The Chinese believe that the gods themselves patronize the cultivation of peonies. And, indeed, flowers are unusually spectacular and original. Ugly peonies simply do not exist. But some varieties are the most attractive. This group includes, for example, the magnificent peony Sarah Bernhardt. Description of the variety, planting and care of this beautiful plant - we will talk about all this later in the article.
History of creation
This peony was bred in the 19th century by breeder Pierre Louis Lemoine. The gardening qualities of Sarah Bernhardt were recognized as outstanding already at that time. No wonder this peony was awarded the AGM Award of Garden RHS at the beginning of the century . And until now, Ara Bernard remains a true legend in the world of ornamental garden crops.
Who is Sarah Bernhardt
Below in the article we will provide the reader with comprehensive information about what constitutes a peony Sarah Bernhardt (description of the variety) . The history of the appearance of this species is actually extremely interesting. This peony is named, as already mentioned, in honor of the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt. Many moviegoers still consider her the most talented of all actresses ever to appear in films. Sarah Bernhardt was born in Paris in October 1844. In the movies, she was usually offered sublime, sensual roles. Therefore, soon the audience began to call her the divine Sarah. And until now, many consider Bernard the most talented actress of the XX century.
The peony named in her honor is also distinguished by the same sublimely unearthly qualities as this world's first superstar. Variety Sarah Bernhardt blossoms at a time when many other plants are blooming in the garden. But at the same time, he is never lost against the background of even the most beautiful and unusual decorative cultures.
How peony Sarah Bernhardt came to Russia
This wonderful variety was introduced into our country almost immediately after breeding. It was distributed and popularized by pionovodami of Moscow State University. Originally called this magnificent flower in Russia, not Sarah Bernhardt, but Miss Eckhart or Alex Fleming. This error was later fixed.
Peony Sarah Bernhardt: general grade description
This peony belongs to the group of late ripe grassy . Its terry huge flowers (up to 20 cm in diameter) are distinguished by a pleasant juicy, uniform lilac-raspberry- pink color. Each petal of Sarah Bernhardt is trimmed with a silver border. The flowers of this variety themselves amaze with the richness of tones and midtones. This peony in the garden attracts attention not only with its truly luxurious appearance. The flavor of this variety is also very pleasant and intense. Blooms Sarah Bernhardt abundantly and generously.
This peony grows quite high. But at the same time, the bush itself is durable. The color of the leaves and trunks of this variety are saturated dark green. They keep this pleasant shade until late autumn. The stems of this variety are erect. Bush Ara Bernard looks very neat in this way . The advantages of this variety, among other things, include the fact that its stems never lie on the ground under the weight of flowers. No support is required when growing this flower.
For the first time, buds on bushes of this variety usually appear in the second year after planting. These peonies bloom in the summer, around the second half of June.
Secret
The color of the peony petals of this variety is thus pink. But in the gardens you can see such flowers as a very delicate shade, as well as darker and more saturated. In this case, both varieties are considered to be the Sarah Bernhardt variety. Why did it happen, and because of what these peonies may have some difference in shades? This discrepancy is explained quite simply. At the beginning of the activities of the Peony Society of the United States, American lovers of this decorative culture, unfortunately, mixed up the names of some varieties. This also affected such a popular then variety as peony Sarah Bernhardt. Description of the variety, photo - all this was presented to the public incorrectly.
Later, at the request of members of the pionovodov society, the originator Desser tried to put things in order in this matter. As a result, even varieties were identified that had 4-5 other names. Among them was the variety Sarah Bernhardt. Inaccuracies were eventually corrected. But unfortunately, some pionologists later recognized the results of Desser's work as unsatisfactory. As a result, confusion again crept into the classification of variety names.
The debate about what peony S ara Berna should really be , has not subsided so far. Own arguments are given by both supporters of rich color, and gentle. Most breeders are still inclined to believe that the real Sarah Bernhardt has a dark color of petals. Pale pink flowers, in the opinion of the pioneers, belong to a completely different variety, also very old - Eugenie Verdier.
How to plant
Peony Sarah Bernhardt looks (variety description was given in full detail above) is simply luxurious. But, of course, these bushes will be beautiful only if they are properly cared for. Peony Sarah Bernhardt is considered relatively unpretentious in growing . These flowers are planted in the soil in spring. The bushes should be located in such a way that each of them had at least 1 m 2 of free space. A pit for Sarah Bernhardt peonies, since these bushes grow quite large and give a developed root system, make a large one - 60 x 60 x 60 cm. The backfill mixture is prepared from the following components:
Actually, the landing technology itself is as follows:
a small mound is poured in the center of the pit;
they put a rhizome on it;
gently straighten the roots;
they fill the hole with soil mixture to the top.
Planting a peony Sarah Bernhardt should be so that his buds are located at a depth of 3-5 cm from the soil surface. This condition must be observed. Otherwise, in the future, Sarah Bernhardt, like any other variety, may simply not bloom. Or the bush will not look too attractive.
Peony Sarah Bernhardt: description of the variety, care
In one place, these flowers can sprout up to 30-50 years. The variety is hardy and undemanding. However, in order for the bushes to bloom well, the owners of the site should follow the following recommendations when growing:
In autumn, the bush is simply cut off, leaving 1-2 cm of the stem above the buds . Shelter for the winter is optional . Sarah Bernard suffers Russian cold well. But for fidelity, the remaining “hemp” can be sprinkled with peat or humus.
How to propagate
Thus, we figured out what the p ion of Sarah Bernhardt is (description of the variety, planting). Next, let's see how these beautiful flowers can be propagated .
In order to get a lot of new peonies from one that was bought in store e, you just need to divide the rhizome of the latter. Of course, this is worth doing only after the plant has gained sufficient strength - in the third or fourth year after planting. Thus, it is not difficult to propagate the peony Sarah Bernhardt. The description of the variety given in the article allows us to judge it as quite unpretentious. These peonies are well received. However, the operation to separate the roots is on time. They perform this procedure no earlier than August - September.
How to feed
Undemanding to the composition of the soil - this is what, among other things, differs peony Sarah Bernhardt. The description of the variety given to him when compiling old catalogs allows him to be judged as one of the most hardy.
Too much to feed Sarah Bernhardt too often . Fertilizers introduced into the pit during planting, the plant lasts a very long time. In the first two years, no compounds are needed to improve the soil under these peonies. In the future, for better development and abundant flowering, both organic and mineral top dressing can be used.
For the first time, the peonies of Sarah Bernhardt fertilize in the spring. In this case, humus is usually applied under the bushes. You can also use urea in the amount of one matchbox per 10 liters of water. The second time, peonies are fed in the fall. In this case, a complex composition intended for herbaceous ornamental crops that does not contain nitrogenous components is used.
How peonies are watered
So, the culture is quite hardy - peony Sarah Bernhardt. The description of the variety (planting and care of these plants is simple) given above allows us to judge this unambiguously. Sarah Bernhard, for example, is not at all afraid of droughts. But you still need to moisten the soil under these peonies. In hot weather, plants are watered about 1 time in 10 days. At the same time, about 30 liters of water are poured onto each bush. These peonies are slightly prone to burns. Nevertheless, it is advisable to carry out watering only in the morning or evening parts by the root method. This variety is especially in need of moisture during the budding period.
What diseases can affect
Variety Sarah Bernhardt is quite resistant to all kinds of pests and pathogenic microorganisms. However, under adverse conditions, these peonies can still get sick. Most often, Sarah Bernhardt is struck by gray rot. To prevent this unpleasant disease, it is advisable to plant peonies in the spring with a 5% solution of Bordeaux fluid. At the same time, for each adult bush, 5-6 liters of fertilizer should be used.
Also, sometimes the variety of peonies Sarah Bernhardt is prone to rust disease of flowers. For prophylaxis in this case, a 6-7% solution of copper oxychloride is well suited. Bordeaux fluid can also be used.
Modern forms
So, the reader now understands how it looks and what features the p ion of Sarah Bernhardt differs from . The description of the variety, however, will be incomplete without mentioning its modern varieties.
Basic Sarah Bernhardt, as we found out, has a dark crimson-pink color of the petals . However, today, if desired, you can purchase modern variations of this peony in different shades. In addition to dark raspberry, milk-white peony White Sarah Bernhardt is very popular among garden ornamental plant lovers . The description of the variety in this case (with the exception of color) is similar to the main variety. These flowers are pink in shape. A distinctive feature of their buds, however, is the presence of rounded petals. White Sarah Bernhardt looks very impressive. Each petal of this variety, like the base form, has a delicate silver border.
In addition to white peonies, on the basis of the Sarah Bernhardt variety, several more less popular variations were also developed - muted lilac, pearl pinkish, Red. The latter variety differs from all other forms not only in a more saturated and dark color, but also in a smaller flower size (15 cm).
Instead of a conclusion
So, we hope that we fully understood what the peony Sarah Bernhardt is (description of the variety, cultivation). This flower is actually very beautiful and can decorate even the most orderly garden or courtyard. He is unpretentious in leaving. However, he still has to pay a little attention to the owners of the dacha during the summer season. Otherwise, peony Sarah Bernhardt will not bloom abundantly and regularly.