The forget-me-nots are herbaceous plants belonging to the Borage family. Even someone unfamiliar with botany can easily recognize these miniature inflorescences with blue petals and yellow 'eyes' in the center.

The forget-me-not is still used in traditional medicine to cure lung diseases, but its primary current use is in ornamental gardening. The quiet beauty of the wild forget-me-not has not gone unnoticed, and thanks to its gentle charm, many species of this flower are now grown as garden plants worldwide.

The relative ease of care and the particular showiness of the flowering shrubs makes the forget- me-not a beautiful plant, so the forget-me-not is very popular in advanced European gardens – in England, Germany, France, and Sweden.

Description of the Flower

This flower prefers damp locations. Grows in Asia and Europe can be found in America and South Africa and have been increasing in Australia and New Zealand.

It can grow for a year or two or even many years. Stems reach up to 40 cm in height and branch. The leaves are sessile, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, or spatulate, depending on the species. Blossoms are often blue with yellow eyes or pink or white flowers, which form a helix-like inflorescence. It blossoms between May and mid-June, producing a nutty fruit. One gram contains about 2000 seeds, which may be stored for up to 3 years without loss of germination. The seeds are black, shiny, and egg-shaped. After sowing, they germinate in 2-3 weeks.

In spring, you can often see the forget-me-not in English, French, German, and Swedish flower gardens, as it is loved and cherished there.

How to Plant Forget-me-not Flowers

The forget-me-not is an easy enough flower to grow and does not require difficult conditions. They begin to flower in May and can last for up to two months. Most forget-me-nots flower best and for the longest time in shaded areas and can therefore be safely combined with taller, spreading plants like ornamental ferns.

See Also:

• Lisianthus – Planting in the Open Air and at Home
• September Flowers – Flowers that Bloom in September
• Acacia Flowers – Care and Maintenance
• How To Plant and Grow Scilla Flowers

Most of them will bloom in full sun for twenty days instead of a month or two. However, the alpine and field holly are photosensitive, and planting them in direct sunlight is beneficial. Before planting a forget-me-not in your garden, you should learn about the care of the particular species you have chosen. A general rule for the successful cultivation of most forget-me-not varieties is shade and moderate moisture.

The easiest way to plant a forget-me-not is by seed in the open ground. The area should be loosened up beforehand with peat and mulch and leveled. The seeds are placed in small furrows about 10 centimeters apart. The seedlings will emerge in a fortnight. After the first true leaves have formed, the young plants are thinned out or spaced about 5 centimeters apart, and in August-September, they are planted in a new location where the young forget-me-nots will meet their flowering season.

In autumn, if you want to have flowering forget-me-nots, plant the seeds in a box as early as six months later (in October-November). The soil should be light, and the seeds should not be submerged. They will even germinate in the shade and only need moderate moisture and good drainage. Before the seeds sprout, you can water them with a piece of paper placed on top of the soil. After growing and picking (which should be done after the first leaves have appeared), the plants should be left in the cold greenhouse to 'turn on' the required cold tolerance and then moved to a warmer location in March. At the end of April, the plants are ready for transplanting to the flower beds and will start to flower in May.

Forget-Me-Not Care in the Open Air

Most forget-me-nots are cultivated as biennials – since even perennials generally lose their attractive appearance by the third flowering season, becoming too stout and producing weak inflorescences.

For forget-me-nots to look and feel good, it is most important to keep the soil moist and fertilized. However, it is important not to go overboard. Too much fertilizer will result in excessive leaf growth, which will hurt the length and abundance of blossoms, while too much moisture may lead to diseases and stems stretching out. Therefore, the most important thing in creating the right conditions for the cultivation of forget-me-nots is to be moderate.

Provide moderate, regular watering and good drainage, and make sure not to over-fertilize. The three main times to apply fertilizer are a couple of weeks after planting, before flowering (mineral fertilizer in solutions will do), mineral and organic fertilizer should be applied in autumn, and a small layer of peat and compost mixture should be added in spring. It is best to avoid fresh manure in large quantities. Since forget-me-nots like new soil, they should be loosened regularly.

Propagation Methods

Most species of forget-me-not can be propagated wonderfully by seeds. Check the suitability of the seeds by lowering them into salted water – any seeds that float are not suitable for sowing. Green 4-5 centimeter long apical cuttings are cut in June and planted at the same time as the germinated seedlings. Early cuttings can be used to achieve flowering this season, but this will hurt next year's flowering vigor, so it is best to take your time with it.

Splitting bushes can be used – the root system of the forget-me-nots adapts well. They can be transplanted at any time of year and are well-accepted in their new location, even during the flowering period. Maturation results in numerous random seed sprouts so you will see many accepted sprouts next to the flowering shrub. These plants are also suitable for later replanting. Care should be taken to ensure that the forget-me-nots do not overgrow and do not crowd out or litter the garden areas with other crops.

Using Forget-me-not in Landscaping

When deciding exactly where to plant your forget-me-nots, it makes sense to use the natural tendencies of your chosen species. For example, the marsh forget-me-not, which naturally grows on the edges of marshes and the banks of streams and rivers, will adapt well to an artificial water body and become a picturesque frame of the banks of a garden pond or watercourse.

Due to the small inflorescence and comparatively short stem height, the forget-me-not can't compete with large-flowered garden plants, but gardeners very much love it as a frame for flowerbeds and bold borders. For example, forget-me-nots are ideal for balconies, flowerbeds, and beds and look fresh and original in their pots. They should always be planted in groups since the more of these delicate, eye-catching flowers, the better they look. The forget-me-not will also look good in a rockery.

Types of Forget-me-not Flowers

• The alpine forget-me-not prefers the stony soil of the alpine belt of the Alps, the Carpathians, and the Caucasus. The perennial grows to form a short rhizome and a dense rosette of root-like greyish pubescent leaves. Dense bushes of 5 to 15 cm in spring put on a splendid outfit of numerous flowers. The short inflorescences produce
  dark blue flowers, which last 40-45 days from May. This plant is very light-loving, which is typical of rock habitats. Propagation is by seed only. This forget-me-not has been the basis for numerous garden varieties. The wild alpine forget-me-not can not live in a culture.

• The marsh forget-me-not prefers to grow on the banks of ponds, streams, and near marshes. It can be found in western Russia and Transcaucasia, grows in the southern parts of Siberia, Central Europe, and the Balkans, and grows in Mongolia. It is a perennial but not a long-lived plant. The stems grow up to 30 cm tall and are strongly
  branched and tetrahedral. The lanceolate leaves are bright green, reaching 8 cm long and 2 cm wide. The flowers are soft blue and reach a diameter of 1.2 cm. They are relatively large in dense whorls, elongating over time as they bloom from late spring to autumn because new shoots are constantly being produced while the blossomed ones die off.

  This species has several cultivars, among which the spectacular 'Thuringen' with its dark blue flowers stands out. The marsh forget-me-not is the basis for Semperflorens, which has bright blue flowers with a yellow center. It is propagated by seeds and planted along watercourses and is used as an ornament on the banks of reservoirs.

  The marsh forget-me-not is very undemanding. It can grow and flower abundantly in full sun or shade but prefers the penumbra. It becomes covered with flowers in the second half of spring. You can enjoy its flowers from May. It adapts to the growing climate and can withstand spring drought and frost (up to 5 degrees Celsius). It flowers profusely for about 40 days. Seeds mature in late June and drop to form seedlings (in July), and by August, they will have developed into dense, beautiful shrubs.

Conclusion

The forget-me-nots are beautiful flowers that are great for decorating your garden. They can be used to create whole compositions in which they can be the perfect backdrop. Experiment, grow plants in different colors, and choose the best one.

FAQ