Ornamental cabbage is a great solution for creating a flower garden

Ornamental cabbage beds in the garden

We create an unusual flower garden from ornamental cabbage

If you like unusual plants, ornamental cabbage will be a real boon for you. This culture is not demanding to care for, but it can truly revitalize and decorate any garden.

I have been using ornamental cabbage as the main decoration for open flower beds for many years. It usually blooms in June – July. During this period, the news of the personal plot takes on a fabulous look.

Ornamental cabbage during flowering

One of the advantages of culture is frost resistance. It pleases with its beauty until late autumn, when the neighbors’ plots become gray and empty. The color of the leaves even becomes richer and more variegated with the onset of the first cold weather.

I plant different varieties of plants according to a certain pattern, and thus create patterned flower beds in saturated colors and shades. Some of them can be eaten. I like the taste of ornamental cabbage, which looks like rose flowers. Even ordinary boiled potatoes become much tastier if you add a few leaves of this plant to the saucepan during the cooking process.

Tips for choosing a variety to grow

Various varieties of ornamental cabbage were brought to us from Japan and North America. Some adult plants exactly copy the decorative rose, others resemble scallops and lace.

A variety of varieties of ornamental cabbage allows you to create beautiful flower beds

Unusual cabbage looks great when paired with other plants, but I use it as an independent plant in flower gardens. I would like to highlight the following varieties:

• Nagoya captivated me with the saturation of shades, which by autumn acquire a bright burgundy and crimson color.
• Rose lovers should pay attention to Sunrise F1. When flowering, this species forms rosettes of a pleasant cream color.
• I use the Purple Dove variety when there is a desire to make the flower bed more expressive. The bright purple color of the leaves makes the flower garden especially attractive.
• The Pink Heron helps me add delicate notes when decorating the site. This variety is characterized by a soft pink bloom.
• In order to design the site in an original way, it is worth trying to plant varieties of cabbage, which resembles African palms. Recommended for single cultivation are Branched Green and Curly Green, Giant Blue and Curly Green.

There are many varieties of this plant and each of them has its own peculiarity in the nature of flowering, shape and size. Which option to choose is up to you.

Features of cultivation and care

This vegetable does not require specific maintenance. The main condition is regular watering and loosening of the soil.

I grow seedlings in small greenhouses, maintaining a temperature of 12-16 degrees. Sowing seeds in the holes I spend at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. The best time to do this is March and April.

Subsequently, I do not pick the seedlings, I just remove the weak shoots. You should not be zealous with watering, because the seedlings do not like this. I only slightly moisten the soil until the sprouts appear.

With good care, ornamental cabbage will decorate the garden until late autumn.

When choosing a place on the site for planting seedlings, it is important to remember that this plant prefers soil rich in humus, and loves sunlight very much. Cabbage can take root in shady areas, but in this case, its color will be pale.

I plant seedlings at sunset or in cloudy weather. It is important to add one teaspoon of planting fertilizer to each well. I carefully deepen each sprout into the soil to the level of the cotyledon leaves and compact the soil around the stem. For better adaptation, young bushes should be shaded for 2-3 days.

To stimulate growth, I use urea or diluted mullein. Top dressing can be added to the soil 10-15 days after planting the seedlings. The second feeding is recommended two weeks after the first. At this stage, I use the same fertilizer that was used when planting.

Ornamental cabbage is a beautiful plant that can make any summer cottage original. It does not need special care and can be grown in various climatic conditions and is pleasing to the eye until late autumn.

Natalia Klimenok, gardener