Growing ornamental flowers and shrubs, gardeners are primarily interested in their description, and only then in growing conditions. Undoubtedly, both criteria are important, but it turned out that the appearance of the plants is important for the decoration of the site.
That is why, speaking of the ampelous verbena, we first get acquainted with the appearance of its varietal variations and only then we will carefully examine the nuances of planting and further care of the flower.
Description
If the more well-known verbena is upright and incapable of covering large areas of the household plot, then its ampel version rapidly diverges in breadth, covering an area of up to 0.5 m². The leaf plates of the plant are rather mediocre: very dense and hairy. The flowers contain five petals each, supplemented with thorns. They can be characterized by a wide variety of color variations: from deep red or pink to blue and purple.
As for the sepal of vervain ampella, they do not differ in large size and do not grow more than 2 cm. The light brown or green nut is presented as a fruit, which breaks down into 4 parts. This plant is an excellent food for butterflies and caterpillars, in which many see its peculiarity.
Despite the fact that it is a perennial plant, many people plant an ampelous verbena as an annual plant, placing it in hanging pots. Stems often fall down 60 cm down from them, perfectly fitting into any interior on the street or on the veranda. 
Did you know? In the old days, Celtic tribes believed that verbena root would help to enchant a person, therefore they made love drinks from it. However, according to ancient legends, such infusions were endowed with other magical properties - they drove away evil spirits, could reconcile even the most serious enemies, and if you rub the body with them, you could have no doubt in the fulfillment of all cherished desires.
Sorta
Today, a lot of varietal variations of vervain ampelous are bred, and plant selection continues today. Almost all of them have identical requirements for the conditions of their cultivation, and therefore care for them at home will not be very difficult. Discover the most common varieties of this famous flower.
Verkhena neighbors on the balcony can be Dichondra, Surfinia, Pelargonium, Purslane, Fuchsia, Nasturtium, Geranium, Begonia, Bacopa, Calibrahoa, Petunia, Eschinanthus.
"Imagination"
The plant is characterized by relatively large flowers with purple and blue hues, due to which fluffy bushes are formed, reaching half a meter height and width. This highly ornamental variety is distinguished by rapid vegetative growth, but for the covering foliage to always have a rich color, and the plant will delight you with its abundant flowering, it is important to regularly apply complex mineral fertilizers to the soil. In addition, during the period of active growth of leaves, watering should be enhanced by adding nitrogen mixtures to this process. To achieve the formation of a large number of buds, you can add potassium, phosphorus and manganese to the soil. 
"Tiara Red Impr"
A characteristic feature of this variety are bright scarlet and fairly abundant inflorescences. This holiday option looks great in hanging baskets, pots and balcony drawers. In general, the plant copes well with drought and can withstand temperatures as low as -3 ° C. It’s easy to grow and doesn’t need special care, but quickly expanding, the amber "Tiara Red Impr" forms lush "caps" reaching in diameter 50 cm. Flowering - long, so you can admire a beautiful flower for a long time. 
"Empress Peach"
This variety is distinguished by creamy soft inflorescences located on shoots 25-50 cm long. A characteristic feature of this particular verbena is the need for watering of medium intensity. If the rule is observed, it will be possible to admire flowering from June to October.
Did you know? For a long time, Verbena was revered in Rome and Greece, where they called it "Hercules' grass", "the blood of Mercury" and other loud names. She was considered an invariable attribute of the god of war Mars and the goddess of love Venus.
"Estrella Voodoo Star"
Another very remarkable grade. It is remembered by large inflorescences of red-white color and a plant height of up to 30 cm. The tips of the shoots are directed upwards. Flowering of verbena can be observed from June until frosts. Among the other varieties of "Estrella Voodoo Star" favorably stands out for its drought tolerance. 
"Ametist"
For ampelous vervain of this variety are characterized by spectacular blue flowers with a white eye, which delight florist from June to September. It is a fairly compact plant, reaching a height of 25 cm. Planting and further care of the variety is no different from similar actions when growing other varieties. 
"Lanai Candy Cane"
The variety was bred in 2012 as a representative of the early flowering ampelous series. The plant bushes well and attracts pedestrians with large unusual flowers - a raspberry-red star stands out on a white background. The shoots reach a length of 30-45 cm. A characteristic feature of this particular variety is its good resistance to powdery mildew and a light raspberry scent from flowers blooming in May-October. 
Due to the long and powerful shoots, this variety almost immediately became a sales hit for growing in pots. Unusual appearance and short stature allow it to fit well into any interior - it does not matter, external or internal.
Growing from seed
Many growers sow the seeds of ampelous vervain even during the winter cold, but if you do this in March, the seedlings will develop better and will soon take root in a new place after transplantation. The whole process of planting plants in this way can be divided into several interrelated stages, followed by further care:
- A drainage layer of any available material is placed in the prepared containers for seedlings, and the warmed-up and slightly moistened substrate is poured from above.
- Seeds are placed on top of the prepared soil mixture and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth or humus.
- From above the seedlings need to be covered with a film, plastic or glass surface, leaving it in this form in a warm room with a temperature of + 18 ... + 22 ° C.
- As soon as the first shoots appear, you can begin to air the plants, always removing the condensate from the lid.
- After 20-30 days, as soon as the seeds germinate completely, the boxes with them are transferred to a cool and sufficiently lit place (in order to increase the light day on cloudy days and in the evening, the seedlings are additionally illuminated with phytolamp).
There is usually about 40 plants per m², but if you want to achieve the most magnificent effect, then the number of planted plants can be increased to 50. When planting pots and calculating the number of verbena, they are based on the available volume. So, it is better to take no more than 2-3 seedlings for 5 liters, for 7 liters their number can be increased to 4 pieces, and in 12-liter plantings 10-12 plants will fit well. When planting in the open soil between neighboring plants leave 25-30 cm of free space.
Care
As with all plants, the ampelous verbena requires proper care, because only in this case it will be able to please you with abundant flowering. Consider the main components of this process.
Watering
Most ampelous varieties of vervain prefer a timely but not abundant watering, which is best done in the morning, at intervals of 1-2 days. With longer breaks, the plant quickly drops flowers, and seeds appear on it. At a young age, verbena needs more frequent watering, but with the arrival of autumn they stop it altogether.
Important! When growing amber verbena in pots, you can ease the task of caring for a plant with peat, moss or coconut fiber placed in a container, that is, materials that can absorb and retain moisture, slowly giving it away to plants over time.After the irrigation procedure, you should not forget about loosening the soil around the verbena, and if weeds are bred on the plot, they are necessarily removed.
Top dressing
As fertilizers for ampelous vervain, you can use complex mineral compositions with a high content of nitrogen. However, no less successful is the dosed feeding of plants with organic matter - specially prepared infusion of compost and manure. 
Nevertheless, such fertilizers should not be abused, because, as in other cases, the rapid growth of greenery will negatively affect the formation of buds. For a beautiful and lush flowering of a plant, it is enough to fertilize the earth with organic solutions once a season and shed it three times with mineral mixtures.
Pruning
Given the relatively long length of the lash of the ampelous verbena, it is not surprising that from time to time they will need pruning, which can be both sanitary and formative. In the first case, all diseased and dried parts, as well as tissues affected by pests and diseases, are removed, which will help to protect neighboring shoots from ailments. In addition, ottsvevshie inflorescences are subject to pruning so that they do not take away nutrients from other parts of the plant.
When the ampelous verbena reaches a height of 7-8 cm, all the seedlings are pinned to the top, due to which intense tillering is formed. True, with regard to stunted varieties, they branch well without performing this procedure. 
Important! If the verbena is planted in a flower bed or in any group planting under the open sky, then to protect the perennial plant from winter frosts, its whips are cut to ground level, and then covered with lapniki, so as not to have to plant again next year ( will go directly to caring for the plant).
Diseases and pests
Verbena refers to those plants that, with proper care, almost never get sick. However, excessive watering or a humid and too hot summer can adversely affect this feature, due to which powdery mildew appears on the plant. You can get rid of it with sulfur, "Fundazole" or "Saprol".
In some cases, the verbena of the ampelous can be plagued by aphids and mites, which can be eliminated with the help of any insecticide on the market.
Excessive watering and lack of control of soil moisture sometimes leads to the defeat of ampelous vervaina with blackleg, spotting or various types of rot, which often results in the death of the entire plant. That is why one of the conditions for the successful cultivation of vervain is to observe the rules of care for it. This will help prevent possible troubles, because they are not always easy to eliminate.
Application in landscape design
Ampel Verbena looks equally good both in individual pots and in group plantings in flower beds. A good option for placing it in the open field will be planting in the form of a curb or next to shrubs, at their base (the plant looks especially good paired with camellia or budley). The flower growers who landed an ampel verbena in rabatki or mixborders, since its greatest decorative effect is achieved during mass landings at the site, does not fail with the placement.
On flowerbeds, ampelous varieties are perfectly combined with decorative grasses, asters, lobelia and marigolds. When used in pots, verbena is suitable for decorating gazebos and decorating other street constructions.
Simply put, such an undemanding plant can be successfully used for almost any design projects, and all that is needed is to apply quite a bit of effort to grow it.
