“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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Feather grass. Volgograd region
Most of the Volgograd region is occupied by steppes. The steppe is the kingdom of feather grass, also called needle grass. There are more than 10 species of these grasses in the region, of which the most widespread is the narrow-leaved feather grass (hairy kovyl in Russian). Six more species, being rare and endangered, are included in the Red Data Book of the Volgograd region.
Narrow-leaved feather grass (Stipa capillata) is a typical grass of steppes, drought-resistant and light-loving. Its perennial turf grows in width along the edges from numerous shoots, and gradually dies off in the middle, forming a peculiar hollow where rainwater accumulates better. This is very important for the arid southern steppe: here every drop is precious. In order to evaporate less moisture, the leaves curl into a tube. When flowering, from spring to mid-June, long white pinnate awns 12-18 cm long appear on the feather grass. They give the feather grass steppe the appearance of a swaying “gray hair” like the sea. In the fall, the seeds of the stipa grass fly on these “feathers” all over the steppe and stick into the ground, screwing deeper and deeper into the soil.
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Common yarrow. Saratov region
Common yarrow, or thousand-leaf (Achillea millefolium) is a perennial herbaceous plant, a species of the genus Yarrow (Achillea) of the Aster family. It is used as a medicinal, spicy, ornamental and honey-bearing plant, as well as for the restoration of arable land and pastures.
Yarrow is widely distributed in Europe and Asia. In Russia, it is found in almost all regions, including the Saratov region. With the onset of summer, plants with small snow-white flowers can be seen on roadsides, ravine slopes and glades. Although the plant can not be attributed to weeds, it is characterized by unpretentiousness.
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Artysh (Siberian juniper). Republic of Tuva
Artysh (Tuvan Siberian juniper or Juniperus sibirica) is a genus of evergreen coniferous plants in the Cupressaceae family of the order Pinales.
In the local language, it is called artysh, shaman herb, arsa, archa, shug-pa. Despite its name, its habitat is extensive. In the north, it grows in the Arctic zone, in the temperate zone, and in regions with a warm climate— in mountains at altitudes up to 4200 meters above sea level.
This is a very hardy plant capable of withstanding low and high temperatures. Moreover, its appearance changes little depending on the habitat and climatic zone. It is considered one of the most frost-resistant coniferous species. Among the shrubs of the undergrowth, juniper is the most long-lived. Plants aged 300–400 years are not uncommon.
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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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Siberian iris. Krasnoyarsk region
"Kasatik"... each of us has undoubtedly heard such a tender address to a boy or a man, and, upon hearing it, certainly smiled, because this endearing word sounds remarkably charming! But few know where this address originated. Our ancestors, the Slavs, often used the names of animals, birds, and plants in other, indirect meanings. There are two versions. According to the first, our ancerstors called swallows "kasatiks." Another version states that until the XIX century in Russia, "kasatiks" referred to irises, the botanical name of which came to us much later and was legitimized by Carl Linnaeus. In Greek, "iris" means "rainbow."
Siberian iris is an herbaceous plant with striking green sword-shaped leaves and blue flowers that bloom from late May and sometimes extend into early July. In the wild, it is found in Siberia, the Caucasus, regions of the European part of Russia, Europe, and also in Northern Asia. In culture, it is an indispensable plant for landscape design and landscaping of private and public spaces.
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Cowslip primrose. Republic of North Ossetia
Cowslip primrose is a perennial herbaceous plant, a species of the genus Primula in the family Primulaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek primus - early.
It is a light-loving plant, characteristic of areas dominated by shrub vegetation, small-leaved and light-coniferous forests. It is also found in mountainous and dry or steppe meadows. Primrose blooms in May-June. It is a medicinal and honey-producing plant. The species is included in many regional Red Data Books of Siberia.
It is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is also a valuable honey plant.
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.
