“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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Alpine aster. Chechen Republic
Alpine aster (Aster alpinus). Under natural conditions, this perennial plant can be found high in the mountains. In the republic, this variety of aster grows at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters. This flower embodies the proud spirit of the Chechen people and blooms brightly on mountain slopes in late autumn.
It is a light-loving, unpretentious plant accustomed to poor clay or sandy soils. Places of growth include steppes, rocky placers, cliffs, light-coniferous and mixed forests, edges, alpine meadows.
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Sphagnum moss. Karelia
Karelia is one of the marshiest regions of Russia, with swamps covering almost a quarter of the republic's territory. This is a complex and rich ecosystem that is protected by the state.
Moss is found everywhere in Karelia. Sphagnum, or Sphagnum moss (from the Greek "sphagnos," meaning sponge), is a common inhabitant of swamps. In Russia, more than forty species of sphagnum grow.
Sphagnum moss has unique moisture-absorbing properties, capable of absorbing water up to 20 times its mass.
Bog moss has no roots; its cells grow upwards while the lower layers gradually die off. However, they do not rot. Decay is prevented by the phenol contained in sphagnum—an antiseptic that kills bacteria. From the dying parts of sphagnum, raised bog peat is formed. This is how, due to sphagnum and other aquatic plants, lakes become overgrown and swamps appear.
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Gazania. Republic of Mari El
Mari El is endless forests, free fields and flowering meadows. Here you can see a great variety of flora - from lily of the valley with honeydew to chamomile with cornflower.
Mari people have been cherishing and respecting flowers since ancient times. Until the 20th century there was a tradition not to pick flowers for bouquets. Plants were collected only for medicinal and cosmetic purposes, carefully preserving nature. Even the main national Mari holiday has a "floral" name - Peledysh Payrem (translated from the Mari language it means "holiday of flowers"). For the Mari people, this special day symbolizes the spring-summer rebirth of nature. Mari poets and writers used the images of flowers to praise their beloved, calling them "peledysh" (flower), "osh peledysh" (chamomile), "sandalvozh" (lily of the valley).
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Cloudberry. Nenets Autonomous Area
A unique berry called cloudberry grows in the Nenets Autonomous Area. The residents of this polar region consider cloudberries a symbol of the Nenets area, along with reindeer.
Cloudberry (scientific name Rubus chamaemorus L.) is a perennial low herbaceous plant of the Rubus genus, part of the Rosaceae family. This arcto-alpine species grows only in tundras and marshes.
The plant blooms from June to July, and the berries ripen 40–45 days later. The fruit is a semi-spherical aggregate of drupes, fused together, with a distinctive smell and taste. Unripe berries are yellow-red, somewhat firm and "squeaky," while ripe berries are orange, resembling pure, bright amber.
In ancient times, cloudberries were called "swamp amber", "eyes of the swamp", "swamp watchman", and in the north, "royal berry". Folk names for cloudberries include "northern orange", "arctic raspberry", and "moss currant". For the Nenets, cloudberries symbolize femininity. Ornaments depicting cloudberries are placed on baby cradles as a protective charm. There is also a dance ensemble named "Moroshki" in Naryan-Mar, established in 1985.
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Komarov’s lotus. Khabarovsk region
Komarov's lotus (Nelumbo komarovii Grossh.) is a wild-growing, highly ornamental, medicinal, food and ritual plant. It is included in the Red Data Books of the Russian Federation, Khabarovsk, Primorye region, Jewish Autonomous and Amur regions.
There are two very close species in Russia: Caspian lotus in the European part and Komarov's lotus in the Far East. The Far Eastern lotus was described and singled out as an independent species by Alexander Grossheim in 1940. He named it in honor of Vladimir Leontievich Komarov, the greatest Russian botanist, researcher of the flora of the Far East and neighboring countries. As of now, one of the leading botanists of the region — Doctor of Biological Sciences Maria Kryukova — has been studying lotus in the Khabarovsk region for more than 30 years.
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Rocky Mountain juniper "Fisht." Krasnodar region
Rocky Mountain juniper originates from North America. It typically grows in mountainous areas among rocks, which is reflected in its species name. It belongs to the cypress family. Most varieties of Rocky Mountain juniper are well adapted to the harsh conditions of the Russian climate. These junipers are characterized by their beautiful bluish or steel-colored needles.
Rocky Mountain junipers are incredibly long-lived, with a lifespan exceeding 1,000 years. They grow slowly. They prefer sunlight but can tolerate some shading, although they lose their decorative appeal in more shaded areas. The tree is often multi-trunked from the base, reaching a height of 10-18 meters in the wild, while cultivated varieties grow to 3-4 meters.
The Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) "Fisht," presented at the RUSSIA EXPO by the Krasnodar region, was developed at the Gavrish nursery in Krymsk, located in the Krasnodar region.
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.
