“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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Rhododendron mucronulatum. Primorye region
In spring in cities, forests and hills of Primorye, delicate pink clouds appear. This is the rhododendron blooming. Its delicate flowers represent both the fragility and strength of nature. The Russian folk name of rhododendron is bagulnik, and it is also called the Primorye sakura.
There are more than 10 species of rhododendrons in the Russian Far East, 8 species in Primorye region, and one species that needs protection in Vladivostok suburbs. It is rhododendron mucronulatum (lat. "sharply pointed").
Since 1994, thanks to the proposal of the outstanding botanist of Russia Sigismund Kharkevich, rhododendron mucronulatum has become one of the two symbols of Vladivostok along with the Amur tiger. By the way, Vladivostok is the only city in Russia that has legally approved natural symbols. And in 2024 this plant celebrates a kind of anniversary.
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Siberian Iris. Novosibirsk Region
The Siberian iris (Iris sibirica) is a perennial plant from the Iris genus, subgenus Limniris, found in Eastern and Central Europe and Northern Asia. It typically reaches a height of 70–110 cm, with leaves significantly shorter than the stem. The flowers, characteristic of irises, are violet-blue, often with a pale cream or yellowish center, each flower measuring 4–7 cm in diameter.
In the wild, the Siberian iris is found in Siberia, the Caucasus, and other regions of the European part of Russia. Its history spans millennia. Siberian irises are known for their hardiness, resistance to low temperatures, and resilience to rain and wind. The iris blooms from May to July, delighting and astonishing with shades ranging from pearly white to blood red.
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Field horsetail. Perm region
Field horsetail is a perennial spore-bearing herbaceous plant widely distributed in the Perm region. In folk, it is called "pestls", "pistils", field pine, earthy cones.
Horsetails are very ancient inhabitants of our planet, appearing on Earth 400 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs. But back then, they were trees - remnants of calamites, ancestors of the now living low-growing herbaceous "trees," which are found during coal mining. From these remnants, it can be concluded that calamites were huge trees, up to 30 meters tall and with a trunk diameter of approximately 1 meter.
The grass of horsetail contains flavonoids, organic acids (aconitic, malic, oxalic), salts of silicic acid, essential oil, bitterness, tannins, and other biologically active substances.
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Tuberous begonia. Tula region
Begonia is a very elegant plant, in which literally everything is beautiful: both flowers and leaves. The main feature of begonias is their lush flowers, which completely cover the plant. The plant is characterized by an incredible variety of flower forms - they can be similar in structure to peony, narcissus, carnation or camellia.
Begonia is a genus of plants in the Begoniaceae family. It is a low herbaceous perennial plant with a rhizome in the form of a bowl-shaped tuber.
The first artificial hybrids were obtained in 1870, and subsequently at least seven species were used for crossbreeding. As a result of this painstaking work, more than 200 varieties of this perennial plant were born.
This flower is classified into trailing, herbaceous, and shrub varieties. However, the most important distinguishing feature is the presence of a developed root, which is formed in the shape of a massive tuber, reaching up to 6-7 centimeters in diameter.
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Creeping jenny. Moscow region
Creeping jenny, moneywort or twopenny grass (Lysimachia nummularia) is an amazing sprawling perennial plant with round leaves resembling coins and golden-yellow flowers. Creeping jenny is one of approximately two hundred species of the Lysimachia genus.
In Russia, the plant was known as "meadow tea" and was used as an herbal tea. Additionally, its leaves were once used to produce a dye for coloring fabrics yellow.
The plant thrives in moist, shady places, typically growing in forests under the tree canopy, on floodplain meadows, and along the banks of lakes and ponds.
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Taraxacum leucoglossum dandelion. Murmansk region
At first glance, what could be more ordinary than a dandelion? However, the Taraxacum leucoglossum dandelion (or white-tongued dandelion) is a unique plant. It can only be found in the Murmansk region, on the shores of Turiy Cape in the White Sea, and nowhere else on Earth!
Unlike the common dandelions, its flowers are snow-white rather than yellow, and its leaves are whole and somewhat thick rather than dissected and thin. Incidentally, what we call a dandelion flower is actually a flower head, an inflorescence composed of small ray flowers. The leucoglossum dandelion blooms in June, and by the end of the month, its "parachutes" — greenish-grey seeds with a long white tuft — are dispersed by the wind. This dandelion settles on the slopes of coastal cliffs, in crevices, on narrow ledges, and on steep escarpments a short distance from the water.
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.
