Easter flower. Easter flower (baking)

Cacti are extremely popular plants grown at home. They are very beautiful, especially during the flowering period. There are more than three thousand species in nature. Their differences lie in the shape, size of the stems, structure of the flowers, and the presence of spines or hairs. Forest cacti grow in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Their appearance completely unlike their prickly counterparts from the desert. These plants have leaf-like, hanging stems.

1. Epiphyllum.
2. Rhipsalis.
3. Rhipsalidopsis.
4. Schlumbergers.

In the modern classification there are no clear distinctions and you can often find the same plant in different genera. And in various publications there is practically no division at all and all the names can be seen interspersed. We are interested in ripsalidopsis, so let's try to get to the bottom of the truth. Previously, experts classified them into seven genera, but most often they were called this or epiphilopsis.

Today all ripsalidopsis or Easter cacti belong to the family of Gatiora.

Description

The country of origin of these plants is Brazil. They grow in hot and humid conditions and can be seen on tree stumps, in hollows, and in piles of leaf mulch. Rhipsalidopsis thrives in the shade of tall trees and will suffer in direct sunlight. They do not have thick skin or spines like other cacti. This is not necessary, because there is no need to condense vapors from air where there is constant humidity.

Ripsalidopsis stems adapted to absorb moisture from the air, for this purpose it develops on them large number air roots. They are capable of turning into a root system at any time, only by coming into contact with the nutrient medium.

If the air is saturated with moisture and there is no direct sunlight, this Easter cactus can develop well at home at temperatures from 17 to 20 degrees in summer and from 15 to 17 degrees in winter. Since its fleshy stems are well adapted to accumulate nutrients and humidity.

Under favorable conditions, ripsalidopsis forms flowers at the ends of the shoots. Their color is not very diverse, but always bright and juicy. The flowers come in white, pink and red in various shades. Blooming in early spring, the plants delight with their beauty for about two months.

Types and varieties

There are few species and varieties of ripsalidopsis. IN natural conditions the most common is Ripsalidopsis Partner, with bright orange flowers. The pink species, named for its flower color, is a hybrid rhipsalidopsis that has lilac-pink flowers and a bright yellow center of stamens.

Varietal rhipsalidopsis are distinguished by a more refined beauty of flowers.

Since the flowering of rhipsalidopsis begins at Easter, it is called the Easter cactus. But many people confuse it with Schlumbergers, which are called Decembrists, and wait in vain for flowering in December. These plants are similar, but the stem shape is slightly different.

The leaf-shaped segments of Ripsalidopsis, the photo of which you see below, are more rounded, their shape has almost no protrusions, but the tips still have spines, more reminiscent of thick bristles.

Schlumbergera have sharp teeth along the edges instead of bristles. The sizes of the segments are the same for both, a maximum of 3 cm in width and 6 cm in length. The Easter cactus, like the Decembrist, grows by forming segments that form at the ends of the shoots and bend towards the ground.

Ripsalidopsis can be distinguished from Schlumbergera by the shape of the flowers. Ripsalidopsis produces flowers that are symmetrical with an even corolla, while its relative has noticeably slanted corollas. Also, the pink variety of rhipsalidopsis blooms, emitting a fragrance.

Ripsalidopsis: care

Since plants develop in their natural environment at high air humidity, then home conditions need to be created as close as possible to natural ones. Forest cacti have delicate and underdeveloped roots, so they do not need soil rich in microelements and abundant moisture in the pot, this will have a detrimental effect.

Soil and planting

A forest cactus needs a loose, coarse substrate consisting of coarse sand, crushed stone without dust, crushed brick without dust, clay-turf soil with lumps without grass and roots, charcoal. Before use, the mixture is steamed in the oven, one teaspoon of superphosphate and crushed chalk or slaked lime is added to 3-4 liters. The soil should have a slightly acidic reaction, its index is from 6 to 4.5. Prepared superphosphate will acidify the soil.

Homemade ripsalidopsis require care with annual replanting after flowering. This occurs at the end of May, beginning of June. It is necessary to take into account that the root system of the plant is small and it is demanding of air, so you need to select a shallow and small bowl. Old soil should be carefully removed from the roots using a brush; they should be thoroughly cleaned without being damaged or broken off.

The root system should be assessed for development. If they are healthy, the volume of the pot can be increased by 1.5 times. A smaller size is taken for underdevelopment. During planting, the roots of the plant are evenly spread over the pot and carefully sprinkled with soil over and over again.

You can do this: first deepen the stem, then lift it and fill it, compacting the substrate by tapping the walls of the container.

Then the soil can be easily compacted by hand. Make sure that the green part of the plant remains uncovered, otherwise it will rot. After this, the forest cactus is watered and placed in the sun.

Watering

During the flowering period, ripsalidopsis needs abundant watering, but without stagnation of water in the pot. Water can be poured directly onto the stems, excluding the flower area. They also like grooming that includes frequent spraying and washing. warm water before setting the buds.

The plant needs watering all year round, but it is reduced from October to February, as is the application of fertilizers, since this is dormant time. From February to March - the time of bud development - proper care is resumed, increasing watering. Once or twice a month supply the plant root and foliar feeding. Following the instructions, use humus- and nitrogen-containing ready-made mixtures for forest cacti.

Important! Organic fertilizers cannot be used to feed these plants.

If care is organized correctly, then expect flowering in April-May. If there are a lot of branches on the bush, then a sufficient number of flowers will be formed. During the flowering period, the tropical cactus is also protected from the sun and fertilized. Tell all family members that the pot with this plant during the flowering period cannot be rearranged or moved, it is not even advisable to turn it, since it can drop all the buds. During the dormant period, a tropical cactus needs a temperature of 15-17 degrees to set buds; as soon as the plant is about to bloom, the temperature is raised to 18-20 degrees.

Reproduction

As soon as the rhipsalidopsis has finished flowering, it can be propagated and replanted, as it enters a growth streak. Reproduction is very simple: you just need to wrap the segment around its own axis and it will easily break off. Then it should be dried for 3 days, after which it should be placed vertically, leaning against a stick, on moist soil without burying it.

After some time, roots will appear, after which the cuttings are deepened into the ground. If care is carried out correctly, you can expect several flowers next spring.

The plant is susceptible to pests and diseases. Symptoms of undesirable conditions may include drooping and drying of the joints. The inspection begins from the top; if rusty deposits and stripes are detected, then there may be ticks. They are fought with hot water or 70% alcohol. It is enough to process the segments with one of the means. Nothing will happen to the plant, and you will get rid of mites.

Ripsalidopsis can wilt and lose a large number of segments due to poor roots. Inhibition of the root system occurs in the following cases:

• Stagnation of water and excess moisture.
• Depleted soil.
• Root burns from poorly diluted fertilizers. They are used only after watering.
• The appearance of scale insects - white worms - in the soil.

If such symptoms occur, remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots and soil. Diseased roots are removed, and healthy ones should be doused hot water, so that your hand can barely tolerate it, remove the remaining soil in a dark crimson manganese solution, dry it and plant it in a new substrate. To reduce stress on roots top part plants Can be shortened a little with scissors.

The segments may fall off from a lack of air humidity, from stress caused by frequent moving of the pot, if the plant feels cold.

After purchasing ripsalidopsis, the plant at home may drop all its buds due to stress. You shouldn’t be upset about this, because next year for Easter, with good care, it will present a whole fireworks display of bright and delicate flowers.

Rhipsalidopsis - Easter cactus

Prepare a rich yeast sponge dough This dough is made in two steps: first prepare the dough, then knead the dough on it.
Sponge dough prepared when you need to add more baking - butter, eggs, sugar, for example, for sweet pies.
Dissolve yeast and a tablespoon of sugar in warm milk (temperature 35-37°C)
and enough flour to obtain a dough with the consistency of pancakes (about 1 glass). Add flour gradually, sifting it through a sieve to obtain a dough with the consistency of pancakes.
Lightly sprinkle the dough with flour, cover with a napkin and place in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours
(the dough is considered ready when it reaches its maximum rise,
then it begins to sink and wrinkles appear on the surface).
I left the dough for 30 minutes. Prepare the baked goods
In a separate bowl, grind the eggs with sugar and salt and mix everything well.
Melt butter or margarine and cool until room temperature(so as not to burn the yeast).
Add the baking mixture to the prepared dough, gradually add the remaining flour and mix the dough and baking mixture well.
At the very end, pour in the cooled melted butter and knead the dough on the table,
during the kneading process, add a little flour until the dough stops sticking to your hands. Kneading the dough is one of the main points when kneading yeast dough.
The dough loves to be kneaded by hand for a long time. Knead the dough, preferably for at least 20 minutes. Then put it back in the bowl, cover with a napkin or towel.
and place in a warm place to rise for 1.5-2 hours. The finished dough should be elastic.
It should not stick to your hands and easily come off the walls of the dish. Easter Flower Shaping
Cut the candied fruits (if they are too large).
Melt the butter and cool.
Roll out the finished dough into a layer 0.5 cm thick.
Grease the dough sheet butter(2 tbsp).
Distribute candied fruits evenly on the dough, sprinkle with sugar,
vanilla sugar(if desired, you can sprinkle with cinnamon). Roll the dough so that the filling is inside.
Carefully transfer the roll to a greased baking sheet and roll it into a ring.
Lightly grease the edges of the roll egg white, connect and pinch well.
Using a knife, make small cuts around the entire circumference of the ring.
Place the ring in a warm place for ~20 minutes. Gently brush the risen ring with beaten yolk or egg, being careful not to crush it.
Bake in an oven heated to ~190-200°C for ~30 minutes. If the top of the roll is very browned, but the pie is not ready yet, you need to cover it with foil and continue cooking.
Remove the finished roll from the oven, wrap it in a clean towel and leave to rest for ~10-15 minutes.
Then you can water orange glaze and decorate with raisins, nuts and candied fruits. For the orange glaze
Into the sifted powdered sugar gradually, in small portions, add Orange juice and rub thoroughly until a homogeneous, not too liquid, mass is obtained. Place the glaze in a small plastic bag, cut off a small corner and apply to the roll. While the glaze has not hardened, sprinkle the roll with raisins, nuts or candied fruits.

When going to visit your family and friends for Easter, you should take with you not only the traditional ones for this holiday painted eggs and Easter cakes, but also a bouquet of fresh flowers. After all, Easter floristry, now undeservedly forgotten, goes back to ancient times.

As is known, green symbolizes the triumph of eternal life. That is why, since ancient times, people on Easter decorated their homes and temples with tree branches with young green leaves, as well as fresh flowers. At the same time, the tradition arose of giving flowers for Easter, proclaiming victory over darkness and death. This Easter tradition unites different countries, where flowers are everywhere decorated, if not at home, then at least on holiday tables. In pre-revolutionary Russia, housewives placed willow branches in their houses, and decorated icons with primroses. Traditionally, tulips were used - they signified the resurrection of nature and the triumph of life, daffodils, symbolizing the ringing of bells bringing joyful news, and modest hyacinths, which were popularly considered the “flower of the Virgin Mary”. Wealthy people sprouted daffodil and tulip bulbs in advance to decorate their home chapels with flowers.

When it comes to decorating a modern apartment with flowers for Easter, you should start with fluffy willow branches. The Slavs also believed in wonderful properties this plant symbolizing spring, joy and life. Willow branches can be placed throughout the apartment in narrow, tall vases - very beautiful and delicate. Needlewomen can weave wreaths from thin twigs - such a decoration will delight you for a very long time. Willow can also be combined with other spring flowers - lilies of the valley, tulips, daffodils. It turns out very impressive. And if you like to get creative, willow and other flowers for Easter in combination with other elements (for example, the same eggs or toy fluffy chickens) can make unusual compositions.

You can go another way - not buy flowers for Easter to decorate your apartment, but use freshly picked plants. After all, Easter is a spring holiday. Use cut branches of a blooming apple tree, bird cherry, lilac buds - they will fill your apartment with the aromas of early spring and freshness. Focus on greenery, and it is better to use simple vases, without any patterns or designs - it will look simple, but elegant and laconic.

As for bouquets of flowers for Easter, when choosing, pay attention to the colors. The bouquet should not be flashily colorful. And the language of colors tells us that preference should be given to white, golden or yellow - after all, these are the colors of spirituality, red is the color of life, all shades of blue and light blue, symbolizing faith and clear skies, as well as green - the color of life and hope. Flowers in an Easter bouquet should be simple. The already mentioned tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are ideal, as well as carnations, which symbolize love in Christianity, and roses, considered the “flower of Christ” - it’s not for nothing that it is sometimes depicted with a pink wreath instead of a crown of thorns. But let exotic callas or orchids wait for a more suitable occasion.

Recently, baskets with flowers for Easter have become very popular. They look impressive and can become both an element of home decoration and a great gift. You can buy a ready-made basket, or you can assemble a flower arrangement with your own hands. In addition to flowers, you can put small Easter cakes, colored eggs, sweets and toys in such a basket. decorative elements- for example birds.

Whatever Easter flowers you decide to give to your loved ones on this bright holiday, remember that the main thing is to give them your attention and love on this day.

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On April 16, the entire Christian world will celebrate Bright holiday Resurrection of Christ - Easter. On this day, instead of the traditional wish good morning joyful cries of “Christ is risen!” will be heard everywhere.

IN different countries Easter is celebrated in different ways. While in Italy they organize large family picnics with traditional Easter dishes, in many Spanish cities there are Easter processions around the clock. The colorful Easter processions in the city of Seville enjoy particular worldwide fame. And in Wales, on Easter Monday, people gather on a nearby hill and dance to greet the sunrise. In Germany, the symbol of Easter is the Easter Bunny. According to legend, it is he who carries holiday eggs, and the one who finds the egg laid by the hare will be happy for a whole year. On Easter Sunday children look for baskets of chocolate sweets in the shape of eggs, chickens, small pictures that the Easter bunnies hid from them. Fun activity! By the way, if you believe the data of the statistical agency, then during the holidays, sales of chocolate increase many times over.

But despite the many different traditions, in all countries there is one common Easter attribute - these are fresh flowers that decorate homes and holiday tables. Whether it is a branch of the sun, a bouquet of radiant daffodils or multi-colored tulips, delicate anemones, noble lilies or pompom-shaped buttercups - no one can refuse flowers, a symbol of renewal and awakening of nature. After all, Easter with flowers is like a hare with ears, like a swallow with spring and eggs with painted shells!

With the beginning Holy Week All German store windows are turning yellow. The first ones appear everywhere easter bell and, which bloom on Easter regardless of weather conditions. This is how the Germans affectionately call yellow daffodils with a terry core. They greet the church bells with these flowers. Since ancient times, there has been a belief that before Easter, church bells fly to Rome...! It is as if hundreds of angels, flying among the heavens, take bells with them so that they receive the most holy blessing. Therefore, it is not surprising with what impatience everyone waited for the return of the bells - when their jubilant ringing with good news would finally ring out. When visiting relatives and friends, Germans always take with them a bouquet of yellow daffodils. These flowers are, as the French say, “En vogue” - which means fashionable in fashionable - and according to the international flower delivery service Fleurop, they are among the most beloved spring flowers.

It would be wrong to say that Easter flowers are just daffodils. Decoration Easter holiday Absolutely all the flowers that bloom during this period are used. Among them:

Or spring primrose(Primula veris). Its yellow flowers in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence look like a bunch of small keys. According to popular belief, these golden keys, falling from heaven, in the spring unlock the doors to the green riot of nature.

Easter flowers include: marsh marigold(Caltha palustris) with its deep yellow flowers that appear from April to June.

A beautiful Easter flower white shade is oak anemone(Anemone nemorosa), which covers the ground with a lush white carpet in spring.

Lungwort officinalis(Pulmonaria officinalis) is called the blue Easter flower by the Germans, despite the fact that at the beginning of flowering its flowers are bright red, and only after pollination do they gradually turn blue.

Well, what would Easter be without hyacinths, tulips, ? Grown in pots, these spring flowers will delight you with their blooms and magical aroma for a long time.

But there are some spring flowers that you should still avoid. Shooting with light purple bells, spring whiteflower and corydalis are practically not used for Easter bouquets. It used to be believed that whoever picks a beautiful lumbago flower will not lay eggs. This also applied to spring whiteflower and corydalis. And whoever picks spring gentian will suffer misfortune. In fact, these beliefs were nothing more than an effective environmental protection measure of the ancient Celts and Germans.

The solemnity of the event is emphasized by such simple spring compositions

Elegant: small bouquets of viburnum, muscari and buttercups in a bowl with goose eggs (Holland Flower Bureau)	Graceful: goose eggs filled with miniature tulips in a nest of willow branches, with feathers
Basket with colorful spring flowers: daffodils, primroses, forget-me-nots, buttercups and violets - beautiful easter decoration for balcony or terrace	Warm sunny yellow and orange shades fill the entire space with a spring mood

Flirting: a bouquet of daffodils in a sisal nest

Translation: Lesya Vasko
especially for the Internet portal
garden center "Your Garden"

What are the symbols of Easter? We are used to it being colorful easter eggs, curd cakes, candles and Easter cakes. But it turns out that there are also indoor flowers that can also be considered symbols of the holiday. Here are four flowers that tell the story of Christian Easter.

From the article you will learn:

• Geranium
• Crown of thorns - Euphorbia Mila
• Passionflower - Passion flower

Rhipsalidopsis - Easter cactus

This beautiful flower usually blooms in April and May, just in time for Easter. This is where its name comes from. This great addition To Easter decor your home, which is symbolically tied to the holiday. By the way, rhipsalitopsis love shade, so you can grow Easter cactus even in poorly lit rooms.

Under favorable conditions, ripsalidopsis forms flowers at the ends of the shoots. Their color is not very diverse, but always bright and juicy. The flowers come in white, pink, orange and red in various shades. Blooming in early spring, the plant pleases with its beauty for about two months.

Geranium

There is a popular belief that geranium has miraculous properties and heals all types of diseases. In some countries, it is customary to decorate with this flower. festive table for Easter. By the way, traditionally Easter eggs are decorated with geranium leaves, gluing them to the egg shell during coloring. They also decorate with geraniums Easter baskets which are placed on the table.

Crown of thorns - Euphorbia Mila

The very name of the flower symbolically connects it with Easter. There is a legend that it was from this that the thorny crown of thorns was made, which was placed on the head of Christ before the crucifixion. The veracity of this legend is very doubtful, but flower growers fell in love with this prickly, not very presentable plant for its beauty during flowering.

Passionflower - Passion flower

Passionflower or passion flower is so named because of the religious associations among the discoverers of this plant. European missionaries were the first to pay attention to the flower - it evoked associations with the suffering of Jesus Christ.

All elements of passionflower are believed to have Christian symbolism. For example, the petals of the flower symbolize the faithful apostles, its white flowers symbolize paradise and purity of the soul, and the long shoots symbolize the whips with which Christ was scourged. For this reason, the flower is also associated with Easter.