Keeled chrysanthemums
They blossomed in our garden,
Their flowers are striped
They please the soul and the eye,Like beautiful girls
In bright painted skirts
They sway in the wind,
The sun is shining for them!
Last year (2019), I sowed annual keeled chrysanthemums for the first time. It was a seed mix called Danetti. This is what the chrysanthemums looked like on the package: beautiful, large, double flowers in pink, yellow, and red.
And this is what grew.
But the flowers of this chrysanthemum are still elegant, cheerfully colored, like cotton daisies. They resemble brightly striped umbrellas and also remind me of the skirt my little cousin used to wear. This year, too, they delighted us with their blooms.
The keeled chrysanthemum is an annual plant, about 70 cm tall, with an erect stem bearing numerous branches. One to three inflorescences form on long, sturdy stems.
The petals, like those of a daisy, are colored two or three different colors. This is perhaps why the keeled chrysanthemum is also called the tricolor chrysanthemum. The plant's leaves are a rich green, carved, and lacy; they remind me somewhat of the leaves of a thuja.
I grow chrysanthemums from seeds, sowing them in a box along with other flowers in mid-April, just one row.
The seedlings are easy to grow; the shoots are strong and don't stretch. You can sow the seeds directly into the flowerbed, which will delay flowering. The plant easily reproduces by self-seeding, with shoots appearing in the spring where chrysanthemums previously grew.
I planted them in the flowerbed at the end of May. I didn't add any fertilizer to the soil, as I added compost to the flowerbeds in the spring. After a while, when the seedlings have established themselves, they need to be fed; I water them with an infusion of fermented grass.
I didn't add any fertilizer the entire season. Although it's recommended to periodically feed the chrysanthemum with mineral fertilizers, why bother if the plant is growing well and blooming profusely?
However, regular watering is necessary; the plant does not tolerate drought well, causing the flowers to become smaller and buds to fail to form. To ensure a prolific bloom, the faded flowers should be cut off. A few buds can be left for seed production.
I did not observe any diseases or pests on the chrysanthemum.
My first flowers appear in mid-June and bloom all summer, until the first frost.
I tie up the chrysanthemum bushes so that the succulent branches don’t break off from the wind and rain.
In the fall, I collect seeds, pull up the bushes, and loosen the soil. Next year, I'll plant the chrysanthemum again in the same spot.
Look at how beautiful the flowers of the tricolor chrysanthemum are - bright and elegant.
If you are wondering which annual that blooms all summer to plant in your flowerbed, sow the keeled chrysanthemum.