“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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Lingonberry. Leningrad region
Lingonberry (Latin: Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is a small evergreen shrub of the Vaccinium genus in the Heath family. Lingonberry leaves are covered with a dense, glossy skin, and the dark red berries are known for their health benefits and bright, sour flavor.
Lingonberries grow in various regions of Russia, but they are especially abundant in the Leningrad region. In the fall, the forests here are covered with red carpets of lingonberries, and local residents go on quiet hunts for these tasty and healthy berries. The best harvest usually occurs in September when the fruits are full of juice.
In the past, lingonberry infusions and decoctions were used to treat colds and flu, and even today, natural lingonberry juice can benefit a body weakened by fever. Regular consumption of this vitamin-rich berry can strengthen the immune system and help you forget about illnesses altogether.
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Heather. Pskov Region
Heather (Calluna) is a genus of plants in the heather family. The only species is common heather (Calluna vulgaris). It is an evergreen, highly branched shrub about 30–50 cm tall with thin surface roots. Heather is easily recognized by its pinkish-purple flowers, which are gathered in one-sided racemose inflorescences at the ends of the shoots.
Heather is widespread in the forest zone of Eurasia, in northwestern Africa, and in the eastern regions of North America; in Russia, it is found in the European part and in Western Siberia. In the second half of summer, in the pine forests and raised bogs of the Pskov region, one can encounter shrubs covered with delicate light pink flowers, resembling tiny bells in shape. This is the abundant bloom of heather, a wonderful honey plant and a hero of Scandinavian mythology.
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Woodland Sage. Republic of Adygea
Woodland sage (Latin: Salvia nemorosa) is a perennial plant from the genus Salvia, part of the Lamiaceae family. Other names for it include Moldavian sage, Yailin sage, and woodland salvia.
The plant is found in Europe, the western European part of Russia, and the foothills of Crimea and the Caucasus. It prefers steppes, meadows, and forest edges. Sage is a vibrant representative of the diverse flora of Adygea. The leaves and flowers of woodland sage are highly aromatic and can be added to various dishes as a seasoning or brewed into tea.
Additionally, sage is an excellent honey plant. Almost all types of sage contain essential oils.
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Schisandra. Amur region
Chinese magnolia vine or five-flavor berry (lat. Schisándra chinénsis) is a species of flowering plants of the genus Schisandra in the family Schisandraceae.
It is a unique plant of the Far East, a woody deciduous creeping liana 10-15 m long and up to 1.5-2 cm in diameter, in northern areas — up to 2-4 m long, spirally winding supports clockwise.
Europeans learned about Chinese magnolia vine in the early XIX century, about the same time Russian scientists became interested in it. In 1895, botanist and connoisseur of Far Eastern plants Vladimir Komarov published the stories of hunters that, going to the taiga for a long time, they do not take large stocks of food, and instead restore their strength with dried Schisandra berries. Thanks to this, they can chase sables for days without food and rest, keeping vigor of mind and sharpness of eye. Fishermen, leaving for a voyage, stocked up on the juice of the fruit of this liana, as it relieves seasickness.
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Venus slipper orchid. Republic of Buryatia
The lady's slipper orchid, or Venus slipper (Latin: Cypripedium calceolus) is an ancient herbaceous plant belonging to the Orchid family. In Russia, this flower is also called Adam's head, Mary's slipper, cuckoo boots. It can be seen in the European part of our country, in Siberia and in the Far East. It is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. On the territory of Buryatia, it is protected in the Barguzinsky and Jerginsky reserves, Zabaykalsky and Tunkinsky national parks.
According to legend, the name of the flower came from the slipper of Venus, the goddess of beauty. When Venus was running away from her pursuers through a swampy area, she tripped and dropped her slipper. This slipper miraculously transformed into the flower we now know as the Venus slipper.
This species is considered to be a representative of the most beautiful orchids of the northern regions of Russia.
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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.
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.
