Before finally yielding to winter, the Crimean autumn delivers a vibrant final act - chrysanthemums are blooming all across the peninsula. They are planted on city streets, while botanical gardens assemble entire collections - the ball begins.
Buds Have Opened
In Simferopol, around five thousand multiflora chrysanthemum bushes have been planted this autumn. The flowers have appeared in the central part of the city - in parks, squares, public spaces, and street planters.
The autumn planting began last week. Now we are at the final stage. After that, all that remains is to keep the flowerbeds in good condition. In total, we plan to plant five thousand multiflora chrysanthemum bushes, which will adorn the city until the first frosts, approximately until mid-November, said Maria Baranenkova, Deputy Director of the Municipal Greenery Department.
Multiflora was specifically chosen for its compact form, variety of shades, and ability to withstand Crimean temperature fluctuations.
These beautiful little balls make city flowerbeds brighter and more interesting. Chrysanthemums tolerate our temperature changes well and bloom precisely when it gets cooler. Last year, autumn was warm, so planting was delayed and the plants were reluctant to open their buds. This year we made it in time - almost all the flowers were planted before October 15. Now they are already blooming and delighting with bright colors, the specialist noted.
There is its own chrysanthemum autumn at the Botanical Garden named after N.V. Bagrov of the Crimean Federal University. The «Big Meadow» exposition features over 60 varieties of domestic and foreign selection - fr om miniature plants about 25 centimeters tall to large specimens reaching 1.2 meters. The color palette here is equally impressive: white and cream, yellow, burgundy, terracotta, and raspberry shades.
The Last Dance
The 73rd chrysanthemum ball is taking place at the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. This tradition has existed since 1953, and the current exposition unites 440 varieties and hybrid forms of garden chrysanthemums: 210 large-flowered and 230 small-flowered.
Almost half of the collection is represented by foreign varieties - Dutch, French, German, and Chinese selections. The remaining plants were bred by the breeders of the Nikitsky Garden itself.
«For the first time this year, 10 large-flowered hybrid forms of our chrysanthemums will perform their first «dance» for the guests: «White Lighthouse», «Spring», «White-Maned Clouds«, «Dubna», «Ice Lace», «Alien», «Blue Frost», «Dragonfly». Another 30 small-flowered ones will be added to them. Our breeders are setting the tone not only for domestic floriculture science but also for the global one, said Yuri Plugatar», Director of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden and Academician.
This year's exposition is designed in the shape of a sun: ten «rays» radiate from the central composition to the edges. About three thousand large-flowered and one thousand small-flowered chrysanthemums were planted in the selection area. For now, these are nameless plants. Visitors can suggest their own names for the best ones.
By tradition, guests of the exhibition will choose the queen and princess of the ball - the most spectacular new varieties. The first chrysanthemums bloomed back in early October, and mass flowering began in the last decade of the month. The ball will last until the end of November or early December - it will all depend on the weather.
Wh ere the Waves Splash
Autumn chrysanthemums have also reached the Yalta embankment. Here, 1,100 bushes of various shades have been planted.
«The flowers were grown in local nurseries, adapted to the climate of the Southern Coast, and tolerate frost well. They will delight Yalta residents and resort guests until mid-November», said Konstantin Shimanovsky, Chairman of the City Council.
In total, about 100,000 flowers are planned to be planted in Yalta this autumn. About 40,000 of them are daisies and forget-me-nots, and another 60,000 are bulbous crops and pansies. Among them are muscari, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, and tulips.
