Heliotrope - flowers with the aroma of cherry pie

Heliotrope - flowers from the family of borage. They derive their name from the Greek word for "rotation around the sun." This is an intense blue color of small flowers. Heliotrope, which is grown in the garden, can be herbaceous or have a shrub shape. It looks good against the background of other plants.

Heliotrope - flowers with unusual features

In addition to the fact that this plant rotates around its axis, it has one more outlandish property. It's his smell. Many compare it with a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla. But the most common analogy is the intense aroma of freshly baked pie with cherries. A strong sweet smell attracts insects. Bumblebees and bees are literally stuck with heliotrope. Flowers also attract butterflies. Very unusual smell, agree? If you get the seeds of this plant, do not hesitate to buy and plant. They rise very amicably, the seedlings grow rapidly and almost do not get sick. It is very important to carry out the sowing in time or to make the same cuttings in a timely manner. Depending on the way you decided to propagate the plant. It must be remembered that this is extremely sensitive to frost flowers. Heliotrope (the photo will give a good idea of the rich shade of large and fragrant inflorescences) is most often violet-blue. It has the shape of small compact bushes. Appearance allows you to plant it in the company with pink and white petunias, tagetsom, bright lion's eyes. It is also advantageous to shade the color of heliotrope silvery and salad leaves of ampel plants. You can put it next to the roses.

Cuttings or seeds

To dilute the garden heliotrope, flowers can be propagated in two ways: seeds and cuttings. Try first to sow in boxes and then transplant the seedlings into the garden. The method of sowing is similar to other summer crops. It's only necessary to start early - preferably in February, then the heliotrope will blossom in June. Do not forget to feed it in the open field with complex fertilizer and pin it for more abundant tillering. The second way is propagation. To carry out this slightly more complicated operation, it is necessary to excavate one bush of heliotrope from open ground in late autumn, but without waiting for frost. Try not to damage or dry the roots, transfer it to the veranda or barn. Then keep in the pot with the prepared earth on the windowsill. When the sapling survives the winter (it needs to be cut off and regularly watered), new branches will appear on it in spring - these are ready cuttings. It is best to root green shoots, cutting them with a pruner. Leaves from them must be removed and placed in separate pots or boxes. To make them better rooted, try creating a small greenhouse for your heliotrope. Wrap the boxes with polyethylene and place them under the lamp. Regularly water - in two weeks will begin to form roots. It is very important not to remove the film sharply! Such a sudden drop in humidity can kill delicate plants. Shoot it off gradually. And in the rest, look after like a regular seedling. After landing in the ground regularly feed.