Lobularia - undersized plant with small flowers of white, lilac, yellow, red, pink color, collected in small brushes. Blooms in late spring and blooms mostly in the deep autumn. Many wonder: lobularia and alissum are one and the same plant or not.
Experienced flower growers call this plant an annual one-year-old. In botany it is called lobularia, which is translated from the Latin "pod" (as the designation of the shape of the fruits of the plant). In fact, these two names are related.
Alyssum often has fawn and yellow flowers, lobularia - flowers of violet, pink and white. Place of growth - the regions of the Mediterranean. Of the five species of this genus, only one has been introduced into culture - marine lobularia. The plant is also a honey plant that attracts bees with the scent of honey and spices.
"Transparent crystals"
Alyssum "Transparent crystals" - a plant by means of which it is possible to create both single planting of plants with racemes, and whole flower carpets. View refers to annuals, reaching a height of 15-25 cm. The flowers in the form of stars are collected in inflorescences, have predominantly purple and lilac color.
It is grown by direct sowing in the soil during the late spring or early summer. For early flowering from March-April, they resort to growing seedlings, which are planted in drained soil in a sunny place.
This plant needs abundant watering. Photos of flowers lobularia are eloquent confirmation that the plant looks great in group plantings, decorate rock garden or border, suitable for growing in flowerpots. 
Did you know? For several years, Alissum is included in the twenty key industrial species.
"Easter hat"
"Easter hat" - early-flowering one-year variety of lobularia. The plant belongs to one of the earliest representatives of the genus Cabbage. A distinctive feature of the species is short stature, due to which a carpet-like effect occurs. The average height of plants is 10-20 cm.
Variety "Easter hat" is characterized by intense and abundant flowering. For a long time retains its decorative effect, therefore it is often used for arranging plantings and flower beds. Experienced gardeners note the versatility of this species, its relative unpretentiousness to the habitat and the ability to tolerate slight frosts and droughts. 
Important! Cultivation of alissum is recommended to carry out through the planting of seeds for seedlings. The best time for this is April. Waiting for germination, in the second half of May, you can make a landing on a flower bed.
"Purple Queen"
A miniature cruciferous plant. Gives low, compact, branchy bushes with a height of not more than 15 cm each. The photo and description of this flower alissum allow you to determine the main characteristics of the variety:
- one year old;
- flexible shoots;
- small purple flowers, up to 4 mm in diameter;
- bloom from early summer to October;
- good survival rate.
Important! It is necessary to maintain the distance between the plants. To do this, seedlings thinned, keeping a distance of 8-10 cm.
"Fragrant mix"
Wide ribbon flower beds, borders, arrays can be decorated with another variety of lobularia - "Fragrant mix". Shrubs of the species are short, reach a height of 8-12 cm, are compact and moderate branching. From the photo of lobularia in the flowerbed, it is clear that this variety has a different color.
White, pink and purple flowers-asterisks with a diameter of 4 mm are collected in clusters of brush and have a pleasant honey aroma. They completely cover the bushes during flowering, which lasts from June to October. For growing varieties gardeners resort to seedling method and direct sowing in the soil. 
"Oriental Nights"
Variety "Oriental Nights" characterized by miniature size and height up to 10 cm. Small flowers form a dense, creeping carpet and exude a pleasant honey aroma. Simple inflorescences with small purple and purple flowers cover the bushes during flowering.
Alissum blooms from June to mid-autumn. This process can be extended by removing wilted flowers and fruit pods with seeds in time.
Planting seeds produced in April - May, the seedlings - back in March. Shoots appear after two to three weeks, if the air temperature is maintained at 18 ° C. The variety is undemanding to the ground, light-requiring, moderately cold-resistant. Suitable for framing balcony boxes and flower beds, does not tolerate excess moisture, but is afraid of drought. 
"Snow carpet"
This variety of annual white lobularia forms a snow-white creeping carpet of high density. The bushes of the plant, with narrow lanceolate leaves, compact, densely branched, about 15 cm tall. Flowering lasts from early spring until autumn. For the continuity of this process resorted to the removal of wilted flowers and fruits (if you do not need seeds).
Plants of this variety are characterized by cold resistance, but prefer light, well-drained soils and sunny places for planting. Propagated by direct sowing of seeds into the soil or through planting seedlings.
Important! This annual plant rightly ranked as autumn. Alyssum blooms from early summer, but, fearing heat and drought, usually ceases to bloom before August. By the fall of the second wave of flowering plants begins and lasts until October.
"Golden Queen"
Alyssum "Golden Queen" - plant of the same age, reaching a height of 10-20 cm. The variety is characterized by active flowering from June to October and bright yellow colors of small flowers.
Designed for ground coverings and is able to fill all voids with colorful buds with the scent of honey. The inflorescences of Alissum are dense, form pillows, and in general - flower carpet, wrapping the soil from the summer heat.
This variety is also drought resistant and moderately frost resistant. It is grown mainly by seedlings from the end of February - beginning of March, maintaining the air temperature around 12 ° С. With the advent of the first three leaves, seedlings can dive. After 6-8 weeks, the plant blooms.
Alyssum is used for decoration near the supporting walls, to create voluminous borders and rock gardens.
As a ground cover, you can also plant a creeping little tentacle, nemofilu, dichondra, saxifrage, armeria, periwinkle.
"Rosie O'Day"
Sea lobularia "Rosie O'Day" attracts experienced gardeners for its originality and melliferous. The flowers of this variety are voluminous and have a purple-white color. Additional features are:
- low bushes, 10-15 cm in height;
- multi-component inflorescences, which consist of several dozen flowers, with a diameter of 3 mm;
- bulky bushes form a slim carpet;
- bloom from early summer to October.
Did you know? The name alissum comes from "alisso" and translates as roam, wander.
"Lilac Queen"
"Lilac Queen" - a native of the Mediterranean regions, which gives low, branched bushes no more than 15 cm in height each. An annual plant with flexible shoots pleases with its flowers surrounding from late summer to mid-autumn. Culture gives the smallest purple-purple flowers, with a diameter of 4 mm. To grow a variety you need:
- choose a bright, warm place;
- plant seeds or seedlings in good soil (possibly with fertilizers);
- maintain a distance between shoots of 10-15 cm.
"Golden autumn"
The variety is another representative of the Cabbage family and a part-time universal plant that grows well in temperate climates. Culture "Golden autumn" has miniature flowers of golden color (from light yellow to saturated lemon hue). The height of the vegetation is small (shoots reach 10-15 cm), foliage - gray-green lanceolate type.
Dense inflorescences form a dense carpet, exuding aroma with honey notes. Planted sowing (in June) or rassadnym way (from March to April). Alyssum of this variety creates a beautiful background in the territory of the plot or summer house, looks great in rocky gardens. 
Lobularia as a native of the Mediterranean is perfectly acclimatized in the Ukrainian climate. In addition, gardeners are provided with a large number of different varieties and colors of this not too demanding in the care of the plant. Good neighbors for lobularia are miniature bearded irises, late blooming tulips and forest forget-me-nots.
