“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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Great burnet. Omsk region
Great burnet belongs to the Rosaceae family. In Russian, it is known as krovohlebka (blood sucker), rodovik, gryzhnik, krasnogolovka (red head), krovogolovka (blood head), krovostyag, ogoroshnik, styagnikrov, and adder’s potion. Its scientific name, Sanguisórba officinális, comes from the Latin words sanguis — blood, sorbeo — to absorb, and officinális — medicinal. Despite its ominous name, this plant has remarkable properties.
There are eight species of Sanguisorba found in Russia, the most well-known being the great burnet (S. officinalis), a perennial reaching up to 100, sometimes 120 cm in height. In the Omsk region, the great burnet is widespread: found in forest glades, steppe meadows, and taiga zones.
According to legend, the goddess Flora once discovered a leech on her leg while walking by a forest lake and became very angry. She threw the bloodsucker away, commanding it to become a plant. Thus, the leech turned into great burnet.
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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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Pine. Chelyabinsk region
European red pine (Pinus sylvestris) – a tree from the pine family – is a widely distributed species in Eurasia and one of the most valuable coniferous species in our country. Pine forms pure stands but can also grow alongside other coniferous or deciduous species.
Mature pines reach a height of 25–40 meters, and the trunk can exceed one meter in diameter, classifying pine as a tree of the first magnitude.
Chelyabinsk is likely the only metropolis in Russia that has a full-fledged pine forest in its center. Writer and local historian Vyacheslav Lyutov calls the pine forest the Chelyabinsk urban archetype, implying that it is the main treasure of Chelyabinsk.
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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.
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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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Veronica. Moscow
Veronica (or speedwell) is a floral symbol of Moscow. The name of the flower comes from the Latin words vera unica — "real medicine".
Veronica is the largest genus of flowering plants of the plantain family, a forest-steppe species. All wild species of Veronica have a common feature — it is a blue shade of petals, the color of a clear sky on a summer day. Inflorescences are spike-shaped or panicle-shaped, consisting of many small buds. Blossoming is long, for a month and a half, falls at the height of summer. Breeders have long been interested in Veronica and have developed many decorative varieties with sky blue, navy blue, pink and white spike-shaped inflorescences.
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.
