days are short and the light is slanted from the south, they need approximately 10,000 - 15,000 lux. As the days lengthen, shading should be applied to lower the illumination to 8000-9000 lux. During intense summer heat, you can reduce the illumination to even 7000 lux. Let the plants themselves be your advisors. Clean leaves of a good green shade indicate optimal lighting, yellow-green leaves indicate that the plant is receiving too much light. Variegated species may even have more contrasting stripes and spots.

Humidity. This genus of orchids requires the same humidity as cattleyas. Good air circulation is necessary. Excessive moisture on leaves promotes disease.

Fertilizers. Paphiopedilums may be more sensitive to overfeeding than other orchid varieties. If the salt content of the substrate is too high, root growth is reduced or, in extreme cases, stopped altogether. Osmunda fibers are not required additional feeding. This is one of the reasons why Osmunda is considered the best substrate for this genus; everything you have to do to get good growth- water diligently. In mixed composts, fertilizing with fertilizer is useful, apparently no more than once a month, with thorough watering with clean water in the intervals between fertilizing. In clean bark, fertilizer should be applied every second watering. Again, thoroughly rinse the substrate during intermediate watering. If root growth is stunted when fertilizer is applied, try reducing the frequency of fertilization by increasing the number of waterings with clean water between applications.

The video “Caring for Paphiopedilum at Home” shows how to grow this orchid:

How to plant a lady's slipper plant

Paphiopedilums grow well in the soft brown fibers of the osmunda. Before planting the lady's slipper orchid, it is recommended to prepare a mixture of three parts osmunda with one part live sphagnum, but keeping sphagnum alive is difficult. Bark is also successfully used, preferably with pieces no larger than a centimeter in size. A mixture of 80% bark and 20% crushed dry oak leaves is as popular as a mixture of bark and tree fern and pure tree fern. The choice of substrate is a personal matter for everyone. The main thing is that there is good drainage, because the roots, which need moisture, do not like a soggy substrate.

It is better to replant paphiopedilums immediately after flowering; they can then be divided into groups containing at least three growths each. After planting, water your orchids to keep the substrate moist until new root growth begins. During this time, lightly mist the plant once a day - just to moisten the outer parts of the leaves, preventing water from accumulating in the leaf axils. Water stagnating in the axils of the leaves contributes to the spread of bacterial infection. The plant regains its strength after about three months.

Reproduction of the Lady's slipper orchid (with video)

Paphiopedilums easily reproduce by division, with three growths per division. However, although this increases the number of plants of a given variety, the number of flowers in a group of plants, as a rule, does not increase. You can let the plants grow into specimens with many shoots, which looks very beautiful. When dividing, it is better to break the rhizome with your fingers than to cut with a knife. In order to break the rhizome for propagation of the Venus slipper, it is enough to quickly twist it.

Growing Paphiopedilum from seeds is more problematic than other genera. Both the germination of the seeds themselves and the crossing of plants are difficult.

The video “Lady's Slipper Orchid” clearly demonstrates how to propagate this plant:

Paphiopedilum is disease resistant. Sometimes the plant is attacked by a mealyworm or.

Lady's slipper is a genus of plants belonging to the orchid family. Unusual name associated with the ancient Greek legend of how Venus, while sheltering from a thunderstorm while hunting with Adonis, lost her golden slipper. A man passing by, not noticing the couple in love, wanted to pick up the shoe. As soon as he extended his hand, the lost shoe turned into an unusually shaped flower.

Other names

According to the scientific classification, these plants are called Paphiopedilum (pafiopedilum, pafiopedilum, pafiopedilum), but among the people the following ones have taken root: “Venus slippers”, “slipper”, “slipper”, “moccasin flowers”.

Homeland of unusual beauties

This genus of plants is native to the humid forests of China, the Himalayas, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In nature, they grow on humus-rich and loose soil, settling in hollows, forks of tree branches and on stumps.

Description

The lady's slipper orchid is a terrestrial, light-loving plant that does not form pseudobulbs (bulbs) and forms a rosette of leaves. Its flower is bizarre - a bag-shaped lip, similar to a shoe, and the upper sepal resembles a sail. Many species have revolving flowering (when a flower withers, another one forms on the same peduncle) or long-term (from several months to a year). Paphiopedyllums are divided into heat-loving and cold-resistant species, this is due to their geographical distribution.

The necessary conditions

If the "lady's slipper" is grown at home, it needs to be provided with diffused bright light with shading in summer time. It feels fine on windows of any orientation, the main thing is to choose optimal temperature. For trouble-free flowering, all species require a temperature difference at which the daytime temperature must exceed the night temperature by at least 3 degrees. For example, if it’s +25 on the windowsill during the day, then at night it’s no more than 22, but without sudden changes.

Content temperature for different species

All variegated species belong to heat-loving species. The temperature in the warm season should be maintained within 22-28 degrees, in the cold season - 18-24 0 C. Orchids with narrow green leaves require moderate temperature conditions: both in warm and cold times - 20-24 0 C. Lady's slipper with wide leaves prefers relative coolness: +18-24 in the warm period and +16-20 in the cold season.

Watering

Paphiopedyllums do not have a pronounced dormant period as such. In spring and summer, they should be watered with warm (25-30 degrees) soft water, using the soaking method for 20 minutes. Excess water after watering should flow freely from the pot. Between waterings, light drying of the substrate is necessary. Closer to winter and after flowering, the amount of watering should be reduced. When watering, water should not stagnate in the rosette of leaves. If it accidentally got there, you need to blot it with a napkin.

Air humidity and fertilizing

"Venus's slipper" is undemanding when it comes to air humidity, although it is advisable to stick to 50-70%. As the temperature rises, the humidity should also rise. Paphiopedyllums should be fed with fertilizer for orchids, but at a reduced concentration (once a month).

Reproduction and flowering time

This plant propagates by dividing the bush, but the division should consist of 2-3 sprouts and have its own roots. Flowering usually occurs in spring or autumn. And the hybrid “Venus slipper” large-flowered can bloom at any time.

Conclusion

Get this for yourself interesting plant. Its flowering will not leave anyone indifferent!

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The climatic conditions of our country, unfortunately, are not suitable for growing many crops without seedlings. Healthy and strong seedlings are the key to a high-quality harvest, in turn, the quality of seedlings depends on several factors: Even healthy-looking seeds can be infected with pathogens that long time remain on the surface of the seed, and after sowing, getting into favorable conditions, are activated and affect young and immature plants

Our family loves tomatoes very much, so most of the garden beds are devoted to this particular crop. Every year we try to try new ones interesting varieties, and some of them take root and become loved. At the same time, over many years of gardening, we have already developed a set of favorite varieties that are required to be planted every season. We jokingly call such tomatoes “special purpose” varieties - for fresh salads, juice, pickling and storage.

Coconut pie with cream - “kuchen”, or German coconut pie (Butter milch shnitten - soaked in milk). Without exaggeration, I will say that this is an incredibly tasty pie - sweet, juicy and tender. It can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time; cakes with cream are prepared on the basis of this sponge cake in Germany. The recipe is from the “Guests on the doorstep!” category, since usually all the ingredients are in the refrigerator, and it takes less than an hour to prepare the dough and bake.

The snow has not yet completely melted, and restless owners of suburban areas are already rushing to assess the work ahead in the garden. And there really is something to do here. And, perhaps, the most important thing you need to think about in early spring is how to protect your garden from diseases and pests. Experienced gardeners they know that these processes cannot be left to chance, and delays and delays in processing can significantly reduce the yield and quality of the fruit.

If you prepare your own soil mixtures for growing indoor plants, then it’s worth taking a closer look at the relatively new, interesting and, in my opinion, necessary component - coconut substrate. Everyone has probably seen at least once in their life a coconut and its “shaggy” shell covered with long fibers. Many delicious products are made from coconuts (actually a drupe), but the shells and fibers used to be just industrial waste.

Fish and cheese pie is a simple lunch or dinner idea for your daily or Sunday menu. The pie is designed for a small family of 4-5 people with a moderate appetite. This pastry has everything at once - fish, potatoes, cheese, and a crispy dough crust, in general, almost like a closed pizza calzone, only tastier and simpler. Canned fish can be anything - mackerel, saury, pink salmon or sardines, choose according to your taste. This pie is also prepared with boiled fish.

The lady's slipper flower is from the genus of orchids. There is a legend that the goddess of love, Venus, wore very unique shoes. The beauty wore shoes only from specially grown flowers. Whether this is true or not, flowers grow all over the world that are shaped like shoes and are truly worthy of the feet of a goddess in beauty. Similar plants that can be found in the forests of Primorye will be discussed in this article. These flowers bloom in May and are indeed very distinctive and graceful; the family is separated into a separate genus called Lady's slipper.

The flower family of the genus Lady's slipper (Cypripedium) includes more than 50 species that grow on the continents of America, Europe and Asia from the tundra to the subtropics. The flora of Russia has five species, three of which grow in Primorye. All plants are listed in the Red Book of Russia and Primorsky Krai. Primorskaya " northern orchid“, probably, like all beauties, is endowed with an obstinate character, blooms only in the eighteenth year of life, and has a very pungent, unpleasant-smelling juice. In the wild it blooms for a very short time. True, this is the only protection from those who want to possess it.

In botany, this genus of flowers is recorded as Cypripedium - a word combining two Greek expressions Cypris - Cypris (associated with one of the legendary names of the goddess born from sea ​​foam- Aphrodite near Cyprus, hence the name Cypris - “Cyprus-born” and pedilon - “sandal”). In Roman mythology, Aphrodite and Venus are one legend, hence the common name of the plant - “Venus's slipper”.

Lady's slipper photo and description

Lady's slipper photo

"Lady's slipper" large-flowered, habitat and growth. This type of orchid is very rare, but is found in forests in the east of the European part of Russia, also in the southern part of the forests of Siberia, the northeastern part of Kazakhstan, in the steppes of Mongolia, China and the forests of Japan.

Lady's slipper is a perennial plant. The plant has a creeping rhizome, from which a developed network of long roots diverges, and the stem is erect. The flowers are large, reaching 6–8 centimeters in diameter, and are mostly purple in color with crimson veins.

Other colors of the lady's slipper are also known: violet - pink with a white or pinkish lip; purely White color with pink veins; yellowish with green veins. A large flower has 2 stamens, the third stamen grows, covering the “entrance” to the flower. In inclement weather, or when it starts to rain, the flower hides under a leaf so that water does not fill the flower’s cup. But still, a few drops of dew, which mixes with the secreted juice, are always at the bottom of the flower cup, which attracts bees and various insects - pollinators.

“Catching” bees

Lady's slipper description

It is believed that the orchid's closest relative is the lily, but the flowers are similar to each other only in that they have the same number of petals - six. But if a lily has symmetrical petals, then an orchid has a completely different structure. The flower changed its shape, becoming very attractive to insects and bees, creating ideal conditions for pollination. One of these changes is a highly elongated petal, which has become a “landing platform” that is very difficult for a potential pollinator to fly past.

This petal is called the lip. For bees and insects, the lip looks like an easily accessible treat “on a plate”, which also releases a pleasant aroma. But once on it, the insect, in order to get to the pleasant nectar located inside the bowl, needs to get inside the flower through a very narrow passage.

After a pleasant meal, the insect will have to struggle a lot to get back out. Getting out of the narrowed part of the flower, the insect begins to unfold in the flower, and it is almost impossible to do this without touching the stigma of the flower and leaving pollen from other flowers on it, and without collecting pollen from the anther onto itself.

The most remarkable thing is that first the stigma is touched for pollination from another plant, and only then, at the very exit from the flower, the insect collects pollen on itself, thus eliminating the possibility of self-pollination.

How does pollination occur?

Lady's slipper in the Red Book

Having such a colorful and nectar-smelling device as a “landing” lip on a large one, the lady’s slipper attracts a serious pollinating insect: an interesting natural symbiosis has developed with bees of the Andrena genus. Bees like that the flower contains a lot of nectar, and the flower has adapted to the fact that the hairy insect tolerates its pollen better than anyone else. After landing on the lip, the bee squeezes into the narrow passage of the flower, where it feasts on nectar, the base of the petals is slippery and the bee falls inside the flower, bathing in the nectar. A wet insect temporarily loses its ability to fly.

After several attempts to take off, the exhausted insect realizes that the only way to get out of the flower is by crawling. Seeing a small saving hole, which is located under two stamens, it begins to crawl out of its insidious captivity, and the petals of the lady's slipper, devoid of pigmentation in this place, show the insect the direction where it needs to crawl.

Climbing out through a narrow opening, the bee first touches the outlet stigma, leaving pollen brought from other flowers on it. Just before leaving, the bee touches two anthers, which sprinkle it with their pollen. Having reached the lip area, the insect cannot take off for some time, but having dried and rested slightly, the bee flies to the next lady's slipper, where the adventure is repeated again.

After fertilization, the orchid still retains its bright color for 2 - 4 days. An unpollinated lady's slipper can wait a month or more for its pollinator. Cut flowers last for about two weeks. The lady's slipper begins to bloom from mid-May to June.

Reproduction of the Lady's slipper orchid

Lady's slipper orchid

The fruit is a small capsule filled with dust-like seeds. The seeds are so small that until the mid-16th century, scientists believed that orchids did not have seeds; the capsules simply contained dust. One such speck of dust weighs one thousandth of a gram, and more than half of the seed contains air. This allows orchid seeds to fly long distances when blown by the wind.

But out of several million seeds contained in one box, only two or three germinate, and only if they find themselves in appropriate favorable conditions.

The fact is that the seeds have no supply nutrients, and the fruit itself is underdeveloped. Such a small embryo cannot create the conditions for germination. Therefore, they require natural symbiosis with the mycelium of mushroom plants (mycelium is the extensive vegetative body of a fungus, located underground, providing nutrition and the ability to germinate the fruiting body of the fungus).

This is a type of mushroom such as: armillaria, corticula, xerotus, rhizoctonia. In order for an orchid seed to germinate, it needs to get to a certain place where the root system of these fungi develops, penetrating into root system fungal mycelium, the orchid germinates and grows underground for 4-5 years before the first leaf appears on the surface. It takes approximately 17-18 years for plants to gain strength before their first color. When cultivated, the period of first flowering is reduced to 10 years.

Lady's slipper requires special care. To grow this type of orchid, moist soil is required, but without stagnant water. Therefore, it is best to choose a site in the middle or on a small hill. The orchid does not tolerate weeds in the neighborhood, as well as growing tree roots. The solution to this problem is container-type boards dug into the ground, 25-35 centimeters high; it is best to make such an underground fence for each orchid separately.

The barrier will help protect the lady's slipper from roots from neighboring plants getting into the orchid area. To germinate young orchids, it is also best to dig a small container with a capacity of 15 - 20 liters into the ground. After 3-4 years, when sprouts appear, they need to be transplanted to the place where they will grow further.

The lady's slipper does not like fertilized garden soil, which contains organic and mineral fertilizers.

The lady's slipper flower fascinates with its beauty

For them, it is best to bring humus from the forest, preferably from oak and walnut plantings. To this soil you can add crushed rotted deciduous trees, neutral peat, moss - sphagnum, and to improve the soil structure, add perlite sand in a volume of 10 - 20%.

The roots of the lady's slipper are not located at all deep in the ground and consist of roots of equal thickness growing from a straight rhizome. The roots have a characteristic mushroom smell. The above-ground part of the orchid dies in the fall, but the roots maintain sap flow in the ground for a very long time, so they require care. In the fall, “before winter,” it is best to take measures to insulate them; for this, you can mulch the ground with leaves or cover it with covering material. Since the roots are close to the surface, there is no need to do anything to the soil to avoid damaging them.