This unusual cabbage can rightfully be called a plant for the lazy. It does not lose its beauty even at the beginning of winter during frosts. Today there are many varieties and hybrids of ornamental cabbage that landscape designers love.
Ornamental cabbage is a type of vegetable cabbage. However, this attractive plant looks less like a banal vegetable and more like a bright flower. Thus, the leaves of some varieties look like rose petals. In addition, ornamental cabbage pleases with a variety of colors. See for yourself!
Original cabbage for a flower bed with photographs and descriptions
Depending on the variety, lace heads of ornamental cabbage can be miniature or reach a height of 50-60 centimeters. Ornamental cabbage appears in all its glory in the flowerbed when other flowers are already beginning to dry out.
Cabbage decorates the garden plot until frost, and a slight sub-zero temperature is good for it. Breeders have bred about a hundred species of decorative leaf and cabbage forms. This article presents several of the most interesting varieties.
Lace frill
The cabbage variety Lacy Jabot has corrugated leaves that resemble a frill collar. The leaves of the variety are tricolor, with a smooth transition from green to deep lilac. The variety reaches full development by September, and multi-colored laces delight the eye in the flowerbed throughout October and early November.
Cabbage Lace frill is a plant about 50 centimeters high. The leaves of the variety have a clearly defined corrugated edge.
Peacock
Peacock is one of the most spectacular varieties of ornamental cabbage. The head of this variety reaches a diameter of 30-35 centimeters, and the span of the outer leaves is 70 centimeters. The structure of Peacock cabbage leaves resembles feathers.
The lower leaves are colored bluish-green, the central leaves and head of cabbage are white or pinkish. The color has clearly defined boundaries.
Tokyo
The Tokyo series of cabbage varieties are distinguished by a very bright center framed by rich green foliage. The green leaves framing the bright head of cabbage have a rounded shape and slightly corrugated edges.
The leaves in the center are covered with multi-layered fringe of purple, dark pink or violet. The height of the plant is about 30 centimeters. The rosette of leaves is multilayered and dense.
Osaka
The Osaka variety is similar in shape to Tokyo cabbage. In terms of color, there are three varieties, depending on the color of the leaves of the inner rosette: white - creamy white, pink - pink, red - red. The marginal leaves of all varieties are bluish-green.
A distinctive feature of the variety is the increased corrugation of the leaves along the edges. The volume of a rosette of Osaka cabbage reaches 45 centimeters. Plant height is 55-60 centimeters.
Sunrise
The variety of decorative cabbage Sunrise has a very attractive shape. Its heads look like giant roses. A small head of cabbage with half-opened leaves is colored marbled white, lilac, pink or yellow.
Some leaves are additionally decorated with dark edging. The outer, framing leaves are rich green with a slight bluish coating. The stem of cabbage is tall, can reach 90 centimeters, so the plant looks like a real flower.
The Sunrise cabbage variety reaches its greatest decorative value at temperatures ranging from plus 12 and below. The rosettes begin to color and turn into real flowers. Cabbage does not lose its decorative effect until snow falls.
Lark's tongue
Lark's Tongue cabbage is not like a regular vegetable with a head of cabbage. This is a leaf-shaped variety. Forming a stem with a height of 50 to 130 centimeters. On the stem, petiolate shoots about 20 centimeters long are formed, covered with curly leaves. The color of the leaves is green.
The Lark's Tongue cabbage bush begins to grow in the second half of summer. When fully developed, the cabbage bush resembles a palm tree from a distance. The plant remains decorative until the first snow falls.
Piglon
Piglon is an unusually beautiful variety of ornamental cabbage. Small heads of cabbage look like rose buds. The plant is compact, with a traditional shape for ornamental varieties of cabbage, on a long stem.
The outer leaves of the cabbage are dark green with pronounced white veins. Medium ones are creamy white. In the center is a pale pink rosebud-shaped rosette.
Spoonbill
Pink Heron is one of the most spectacular varieties of ornamental cabbage. The stems of the plant are long and oblong. Rosettes of bright pink color resemble pink buds framed by rich green covering leaves.
Cabbage reaches its greatest decorative value at the end of summer and remains fresh until frost. The variety can withstand short-term frosts down to minus 10-12 degrees.
Red kale
Red kale is a variety with beautiful purple leaves. There are carmine, brown, ruby and even violet-black shades. The leaves of the variety are curly, looking like lush paniculate inflorescences. Plant height is 80-90 centimeters.
The variety can withstand frosts down to minus 15 degrees.
Description of ornamental cabbage
Ornamental cabbage, or curly brassica (Brassica oleracea), came to us from Japan . It was there that they not only appreciated the taste of the vegetable, but also saw its beauty. Having worked a little with the shape and color of the leaves, breeders have created many varieties that will compete with the famous beauty rose in their appearance.
The plant grows wild in Greece, Italy and on the coast of the Republic of Crimea. The openwork beauty is divided into two types according to its structure :
Depending on the variety or hybrid, ornamental cabbage differs in the type of cut and leaf color.
How it grows: in a flowerbed or in a pot
Cauliflower is used to decorate perennial flower beds, the so-called mixborders . By autumn, many plants in such flower beds have already finished flowering. Perennial grasses (barley, miscanthus, gray fescue), asters, chrysanthemums and annuals that are not afraid of cold weather (cineraria, ageratum, marigolds, amaranth, celosia) remain decorative. At this time, ornamental cabbage only reveals its full potential of rich color and luxurious texture of foliage.
Where and with what plants does the “vegetable rose” look good?:
The texture of ornamental cabbage leaves is combined with ceramics and wood . Flower beds lined with treated boards or small-diameter logs are attractive in the garden.
Attention! Cabbage tolerates repeated replanting if the root ball does not crumble too much when digging.
Landscape designers recommend planting varieties that are distinguished by their special beauty, unusual shape or size of the head of cabbage in separate containers - pots, cache-pots, baskets. In addition, beautifully flowering annuals, ground cover and creeping perennial plants - sedums, ivy, euonymus - can be planted in flower pots. When composing a complex composition, it is important to ensure that the plants are combined with each other, one crop emphasizes the decorative qualities of the other.
The maximum capacity of such containers is 5-10 liters. Brassica planted in a container can be conveniently transferred to another place.
Options for use in landscape design
It is not for nothing that ornamental cabbage is often called a flower; its beauty and variety of colors and shapes can, without exaggeration, be compared with the recognized queen of flowers - the rose. But the exotic vegetable flower has an advantage - cabbage is also tasty and healthy. And its flowering only becomes more colorful and brighter in cold weather. It looks great and regal in any composition. And here are examples of this.
Decorative cabbage in flower beds
When planting in a flowerbed, the following options are possible:
- By alternating white and colored heads in a checkerboard pattern, you can get a surprisingly colorful chessboard.
- Plants of the same species, but of different colors (this is observed in Nagoya or Osaka hybrids), planted in the form of a huge flower or geometric figure, will resemble an English classical garden.
- By placing tall specimens in the center of the flower garden, framed by lacy, low-growing species, you can give it volume. The effect will be enhanced by a play of colors with alternating dark and light stripes.
- A good option is to zone areas with decorative bushes that form different shapes, each in its own color scheme.
- Non-standard flower beds look original in the form of baskets of flowers, carts, barrels or even an impromptu truck filled with bright bouquets of cabbage flowers.
A good option is zoning areas with decorative cauliflower bushes.
Container growing of ornamental cabbage
This option is convenient because when cold weather sets in, you can move the compositions to the terrace, winter garden or glazed balcony. Several options for this method of decorating a site:
- Fence a resting place or path with cabbage tubs and place them symmetrically next to the bench.
- You can build a large colorful pyramid from special containers. Moreover, to make it look like a favorite children’s toy, plant cabbage “rings” of contrasting colors at different levels.
- A simple but impressive-looking solution: planting three contrasting colors of plants against the background of lawn grass in a large flowerpot.
The container growing option is convenient because when cold weather sets in, you can move the compositions to the terrace
Joint planting with other plants
Cabbage flowers get along well with other plants in diverse compositions:
- Miniature gardens in containers with herbs and St. John's wort, and dark varieties of cabbage look good against their golden-green background.
- Climbing plants and species with small leaves and flowers, such as begonia, are good neighbors. This picture resembles an outlandish carpet with a large pattern in the middle.
- Against the background of a solid wall of climbing ivy or wild grapes that change color seasonally, flowers made from cabbage of different colors look advantageous.
- Pink flowers can be planted in groups of three, shading them with summer flowers, and on the far line with low bushes. It is better to plant cabbage roses in purple or green shades, and the flowers should be orange or yellow.
- Alpine hills look great, where fesalis and marigolds are present in company with ornamental cabbage.
Cabbage flowers get along well with other plants in diverse compositions
Varieties of cabbage that look like a flower
The varieties and hybrids of ornamental cabbage are amazing. Japanese breeders, and then scientists from all over the world, worked on developing different colors, shapes of leaves and heads of cabbage .
Gerda and Kai F1
A hybrid representing a mixture of 2 colors : with emerald and dark purple leaves. These are tall plants, growing up to 50-70 cm, with highly corrugated and openwork leaves. The appearance of cabbage resembles a small palm tree.
Nagoya F1
A Japanese hybrid, represented by low plants (25-30 cm) with a wide and loose rosette of leaves . The head of cabbage sits on a short stem. Each sheet has heavily corrugated edges.
This hybrid has 3 varieties:
All these varieties of the hybrid are not found in a mixture of colors, like Kai and Gerda, but are sold separately with a patented name.
Reference. As the weather gets colder, the color of the middle leaves becomes brighter and fills almost the entire rosette.
Tokyo
The variety came from Japan. This is a small cabbage (up to 30 cm), similar in color and shape to an open pink peony . The bright pink center contrasts with the emerald green lower leaves. The head is loose, regular round in shape. The leaves are round, bubbly, with a slight waviness along the edges, slightly curled towards the center.
Tokyo, like the previous hybrid, has varieties with red, pink and white middle leaves.
Osaka F1
Serenade
Miniature brassica 22-25 cm high . Its rounded-flattened heads of cabbage with strongly wavy leaves immediately attract attention. The variety is compact and does not take up much space in the flowerbed.
The outer leaves are dark green, while the inner leaves can be cream, white, crimson or pale pink . Sometimes the variety is sold as a mixture of colors. Serenade is not resistant to blackleg, so it is recommended to water the crops and seedlings moderately.
Sunrise F1
Bouquets made from this cabbage can be mistakenly confused with spray roses . From one long stem (45 cm) several thin stems grow, each of which is crowned with a rosette, shaped like a rose glass.
The inner leaves are two or three colors: green at the edges, then white, and pink in the very center. The transition from one color to another is smooth. Florists use Sunrise in bouquets by cutting off all the lower leaves.
Photo gallery
Oxalis leaves reach a length of 2.5 cm and a width of 3 cm. They consist of three separate lobes, which fold lengthwise in a few minutes and droop before inclement weather, at night and due to mechanical irritation.
Oxalis has small flowers located at the ends of thin stems. They consist of white petals with pink-violet veins. Inside the inflorescence there are 2 circles, each of which consists of 5 thin stamens. In the middle there is a pistil, which has 5 long columns with stigmas at the ends and the ovary of future seeds from 5 nests. Blooms from early or mid-May to late July.
The fruits of oxalis are difficult to notice. They are small green balls that are located where flowers used to be. If you touch the fruits of sorrel, they seem to explode and “shoot” seeds. This happens due to the presence of a special “device” on the side of the seeds, which operates on the principle of a repulsive spring.
Ornamental cabbage: types, varieties, breeding features
Ornamental cabbage, photos and species names of which will be described below, is not only great for eating, but also serves as an excellent decoration for a flower bed, plot, or even room. Some varieties of this plant look so beautiful and unusual that they are not inferior in this parameter even to such a flower as a rose.
At the same time, ornamental cabbage, a photo of which can be seen below, is not afraid of cold weather and is able to please the eye until the onset of the first frosts and snow. It does not require too much careful and careful care, so even beginners in the field of growing various plants can grow it.
How did ornamental cabbage appear and the variety of its varieties?
The birthplace of this variety of cabbage is Ancient Greece. However, there it was not used at all for aesthetic purposes, but as a regular fodder crop, as a simple vegetable. Already in those days it differed in the shape of the leaves (curly and smooth). Now there is a much greater variety, for example, decorative cabbage, perennial or annual, with smooth leaves and openwork, in all sorts of shades and colors. Such an assortment became possible thanks to the painstaking selection work of many people who collected certain positive qualities in one flower.
Conventionally, the types of ornamental cabbage, the photo names of which can be seen in our article below, are divided into headed and unheaded. The former are distinguished by their special leaf shape, while the latter are distinguished by their considerable height (up to 1.2 meters). Some of the most beautiful varieties are those bred in Japan. However, other varieties of this plant are not inferior to the works of art of Japanese masters.
History of the origin of brassica
The ancestor of modern ornamental cabbage is wild cabbage with smooth and curly leaves , known in Greece since the 4th century BC. e. The ancient Romans highly valued cabbage as an excellent remedy.
Over time, more and more different forms and colors of cabbage began to appear in Europe. The Japanese were the first to pay attention to the decorative properties of cabbage. They began to select new varieties of brassica to decorate their gardens. Nowadays, interest in the aesthetic properties of ornamental cabbage is growing everywhere.
How to grow ornamental cabbage correctly
Despite the seeming outlandishness of this type of plant, even an inexperienced gardener can care for and grow them. Reproduction occurs using seeds, which can be purchased at a specialty store or market.
Ornamental cabbage, perennial or annual, can be grown using seedlings. To implement this method, you need to sow the seeds in advance, at the beginning of spring. It must be borne in mind that at high temperatures, seedlings do not ripen very well. It is better to do this in a bright, cool room.
Cabbage seeds must be planted in moist soil. In this case, the planting depth should not exceed 10 millimeters. In order for the seedlings to germinate quickly, you need to cover the sown area with film and place the container in a warm place. When sprouts emerge, the container should be immediately moved to a cooler place (temperature difference should be about 12°C). It is also necessary that the container with the sprouts be in a well-lit position.
When leaves begin to appear, the seedlings must be planted in separate containers. It will be great if they are placed in pots filled with peat. This should be done accurately and carefully. The best option would be to extract seedlings using special devices. In a pinch, a spatula or even a spoon will do. After this, all plant care comes down to adding soil, fertilizing and watering during the growth period.
Planting a plant
Ornamental cabbage can be planted using seedlings or directly in the garden bed. In the southern regions, planting occurs in early April. In regions with a more severe climate, ornamental cabbage seeds are planted for seedlings in March.
Planting seedlings
Seeds in granules can be sown in the ground. It is recommended to prepare other planting material for planting. It is soaked in a solution of Fitosporin, then hardened. The hardening procedure looks like this: keep the seeds in hot water (not higher than 50 degrees) for 20 minutes, then put them in cold water for 5 minutes. After this, the seeds are sown in a prepared container with substrate. To grow ornamental cabbage, you should take a long box for seedlings. After the seedlings sprout, they should be picked. If you decide to plant the seeds in peat or plastic cups, then picking is not necessary.
For ornamental cabbage, loose soil with neutral acidity is better suited. In this case, the soil must be nutritious. After the first seedlings sprout, it is necessary to reduce the temperature in the room to 12 degrees during the day and to 8 at night. This procedure, carried out within a week, will prevent the seedlings from stretching upward in the future.
After light hardening, it is necessary to provide the seedlings with the usual temperature of 14 to 20 degrees Celsius and place them in a lighted place. After the cabbage has a couple of leaves, the seedlings should be planted in individual cups. For faster adaptation, after transplantation, the containers are placed in a room with a temperature of 22 to 24 degrees. They are protected from the sun's rays, then the temperature is reduced slightly, bringing it to 20 degrees.
For rapid seedling growth, plants are watered and sprayed. Watering should be regular and carried out every time the substrate in the containers becomes dry. You cannot overwater the seedlings. Otherwise, this will lead to the development of blackleg and the plants will simply die.
Feeding is done three times per season. First, seedlings are fertilized two weeks after planting. After this, the seedlings are fertilized a second time after another two weeks. The seedlings are fed the last time before planting in the garden. This is done using vermicompost or Agricol.
Before planting seedlings in the garden, the plants are additionally hardened off. To do this, they are taken out onto the terrace or balcony. Hardening begins with a few minutes, gradually increasing the time to a couple of hours. It’s time to replant ornamental cabbage when two or three leaves appear on the stem.
Ways to care for ornamental cabbage
It is much easier to care for than most other plants. The main difficulty of this process lies in the need to systematically weed the soil around, fertilize it, loosen it and water it in a timely manner with sufficient amounts of water. You need to know the following about caring for this beautiful flower:
Fertilizing ornamental varieties of cabbage with manure is not the best idea. This will result in a significant increase in leaf size. However, their color will remain green and will not change even over time. Therefore, planting this plant for decorative purposes will not make any sense.
Ornamental cabbage, the varieties with photos and names of which are described above, adapts quite easily after transplantation. To carry out this process, it is enough to dig it up along with the soil in which it grew and transplant it to another place. After completing the procedure, the cabbage must be watered generously.
How to deal with pests and various diseases of ornamental cabbage
Ornamental cabbage, the photos and names of varieties of which are described above, is subject to the influence of various external factors. These include rodents, insects and diseases. The former usually damage or completely destroy the root system of the plant, which causes its death. Insects eat its foliage, which negates its entire function of decorating the area. After all, the whole beauty of this vegetable lies precisely in the unusual appearance of its foliage.
The most common enemies that eat cabbage foliage are slugs, whitecaps and cabbageweeds. In order to prevent damage to foliage by these pests with the greatest possible probability, it is necessary to carry out the following preventive measures:
Unfortunately, often ornamental cabbage, the varieties with photos of which can be seen above, are susceptible to the negative effects of fungi. This is most often caused by too much moisture in the soil and air. Therefore, this plant should be watered abundantly, but not too often, so that a fungal disease does not have time to form. In fact, exotic varieties are resistant to pests. It is enough to carefully care for it and carry out regular preventive maintenance.
Transfer
Young oxalis must be replanted annually, and an adult plant every 2-3 years. Transplantation is required if the plant:
- has grown greatly;
- adapted to new conditions after acquisition;
- sick.
You need to replant carefully, using the transshipment method, so as not to damage the fragile roots.
Transplant instructions
- prepare the soil and a new container for the flower;
- pour drainage into the bottom of the flowerpot or flowerpot and fill it with soil;
- Water the oxalis well and then remove it from the old pot;
- place the plant in a new container;
- deepen the root by a maximum of 2 cm, since sorrel does not like deep planting.
Where is ornamental cabbage used?
This amazing vegetable has rightfully taken a leading position in landscape design. You can meet him in city flower beds, parks or squares. The possibilities for beautification with the help of decorative varieties are limited only by the imagination of the designer involved in the design of flower beds. However, it is worth mentioning here that for creating landscape design, small-sized varieties will be optimal, allowing more flexible use in creating a variety of decorative elements.
Using this vegetable, you can create the following combinations that will look very harmonious in any situation:
An excellent design move would be to grow cabbage in large containers, such as large pots. When using a ten-liter container, three plants can be grown at the same time, which should be watered approximately once every two days, depending on the ambient temperature.
A positive aspect of this is the fact that this pot can be hidden from prying eyes until the flower growing in it reaches the maximum level of beauty. And after its final ripening, put it on public display at the entrance to the house or in the flowerbed.
Most connoisseurs of this type of plant prefer to grow cabbage seedlings in the farthest beds, where it is simply impossible to notice them by chance. There you grow the cabbage until it reaches all its beauty. After this, it is transplanted to the most visible place, replacing already faded plants. For the success of such an operation, care must be taken in advance to ensure that annual plants grow in the place where the ornamental cabbage is planted. Otherwise, such an operation will lead to their death.
Despite the fact that this plant is intended for growing in open ground, it can even be planted in an ordinary pot in an apartment. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time replanting it, you can very carefully cut off the root and place it in a vase filled with water. There it will be able to please the eye for almost thirty days.
If you plant cabbage in open ground, most varieties of this plant will grow and bring pleasant emotions with their appearance before the onset of winter. And some of its varieties are able to survive even cold weather, down to 10°C below zero. If you want to admire this plant longer, then when it gets colder, you can place it in a pot and take it into the house, where it will flourish until next year, and maybe a little longer, depending on the circumstances.
