The bush of forsythia sparkles in the sun

"How the forsythia bush is burning among the naked spring trees... Together, after the sun, after the sun still together, after the sun let us run till the end of the day" Michał Bajor sings. Forsythia is a bush from the family of oleceae. In the wild, it can be found in East Asia and in Europe on the Balkan Peninsula.

Forsythia flowers

The name of the bush comes from the name of a Scottish botanist William Forsyth. He was a great admirer of the beauty of forsythia and a promoter of it being planted by European gardeners. In German its name is "Goldgloeckchen" - the gold bell. According to the local gardeners the gold bells foretell the end of winter. The branches covered in yellow flowers makes one think of sunrays. Forsythia's flowers are always yellow, but depending on the variation they differ in tone. There are usually 2-3 flowers in each bud which makes the thin and still leafless branches bend. The bush can be up to three metres tall but there are also dwarf variations.
Still in the winter we can cut the branches and put them in a vase. Outside it is cold and freezing but at home we can have spring already.

Ways of reproducing forsythia

There are two ways:
- We can bend the sprouts and cover them with soil. After they take roots, cut them off the main bush.
- By woody cuttings. In autumn we cut 15-20 cm long cuttings and place them in soil in such a way that there are two buds sticking out of the ground.

How to plant forsythia

We plant the bushes separately on lawns. When planted thicker, they can form an irregular hedge. The dwarf variations look attractive on a rockery and among perennials.

Care

To let the forsythia blossom beautifully, it needs to have its branches cut every year, even in 2/3 of their length. It is the best to do this just after it sheds blossoming. As a result a lot of new sprouts will grow, on which, already in autumn, new buds will appear. The plant likes to stand in the sun but not in a dry place. Because of having short roots, the bush is prone to be dried up - in rainless periods it needs to be watered regularly. Forsythia will grow in every soil but in the fertile and mineral-rich, it will be growing more intensely. Forsythia bush grows easily in the moderate climate. Most of the variations do not mind the cold but sometimes very low temperatures can damage the buds.

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