“FUTURE IN FLOWERS” FESTIVAL
The festival began on 21 May and ended on 8 July, on the last day of the RUSSIA EXPO. This large-scale flower marathon captured the whole VDNKh area, and unique art objects made of flowers were introduced in several locations simultaneously. Guests could witness more than 100 million flowers, flower exhibits from all 89 regions of the country, and designer flower compositions from institutions and state corporations. Future in Flowers workshop held floristry classes, lectures from well-known plant breeders, and fun trivia games. Visitors were shown the best achievements of national plant breeders: about 400 types of peonies, 140 types of lilacs, 120 types of irises, 250 types of roses, 30 types of dahlias, as well as other flowers and plants of Russia.
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Spring pheasant's eye (adonis). Kursk region
Spring pheasant's eye, or adonis (Adōnis vernālis), is a perennial herbaceous plant. The large golden spheres of the pheasant's eye scattered across the carpet of young greenery adorn the untouched Streletskaya Steppe in the south of the Kursk region every spring. Some plants can bloom with up to 70 flowers, which only open in sunny weather.
You can admire adonis only in the wild — this beautiful ornamental and medicinal plant does not lend itself to artificial cultivation. The development of the pheasant's eye seeds occurs very slowly, over the course of ten or more years. Even brief shading can cause adonis to perish. All medicinal preparations containing spring adonis are made from wild plants, which predominantly inhabit steppe and forest-steppe areas.
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Tulip. Republic of Kalmykia
In spring, the harsh Kalmyk steppe is transformed, becoming covered with a colorful carpet of tulips. During this period, the Tulip Blossom Festival takes place here - it is a vibrant folklore and ethnographic festival that introduces the natural wealth, traditional culture and cuisine of the region.
Many people consider Holland to be the birthplace of tulips. But in fact, it was from the Kalmyk steppes that merchants traveling along the Great Silk Road brought tulip bulbs in the XVII century. The name “tulip” comes from the Persian word “toliban”, which denotes an oriental headdress - a turban, in shape resembling a tulip.
Steppe tulips of Kalmykia are wild. The flowering period usually falls in April-May. The tulip is a delicate flower and chooses its own time for blooming. The miracle of the steppes blooms for almost a week. And under favorable climate conditions it can bloom longer.
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Sea holly. Kaliningrad region
In the Kaliningrad region, there are 19 plants whose specific epithets include the words "maritime" or "seaside," including one in cultivation. Nine of them are found on the Curonian Spit. They are not botanically related and often belong to different genera and families. Their external characteristics also vary. However, all these species share a common trait: their proximity to the sea.
Among them, the sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) is the most recognizable and popular species on the Baltic coast. It was chosen by scientists of the last century as the symbol of the Prussian Botanical Society.
Sea holly is a real treasure trove of beneficial and healing substances that have a positive effect on the body. Healers have long used the root, inflorescence, stem, and leaves to prepare various infusions that significantly improve the well-being of people with kidney problems.
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Viola Wittrockiana. Saint Petersburg
Viola Wittrockiana, a plant from the Violet family, was imported from Japan and Central China and blooms from April to October. Its common name is pansy, violet or Anyuta's eyes in Russian.
Viola is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, including in Russia and Saint Petersburg. It is an undemanding and fairly cold-hardy plant that can withstand temperatures down to -1 °C, making it the first to be planted in Saint Petersburg. It delights with its first flowers as early as April. Due to its resilience to the challenging climate conditions of Saint Petersburg, viola has no competitors.
In spring flower arrangements, viola takes the lead role. For Victory Day, the city decorates flowerbeds in commemorative places: around memorials, on squares, in city gardens, and parks.
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Schrenck’s tulip. Zaporozhye region
Schrenck's tulip is a bulbous plant that grows to a height of 15-40 cm. The bulb is oval, about 3 cm in diameter. The flower stalk is green, leafless. There are 3-4 oblong dark green leaves with fluted edges at its base.
Schrenck's tulip is an endangered steppe flower, listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation in 1988. It is one of the oldest species and is considered the progenitor of many breeding varieties. The name is owed to the scientist and traveler Alexander Ivanovich Schrenck, who discovered this flower in 1873.
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Sorbocotoneaster Pozdnjakovii. Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Yakutia is very rich in its biodiversity, here you can find prehistoric plant species from the Pleistocene period. In the territory of Yakutia, there are unique plants that are found only in this area.
One such plant is the Sorbocotoneaster pozdnjakovii (lit. Pozdnyakov's rowan-cotoneaster). It is a spontaneous intergeneric hybrid of rowan and cotoneaster, a very rare species from the Pleistocene age, which is under threat of extinction.
It is a low decorative shrub suitable for urban landscaping, its berries are edible. The fruit is a round wine-red apple, ripening in late August to September. The flesh is juicy, sweetish, with the taste and aroma of rowan, but without bitterness.
Along with the RUSSIA EXPO, the flower festival is also coming to an end.
The "Future in Flowers" festival continues at the RUSSIA EXPO, where unique flowerbeds from all regions of our country can be seen at the "Space" pavilion until July 8.
The RUSSIA EXPO concludes on July 8, and with it, the flower festival will also come to an end.
