“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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Kaluga rose. Kaluga region
Floriculture is one of the growth points for the Kaluga region. A quarter of all greenhouse flowers in the country are grown here. Special attention is paid to roses: there are more than 60 varieties of them in local farms. And recently the region has got its own special flower - a white rose, which received its name in honor of the regional capital.
The Kaluga rose is a peony-like variety from the Netherlands, which is grown by the breeders of the largest Kaluga flower production company. It all started three years ago with a single flower. Thanks to the experience and talent of local specialists, they managed to breed it. Now it is the top variety for the company and the whole region.
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European olive. Republic of Crimea
The olive tree has been considered a symbol of peace since the time of the Great Flood. Noah released a dove several times to find out if the Ark would soon reach land. One day, the dove returned with an olive branch in its beak. Noah understood that God had turned His anger to mercy and forgiven humanity. According to legend, the olive tree was the first plant to grow on earth when the flood receded.
In Crimea, the olive tree appeared along with the first Greek colonists in the 2nd millennium BC. Today, the peninsula is home to a centuries-old olive tree recognized as the oldest tree in the region, and hundred- and two-hundred-year-old olive groves are scattered along the southern coast of Crimea. The first Russian olive oil in Crimea was produced in 1826 by order of the imperial court.
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Salvia. Lugansk People's Republic
Salvia is one of the varieties of the herbaceous sage plant, which can be found ubiquitously in the meadows of the Lugansk People's Republic, while ornamental varieties are used in flowerbed compositions.
Most commonly, meadow sage can be found in our steppes. It has medicinal properties and is used for therapeutic purposes: it helps with colds and inflammations and is used to treat skin and many other diseases. In the villages of the republic, people still say, "Plant sage in your garden, and you won't need a doctor."
Another reason people love sage is that it is an excellent honey plant, producing large amounts of nectar. Beekeepers and gardeners highly value it. Sage flowers emit a very pleasant aroma, reminiscent of lavender, attracting numerous insects that pollinate garden and orchard crops.
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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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Rhodiola rosea. Khanty-mansi autonomous area
Rhodiola rosea is a plant from the Crassulaceae family, listed in the Red Data Book of Yugra. In popular usage, Rhodiola is called "golden root" due to its unique medicinal properties and the golden color of its roots. It also has a second name, "rose root," because of its sweet fragrance that closely resembles that of a rose.
In folk medicine, rhodiola has been known to people for several centuries, it is especially popular in the northern expanses of the Russian Urals and Siberia. Rhodiola rosea is often compared to ginseng, although it is much more affordable. It helps the body adapt to adverse environmental conditions and cope with the effects of diseases and stress. It is used to enhance endurance, performance, and longevity.
Interestingly, the plant has always been surrounded by many legends, and the locations where golden root grows were carefully hidden from outsiders.
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Lotus. Astrakhan region
The lotus is the trademark of the Astrakhan region. This beautiful flower, listed in the Red Book, attracts visitors from all over Russia.
The lotus flower can reach up to 25 centimeters in diameter, and its rhizome grows up to 150 centimeters long and spreads up to 3 meters. It grows in large thickets in bodies of water with silty soil at depths of up to 2 meters.
The lotus fruits—nuts that mature in conical capsules ("kubyshki") - are eaten by swans, geese, and ducks. Boars happily dig up and eat the rhizomes, while terns build their nests under the enormous leaves, using them as umbrellas.
