L.V. Skrabtsova
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Tales of indoor flowers. Golden rules for caring for indoor plants. How to water flowers correctly
Fairy tale for children
AZALEA AND WHITE CAT
In one big city there lived a kind woman. Her name was Maria. Her children grew up and moved away. But she had a cat of amazing beauty - white, fluffy, with huge blue eyes and pink ears. “What a handsome man!” - everyone admired. The cat allowed his silky fur to be stroked, he nodded his head and purred, contentedly: “Pur, pur, pur, you speak correctly.” Yes, the cat in Maria's house was the center of attention. But suddenly everything changed.
It was Christmas Eve, and Maria, having decided to decorate her house, went to the flower shop. There were all sorts of flowers here: multi-colored chrysanthemums, lush begonias, delicate impatiens cyclamens and snow-white gardenias were beautiful, but Mary’s eyes settled on azaleas. “Which one should I choose? White or purple, or maybe pink, with a white border around the edge of the petals? Finally, Maria chose a fluffy pink Azalea with many delicate buds.
They packed the azalea and explained to Maria that this flower loves moisture, bright light and coolness, and can bloom for a very long time. Maria, thanking the owner of the flower shop, happily hurried home.
The pink beauty Azalea illuminated everything around with a gentle, joyful light and, looking at her, I wanted to smile. Friends who came to visit could not take their eyes off her. And they seemed to have completely forgotten about the white cat...
“What injustice,” the offended handsome man grumbled to himself. And when one of Maria’s friends, an old artist, decided to draw a miracle flower, the cat, out of anger, tore a piece of wallpaper from the wall and was punished. Maria threatened that next time she would cut off his claws for such a trick. The cat hid offendedly behind the sofa and did not show itself to Maria for a long time.
But Maria did not forget about her pet cat. It’s just that there had never been such a miracle in her house before, and she tried her best to prolong its flowering. Maria’s care bore fruit, and every week Azalea delighted her hostess with new blooming flowers.
The cat became more and more gloomy. "Who is she? Just a plant. When all her flowers wither, what will remain of her beauty? Nothing,” he reasoned angrily.
One day the cat almost bit off the Azalea flowers. On this day, Maria gently whispered about something to the flower, and then opened the window so that the flower could breathe fresh air. The cat could not stand the winter cold, and a gust of cold wind drove him crazy. “I’m not going to catch a cold because of this princess,” thought the cat, and in one jump he found himself near Azalea. At that moment Maria entered the room. The cat instantly ducked under the sofa. Maria didn’t even have time to notice him. However, the sight of Azalea cowering alarmed her. “I probably over-cooled it,” Maria thought and closed the window. She carefully examined the flower, but Azalea quickly came to her senses, and Maria calmed down.
The cat, watching this scene from under the sofa, was surprised: “But she’s not a sneak! She didn’t give me away, she didn’t complain!”
The next day, when the sun smiled welcomingly at Azalea, a large sunbeam slid along the wall and stopped right above the shelf with ceramic pots. The white cat considered himself the smartest cat in the world, but could not understand that a sunbeam is just a reflection of a sunbeam. Obsessed with the desire to deal with the sunbeam at any cost, he completely forgot about his venerable age and jumped all over the room like a little kitten. And now, he instantly jumped onto the table, then onto the shelf and touched one of the most beautiful pots with his fluffy tail. The pot fell and broke into pieces. The frightened cat was confused, but suddenly heard a gentle voice:
- Hurry up, hide behind my green back!
Azalea watched this whole scene, and she felt sorry for the good-for-nothing handsome man from the bottom of her heart. The cat rushed with all his cat's paws to the flower and hid behind its fluffy branches strewn with flowers. The azalea had grown so much that the cat was completely invisible behind it.
Maria came running at the noise. Not seeing anyone except Azalea, she thought that the wind that blew sharply through the open window was to blame.
When Maria left, the white cat said to Azalea:
“You are the kindest Azalea in the world.” Probably because of your kindness, your flowers do not wither for a long time. Please forgive me.
From that day on, the white cat became friends with the beautiful Azalea and protected her as best he could. Azalea was happy - she had acquired a faithful friend, and what could be more beautiful than this?
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Questions and tasks for the fairy tale:
Show children photographs or drawings of azaleas. How do you think azalea differs from other plants? Describe her.
Why do you think Mary liked the azalea the most of all the flowers?
Have you ever come across a houseplant that made you happy?
Do you think the azalea was happy when Mary bought it? Can plants be happy or, conversely, sad about their fate?
Draw an azalea from a fairy tale. What was her character like? What has changed in the white cat thanks to this wonderful plant?
Do you think houseplants and pets can really be friends? Which pets prefer which houseplants and why? Write short stories on this topic.
Teach children about azaleas and how they are grown indoors. Keep a notebook on houseplants and write down basic information about azaleas.
Are only flowering plants attractive? Are there any indoor plants that look beautiful even when they are not blooming?
Fairy tale for children
HOME GARDEN
One day Maria noticed that the beautiful Azalea was sad. “We need to feed her with vitamins, she pleased me with flowers for a long time and probably spent a lot of energy,” Maria decided. But the vitamins did not help, Azalea still looked drooping. Maria became worried and decided to look in books about houseplants for the reason for her poor health. But books didn’t help her either. Then Maria decided to go to a flower shop, hoping that they would advise her on something suitable. The store offered her the same vitamins and a variety of indoor plants. Maria couldn’t resist and bought two of them - the colorful, handsome Croton and the fragile blue-eyed Violet.
“Look who I brought for you, dear Azalea,” she said, entering the room with her new pets, “maybe you will have more fun in their company.”
Imagine Mary’s surprise when the next morning she saw that her Azalea had indeed come to life.
“So this is the medicine my beauty needed,” thought Maria. “She just needed friends who could comfort her so that, no matter what, she would continue to enjoy life.”
So the beautiful pink Azalea began to make friends. And that was very good, because she was still a little sad after she finished flowering.
And Maria, seeing how her favorite smiles when every new flower appears in the house, turned the room into a wonderful home garden, which she herself could not get enough of. Relatives and friends admired the miracle Mary created. Even people indifferent to flowers, when they came to Maria, felt something special in her house, which made their souls feel good and calm. They began to look closely at the flowers and even asked the owner about her pets. At this point, Maria could not be stopped. She talked about flowers with such passion and love that the guests, unable to bear it, asked her for cuttings of any flower they liked. And this flower became the very first in their own home garden.
Previously, Maria knew little about indoor plants, but now, with the appearance of each new flower in the house, she sought to learn as much as possible about it. Sometimes she wondered to herself: “How did I live without flowers before? After all, they help me so much: they console me and make me happy, relieve fatigue and even heal me. If you look at them, all worries go away.” Now Maria always hurried home to her beloved pets. Her joy knew no end when she was given some flower in a pot. Smiling tenderly, she told him: “Welcome, dear flower, to our kindergarten! Don’t worry, you’ll be fine with us!” And the new flower, which until recently was worried about its fate, immediately calmed down and quickly got used to its new family.
Even the white cat got used to flowers and loved them. When a new indoor plant appeared in the house, the cat importantly approached it to introduce itself and licked its green leaves, but under no circumstances bit them.
Yes, the flowers lived a comfortable and cheerful life at Maria’s. She learned to feel her pets so well that without words she understood everything they wanted to tell her. They looked at their mistress with gratitude and filled the house with freshness and beauty. “How lucky we are!” - the flowers whispered, watching Maria take care of them. “It waters us precisely at the moment when we are thirsty; supports us with vitamins when we become weak; opens the window wide when we feel stuffy!”
Maria watered her pets with soft water at room temperature so that the roots did not get cold, and the leaves and buds did not fall off her pets. She loosened the ground so that the roots could breathe easier. When the flower grew and it became cramped in its pot, she transplanted it into a larger pot, adding fresh soil to it. She did not forget to wipe the leaves with a soft sponge, and then the flowers shone and radiated freshness. While caring for the flowers, Maria spoke tenderly to them, questioned them, calmed them down, and even sang songs to them. And how the plants rejoiced when Maria fed them with vitamins - after all, this had a wonderful effect on their tender sprouts! The sprouts grew stronger, the flowers were calm about their own children.
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Questions and tasks for the fairy tale:
Show the children photographs or drawings of indoor plants mentioned in the story.
Imagine that one day Maria invited you to admire her garden. Tell us about this visit. Draw Mary's garden.
Do you think a plant is always sad if it is alone? What would have happened to the azalea if Maria had not thought of buying other plants?
Draw a smiling azalea. Have you ever noticed that indoor plants smile? Can indoor plants laugh, worry, worry?
How do you think the plants felt when their leaves were licked by a white cat?
What kind of person should a person be to be able to understand the thoughts and moods of his plants?
What changed in Maria’s life when she got indoor flowers? How can flowers affect a person? Have there been times in your life when indoor plants changed your mood?
How did Maria treat her plants? Why did Maria’s garden look so elegant, since she had never planted flowers before?
What do you think Mary sang to her flowers and what she talked to them about?
Have you ever talked to your houseplants? Do you think plants understand humans?
If you decided to grow a home garden, what plants would be its first inhabitants?
What, first of all, is necessary to make your home garden look elegant? Does it depend on what plants you put in it, or does it depend on other conditions?
Do you think it’s worth learning as much as possible about the life of indoor plants before starting a home garden?
Why do you think some people, having bought just one indoor plant, never decide to start a home garden? What does a person need in order to make such a decision?
Tales about indoor plants “Prickly Lilliput. Medicines in flower pots"
Natalia Lebedeva
Tales about indoor plants “Prickly Lilliput. Medicines in flower pots"
Spiny midget.
The cacti, arranged in tiny pots in the flower shop where Maria often visited, had the most bizarre shapes. Among them were green ribbed balls with curved spines and green columns , densely covered with white, yellow or reddish needles and from a distance reminiscent of birds and animals sitting in strange poses. Some looked like long, curved snakes hanging in different directions from their little pots . Maria decided that there would be no cacti in her garden. These plants seemed ugly to her, and, on top of that, prickly .
“Why sell such prickly monsters ? Do they really bring joy to someone!” - Maria was perplexed, glancing over these strange, as it seemed to her, plants .
But it just so happened that one day she was given a Cactus as a gift. Maria couldn’t refuse to accept the gift. a pot with a small prickly dark green ball appeared on her window
The flowers were very surprised to see this strange creature appear in their family. They started giggling at him. The first to speak was the velvety Coleus, the constant rival of the handsome Croton and a terrible bully:
- What a round midget , and even covered in needles!
“I’m a houseplant , just like you, sir,” little Cactus answered quietly.
- Plant ? - The blue bell laughed loudly, swinging in his hanging basket. - Where are your leaves and stem? The plant must have leaves and a stem. No, no, you are not a plant , you are something completely different!
-Maybe it’s a tiny hedgehog? “I once saw such a hedgehog - the neighbor boys brought it to show Maria,” Chrysanthemum suggested.
“ Plants can’t be as ugly as you.” You're just a freak! — the proud Tea Rose said arrogantly.
- Yes, yes, you are not at all like us! - echoed the other inhabitants of the kindergarten.
“And yet I am a plant , no matter what you all say,” prickly baby stubbornly insisted with tears on his needles.
A white cat came to the noise. But as soon as he brought his pink, delicate nose to the green ball, he immediately recoiled and flew off like a bullet to the other end of the room . The cat meowed loudly with offense: the thorns of the Cactus pricked him painfully. The little cactus, frightened, in turn, shouted with all his might:
- I'm sorry, forgive me, please, I didn't mean to hurt you!
- Excuse me, forgive me, because my nose is not leathery, like the leaves of the handsome Croton, but very delicate. Maybe your thorn will remain in it forever now!” - the white cat grumbled.
- Why do you need these nasty thorns ? Is it really impossible to live without them? - he asked Little Cactus, gradually calming down.
- Yes, yes, why do you need thorns ? - the flowers who were watching this scene began to shout again.
Suddenly, the old Decembrist, who had recently become covered with pink buds that resembled fancy flying birds with elongated necks, stood up for the little Cactus. flowers , similar to bells with pointed petals, have already begun to bloom from these buds Decembrist said :
- Dear friends, don’t argue in vain. This prickly ball is also a plant , like the rest of us. Only he is the hardiest of us: even without roots he can live for a long time, and in the very sun he can easily do without any watering. This is someone who is truly unpretentious: he doesn’t need vitamins, watering, or shade. Know yourself, grows on its own . Maria quite rightly placed it on the window under the hot rays of the sun. Besides, he is also a Cactus, like me. Only he and I are different Cacti. He is desert, and I am forest. His closest relatives still live well, bloom and smell in the waterless sandy desert, where not a drop of rain falls for nine months of the year. And my relatives were born and live in tropical rainforests. That’s why he and I have different habits and we look different.
- Yes, you are completely different, dear Decembrist. For example, you don’t have thorns story .
- You are mistaken, madam. Let me tell you that I don’t have real leaves and never have. What you take for my leaves are flat, segmented stems that only resemble leaves in shape. I, like many of you, really love moist air and ask Maria to spray and water me more often - especially in the summer. “And I also love coolness,” the Decembrist patiently explained.
Everyone, listening carefully to the story of the Decembrist , began to peer closely at the little prickly midget , trying to discern in it features of similarity with the Decembrist and other plants . Meanwhile, the old Decembrist continued:
- Look how this baby is adapted to retain moisture. Thanks to its thorns, it does not evaporate it at all. Moisture is perfectly retained under its thick and dense skin even in the most intense heat. Plants with leaves evaporate a lot of water, so they need to be watered often. And our baby spends the accumulated water very sparingly, and always remains green and juicy. You are all surprised by its thorns and ask what they are for. Yes, this is his most precious treasure! With them he protects himself from enemies who would like to eat him in order to take advantage of the water reserves. But the prickly cactus is not for everyone!
So, my dears, do not judge prematurely. This little midget is also a real plant , in no way inferior to each of us. Leave him alone!
Then the Decembrist affectionately addressed the modestly silent Little Cactus:
- Don't be upset, baby. They haven't seen how beautifully you can bloom!
“Thank you for your kind words, dear Decembrist,” whispered the Little Cactus, and the tears on his thorns quickly dried up .
Maria's pets had nothing to object to. “We’ll wait and see,” they thought, and for a while they lost all interest in little Cactus.
Azalea, flaunting her new emerald outfit, said admiringly :
- How much do you know, dear Decembrist, you are a real flower encyclopedia !
“Thank you for the praise,” answered the satisfied Decembrist, blooming another bud.
The little cactus grew and gained strength very slowly. No one dared to offend him with an evil word anymore, and everyone gradually got used to his presence in Maria’s home garden. Days passed.
And then the long-awaited day came - the cactus blossomed. It blossomed in the morning, while all the inhabitants of the kindergarten were sleeping peacefully. When they woke up and saw a miracle flower growing from a cactus, they could not believe their eyes. And the proud Tea Rose fainted from surprise for three whole seconds.
An amazingly large, fabulously beautiful orange flower with golden tints sat on a small prickly ball , spreading the finest aroma around itself. The cactus bloomed for only two days. But these days he was the happiest Cactus in the world. All the flowers were in a hurry to express their admiration for the cactus, and they completely forgot how unfair they had been to it before. Even the white cat could not take his blue eyes away from this miracle. The room smelled fragrant - Cactus arranged a real holiday for everyone. What about Maria? Maria, seeing the golden-orange flower , regretted that she had underestimated cacti before. What surprised her most was the wisdom of this flower , which taught her patience. “Maybe the Cactus would bloom even more often if they believed in it more,” thought Maria.
Even when the miracle flower withered , the inhabitants of the kindergarten looked at the prickly ball with great respect, accepting it into their family once and for all. Now they knew what was hidden under the ugly and prickly Cactus needles.
“Never judge ahead of time,” said the Decembrist , winking at the flowers .
And they immediately understood everything, because they were the smartest flowers in the world .
MEDICINES IN FLOWER POTS
One afternoon, the inhabitants indoor kindergarten were enjoying violin music broadcast on the radio. Plants loved music very much , and often Maria deliberately left the radio on when she knew that good music would be broadcast.
Aspidistra with fluttering dark green wide leaves reminiscent of flags on strong long petioles, comfortably nestled under the canopy of the feathery leaves of a tall Palm Tree, was talking in a low voice with a young red-yellow Tulip.
“I look at you, dear Aspidistra, and I’m a little jealous: what a big and friendly family you have!” How fun you all must be living together! How many of you are in your glorious family? - asked the motley Tulip, which grew from a bulb and just recently blossomed to the wonder of everyone .
- At the moment there are seventeen of us: grandfather, grandmother, mother, father and us - thirteen children. “We are all very similar to the leaves of the Lily of the Valley, only we are several times larger than them,” Aspidistra answered proudly.
- Yes, yes, I see! And are you not cramped in your pot ? It's amazing how you all get along in such a small living space! - Tulip was surprised.
- In crowded but not mad! We are always very patient and do not interfere with each other, but, on the contrary, support the weakest and oldest. For this we were nicknamed “Friendly Family”. Aspidistra is our scientific name. We do not turn yellow, do not turn pale, are forever green and never fall off. We do not wither even if they forget to water us, and we can grow well both in a dark corner and in the brightest sun. And we are not afraid of drafts, and we are not afraid of dust,” Aspidistra answered willingly.
- Really? plant in its unpretentiousness . “I don’t have enough words, madam, to express my admiration for you,” Tulip admired. - And I feel so sad alone.
- Well, what are you talking about, dear Tulip! You are the decoration of our kindergarten! Don't be sad, please! - Aspidistra said . At these words, the tulip joyfully opened its cup, from which curious antennae peeked out.
Their peaceful conversation was suddenly interrupted by someone shouting:
- Hush, they’re talking about our respected Centennial on the radio!
- Wake up, Grandfather Stoletnik! Listen to what they say about you,” the round Cactus baby woke up the peacefully dozing Agave.
Indeed, they talked about Stoletnik on the radio. The program was dedicated to traditional medicine, and the doctor of medical sciences spoke about the healing properties of Aloe (the scientific name of Agave)
. Everyone was surprised to hear that Stoletnik is a universal doctor who treats bronchitis, tuberculosis, inflammation of the gums, stomach ulcers, and even eye diseases. Its juicy, fleshy leaves contain healing juice - aloin, which is very useful, especially for inflammation.
The white cat, who had been listening attentively to the radio broadcast, immediately hurried to Stoletnik and meowed:
- Dear Stoletnik, I just have an inflamed gum, I can’t eat anything. Please allow me to bite off one of your healing leaves.
- For God's sake, at least two. Just chew it properly, my juice is quite bitter,” said Stoletnik , flattered by story from the radio broadcast.
The evergreen Kalanchoe, which wonderfully blossomed with small scarlet flowers , swayed its succulent stems and oval leaves:
— I may not be as famous as our respected Agave, but my juice is also used in medicine, especially in healing wounds and burns. It perfectly destroys the infection. It is especially effective for sore throat, gum disease and stomatitis. So my juice is no worse than yours, dear Agave. You can even buy it at a pharmacy. You, white cat, can chew my leaf too.
“I’m very grateful, dear Kalanchoe, I’ll definitely try it,” the white cat answered politely, without ceasing to chew the bitter leaf of the Agave.
Here the modest Ivy thought that it would be nice if everyone knew what he was capable of:
- I can heal too. Decoctions from my leaves are very helpful for coughs and headaches. I am used against calluses and tumors. I can even lower blood pressure and remove warts, etc.
What started here! The ivy excited the kindergarten inhabitants so much that they began vying with each other to boast about their healing properties. If Maria could hear them, she would once and for all stop going to the pharmacy for medicine ! But, alas! She did not understand the language of plants . Only by their appearance and thanks to her kind and sensitive heart, she guessed about the moods and problems of her dear pets. Now Maria was lying with a painful headache that would not go away. She had already taken the medicine and was waiting for the doctor to arrive.
And the white cat, when he heard that Ivy could remove warts, was delighted and meowed loudly - after all, a huge wart had long been growing on the pink pad of his right front paw, which was causing him a lot of trouble. “First I’ll cure the gum, and then I’ll take care of the wart. How nice it is to have real doctors at home!” - he thought with joyful gratitude.
And at this moment Tradescantia entered the arena of boasting:
- Listen, dear friends! I am the most common houseplant , but can significantly lower blood sugar in diabetes. For dysentery and colds, there is no better remedy than a decoction of my leaves. If you apply my leaves to the tumor and hold it for a while, it will certainly resolve. I'm not bragging, but you all should know about my wonderful abilities. Maria needs this first of all - she seems to have high blood sugar.
I found out about this by chance when she was talking to someone on the phone.
“It’s not her who has high blood sugar, but her friend Sonechka,” the handsome Croton corrected Tradescantia. - You, as always, got everything mixed up.
- Just think, we've found another smart guy. Is it important? Maria still needs to know what I’m capable of,” Tradescantia stubbornly insisted.
- Can you, Friendly Family, also heal? - Tulip asked his kind neighbor.
- Yes, in medicine, decoctions from our roots, stems and leaves are very famous, especially in the treatment of intestinal and gastric disorders. And when muscles hurt, they are simply a salvation. Our wonderful decoctions even remove kidney stones,” Aspidistra answered competently.
“That’s great, I need to wrap this around my head,” thought the white cat. — My bladder has been acting up lately, and I have a lot of different problems.
Good Azalea sighed and said sadly:
“I don’t have any healing properties, but I would like to help Maria now - she has such a severe migraine.” She can't even stand on her feet because of this. And the doctor never comes. He probably has a lot of patients.
After these words from Azalea, all the inhabitants of the kindergarten became sad and anxious. Each of them began to think intently about Maria and wish with all their hearts that the nasty migraine would quickly go away and never again torment their beloved mistress.
Old Agave, groaning, leaned towards Azalea and said :
“You, dear Azalea, heal with your kindness and tenderness. I am sure that not all of your properties have yet been studied. There is definitely something healing about you! And Maria will get better - we all want that.
At that moment the doorbell rang. It's the doctor. After a thorough examination, he said :
“You don’t have anything serious.” The blood pressure is slightly increased, which makes you weak. I will not prescribe you strong drugs . First, let's try to reduce blood pressure with the help of medicinal plants . Take infusions of cudweed, hawthorn, motherwort, flowers and calendula tincture for 10 days. Eat onions, garlic, beets, blackcurrant jam, lemon with peel. Drink weak green tea. Try to forget about coffee and strong tea, at least for a while. And don't overuse salt. And the most important thing for you now is good sleep.
As he was leaving, he looked into the room where Mary’s plants , and the wonderful home garden delighted him. Taking a closer look, he exclaimed:
- Bah, you have a lot of medicinal plants . Here is Ivy, for example! Did you know that it also perfectly lowers blood pressure!
Then he pointed to Gardenia:
“And this beauty cures many serious diseases and is very effective against headaches.” Oh, you and Sansevier are growing . You probably don’t even realize that the smoke from burning Sansevieria leaves is like a headache reliever? Your plants will heal you very quickly, read about their properties,” the doctor advised at parting.
Maria felt much better after the doctor’s words. plants with curiosity , trying to guess which of them had what properties and thought: “That’s what you are like, it turns out. I didn’t even know that you were all healing!”
LASTING BALM
One day, a white cat, as usual, chased a sunbeam and accidentally knocked over a pot of Balsam standing on the windowsill. All the inhabitants of the indoor kindergarten gasped , frightened for their good friend, and held their breath. After all, the Balsaminchik could at any moment fall onto the tiled floor and break its fragile, juicy and transparent stems, swollen at the nodes and as if filled with water.
The white cat, trying to make amends for his guilt, tried to lift the pot from a horizontal position. Standing on his hind legs and resting his thick front paws on the windowsill, he kept awkwardly poking his pink nose into the pot of Balsam. But, alas, he only moved the pot to the very edge of the windowsill, thereby increasing the likelihood of it falling. Lowering his pink ears guiltily, the cat said quietly:
- Please forgive me. I'm so awkward. I would give my sharp claws or even my fluffy fur coat if only everything would be fine with you.
Meanwhile, the mustachioed Cissus and the muscular Ivy, clasping the overturned pot , began to pull it up. They managed to lift him, when suddenly something clicked in the stem of Cissus, and from a sharp pain he released the pot of Balsam . Apparently, such an effort was beyond his strength. And Ivy, although he was young and full of strength, could not cope with the overturned pot . The upset Cissus, almost crying, muttered to himself:
- Oh, old age is no joy! Forgive me, buddy!
- Forgive me too, please. Such a shame! “I couldn’t help you in any way,” the terribly upset Ivy repeated after Cissus.
- Well, what are you talking about! “You did everything you could for me,” answered Balzamin, bursting into tears. Now most of his pot was hanging in the air , but for some reason it had not yet fallen to the floor.
The balsam seemed to hang in the air in a state of weightlessness and was only kept from falling to death by its roots in the ground at one end. “Just don’t fall,” the poor fellow thought in horror, straining all his strength to straighten up and stay on the edge of the window sill. From the incredible effort, beads of sweat appeared under its tender leaves, which had already begun to droop like rags. The red flower-lights —Balzaminchik’s greatest pride—now looked helpless and pitiful. Poor Balzamin was dizzy and was tormented by unbearable thirst. The plants , seeing drops of water flowing down the stems of Balsam, became completely alarmed:
“The poor thing is crying so bitterly, how can we help him?” - the tender, sensitive Violets groaned.
Only the wise old Ficus, as always, tried to calm his worried young friends:
- My dears, our little Balsam does not cry. These are not tears, but drops of sweat. After all, it is very difficult to reach up when you are lying down. This requires such willpower! A terrible misfortune befell him, but he does not lose heart. Look how he fights for his life!
The white cat immediately rushed to the Balsam and licked a transparent drop from its stem. And what? She was surprisingly sweet. And as you know, real tears can be very bitter and salty.
But it was too early to calm down. The balsam was still lying on its side. And Maria left for two days to visit her sick friend.
— Will Balzaminchik have enough strength? Nobody can help him! What to do! — all the inhabitants of the kindergarten were worried.
- Stop being nervous. It is better for each of us to concentrate and think only about saving our friend. All our thoughts should be directed towards him. Then he will certainly feel our support, and this will give him strength,” the wise Ficus reassured everyone. Fortunately, the plants listened to him . All night, without sleeping a wink, they thought about Balzaminchik and silently prayed for the poor fellow . Even the proud Tea Rose whispered to herself:
“I’m ready to give up my thorns, which I value so much, so that Balsam doesn’t die.” Please don't die! We all love you very much, and you will not die!
The colorful handsome Croton mentally addressed the unfortunate:
- Friend Balsam, hold on! I want you to straighten up so much that I’m ready to sacrifice your bright colors for this. Just hold on, we are next to you!
And the kindest Azalea, bursting into tears, repeated barely audibly:
- May I never bloom , as long as you don’t die, Little Balsam is our Light. You won't die.
The next day, to everyone’s delight and surprise, the stems of Balsam, covered with droplets of sweat, began to rise.
“Look, how wet you are, it’s not for nothing that they call you Vanka the Wet,” remarked the mustachioed Cissus, but was immediately interrupted by the jubilant exclamations of the inhabitants of the kindergarten:
- Bravo, bravo! Well done! Hooray! He's straightening up!
Balsam, smiling tiredly, said:
- This is thanks to you, my faithful friends. Your love and faith in me helped me straighten up. I always felt that I was not alone in trouble.
When Maria returned, she was very surprised to see a pot , from which, as if nothing had happened, straight stems of Bazamin stretched out. It was impossible to water the soil in a pot lying horizontally . In addition, the overturned pot did not decorate the beautiful garden at all, and the earth from it fell onto the floor. Maria didn't know what to do. She was afraid of harming her sweet Fire, but still decided to put the potty . And again the stems of the Balsam were in a horizontal position. Seeing Balsam in such an unnatural position, Maria, like her plants , was frightened and kept asking herself: “Will he have enough strength to straighten up? How can I help him!” But in front of all the inhabitants of the kindergarten, Balzamin began to straighten up again.
- Yes, you are a real Vanka-Vstanka! - Maria exclaimed joyfully.
“They say it’s true that nothing can bend someone who stubbornly strives for the light,” said old Ficus.
Evening came. The room became dark . Maria turned on a large table lamp, which illuminated all the plants . A beautiful patterned shadow grew on the wall from the leaves of the Date Palm. Maria wanted to sit a little among her favorites before going to bed, and she settled comfortably in a soft old chair. At that moment, the door quietly opened and a new fairy tale entered the room .
Questions and tasks
Show the children illustrations of houseplants mentioned in the story .
What was Balsam like? Why the plants in Mary’s garden love him? Did he get angry with the cat when it knocked over his pot ?
What were Ivy and Cissus like? Why were they the first to rush to help? Draw how Ivy and Cissus tried to help Balsam.
What would you do in place of the different plants in the garden to help Balsam?
What do you think, if it weren’t for the wise Ficus, would the plants be able to help Balsam ? What advice did he give to plants ?
What did the Balsam story teach you? What did she teach the plants ?
Why was Balzamin nicknamed Vanka-Vstanka? Do you know indoor plants that, like Impatiens, can rise from any position?
What conclusion did the wise Ficus make? Do you agree with his opinion?
Which indoor plants enjoy the evening the most, and which, on the contrary, do not like the evening?
fairy tale came to her .
Do you think houseplants ? Try this experiment: Wake up one night, turn on the light and take a close look at your houseplants . In the morning, look at them again and write down everything you noticed and felt.
Fairy tale for children
NOBLE IVY
One day Maria learned that flowers such as Ivy, Chrysanthemum, Aloe and Chlorophytum are amazing air purifiers, and she decided to grow these plants in her garden. The first thing she got was a very modest-looking, small and unprepossessing Ivy. No one paid any attention to him in the store, and he was sure that no one would ever need him. But Maria, of all the flowers sold in the store that day, chose this one. At home, she placed the Ivy on the windowsill next to the old Ficus, shining with its dark green leaves. Next to Ficus, little Ivy looked completely puny! But Mary reassured him: “Dear Ivy, soon you will outgrow all the flowers. A little patience!" And Ivy gained strength from these kind words. Indeed, with the onset of spring, he began to grow so quickly that he surprised himself. “Yes, I’m just changing before my eyes, these are miracles!” he thought joyfully. From a frail, inconspicuous bindweed, it has turned into an elegant plant with spreading curved stems, dotted with cheerful leaves, very beautiful in shape. All the spaces between the large leaves were filled with small ones. The leaf brothers were turned towards each other, as if someone had carefully laid out an emerald carpet of them. And the Ivy stems kept stretching and stretching and hanging in different directions. Ivy dreamed of reaching Azalea, who stood on the table near the window. Yes, just to get there, since he had legs - roots with the help of which he could move. These roots are located in Ivy at the very base of the leaves on the back side of the stem and serve Ivy for rapid movement and growth.
When Ivy finally got to Azalea, he touched her with the end of his emerald path and said joyfully:
- Phew, I finally got to you, madam! How are you? You are beautiful and look so young in your new leaves that I can’t help but express my admiration for you.
Azalea, who had recently thrown off her old green outfit, seemed very young in her new soft green dress. A little embarrassed by the words of the kind Ivy, she answered affably:
- Dear Ivy, thank you for your kind words, but now I’m painfully stuffy - the generous sun is baking my new tender leaves so much! I'm afraid they will burn out completely and I won't be able to bloom again. But I don’t want to move away from the window, without light I’ll die! And you, dear Ivy, how do you stand such heat?
“Oh, as for me, I’m very hardy, but I still prefer cool shade.” Who doesn't love it in the heat? - Ivy answered, and then sympathetically added:
- Madam, I am very sorry for you, and I will try to help you. Please be patient for a moment. I will direct all my stems up to the ceiling and give you and all the other flowers a wonderful shade in which you can take a break from the heat!
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart, noble Ivy.” Of course, I will be patient, but can you raise your stems that high?! After all, there are so many leaves on them!
“I’ll try, I have strong muscles!” I was able to reach you! “Once upon a time, even this seemed impossible to me,” Ivy answered and immediately set to work.
He strained with all his might and began to lift the end of the stalk from the table on which Azalea stood to the window frame. It was not easy: Ivy groaned and strained. Tiny droplets of sweat appeared on the stem and began to flow onto the leaves. Finally, with the end of the stem, Ivy managed to lean his elbows on the slippery window glass, and he was able to catch his breath. Then, having gained strength, Ivy walked on the glass again. The window glass was smooth, slippery, and there was nothing to grab onto. With each step of Ivy, a new leaf appeared on its stem, which lengthened the green path directed to the ceiling by one step. Sometimes Ivy’s stem would break and fall wearily, but after resting for a minute, Ivy would pick it up again. So, step by step, leaf by leaf, Ivy stubbornly walked towards his goal.
By evening, Ivy was tired and could no longer move a single leg. But the next morning he woke up before all the flowers and set to work with renewed vigor.
Step by step, leaf by leaf, he stubbornly crawled along the glass with his stems and said to himself: “Just a little more, just a little more, one more step, one more, just to reach the top frame...” He crawled and dreamed about how the flowers will breathe a sigh of relief, joyfully enjoying the shade that he will give them. And most of all he thought about Azalea.
When Maria came in the afternoon and approached her pets with a watering can in her hands, she gasped in amazement, almost dropping the watering can from her hands. The high stems of the Ivy covered the Azalea and other flowers from the scorching rays of the midday sun. The azalea shone with green freshness, as it had once in the winter when Maria first bought it.
Maria understood everything and began to watch with admiration the stalks of Ivy, which from top to bottom covered the entire corner of the window with their delicate green leaves.
The stems of the Ivy were now the first to receive the blows of the hot rays, and through them soft sunlight easily streamed into the room. Geranium, Cyclamen, Decembrist, Chrysanthemum sighed with relief and raised their heads, rustling their leaves gratefully. And Azalea was the most happy. The courageous Ivy gently touched her with its stems, and they whispered about something.
Maria watered the Ivy abundantly and thought: “I need to water it more, because my flowers need it so much!”
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Questions and tasks for the fairy tale:
Show the children drawings of indoor plants from the fairy tale.
What plants growing in the field and garden remind you of Ivy? How does the character of Ivy differ from the characters of other indoor plants?
Which indoor plants seem modest in appearance to you? What external features of a plant tell you about its modesty? Are there bullies and braggarts among plants?
Do you think that if Maria had not calmed Ivy down and encouraged him, would he have grown so fast?
Draw Ivy at the very beginning of the fairy tale, and then after he has grown.
What do you think Mary's different plants thought of Ivy?
Choose a houseplant, watch its growth and write the life story of this plant.
Draw a “carpet path” of ivy leaves. Do you know indoor plants whose leaves, like Ivy leaves, are arranged in a path and have legs and roots for movement?
Why do you think Ivy dreamed of reaching Azalea?
Which plants do not tolerate heat well? List these plants. What do you think needs to be done to prevent plants from suffering from heat and stuffiness?
If you were one of the residents of Mary's kindergarten, what would you do to help Azalea? Write a story about it.
Draw Ivy walking courageously on the glass. What helped Ivy grow upward, no matter what?
What do you think Ivy and Azalea were whispering about?
Have you ever noticed that a particular houseplant does something very important and useful for others?
Write a fairy tale about how Mary’s houseplants, in turn, helped Ivy.
Didactic games “Plants” in the senior group
We offer games for older preschoolers that expand and clarify knowledge about wild and indoor plants, their characteristics and places of growth.
Medicinal plants
The game reinforces ideas about the medicinal purposes of plants. The lesson requires pictures of medicinal herbs and shrubs known to preschoolers.
The teacher shows pictures one by one, and the children tell everything they know about the plant depicted: where it grows, what benefits it brings, what parts of it are used for medicinal purposes.
Didactic games “Indoor plants”
There are several games using indoor flowers. For classes, you need to choose potted plants that differ significantly in appearance and are familiar to preschoolers.
Game options:
- The teacher arranges flower pots in a row. First, he asks to name the plants in their order. For example, the second on the right side or the fifth on the left. Then the children perform the reverse task. The teacher asks, for example: “Where is the ficus?” The children answer: “He is third on the left side.”
- The teacher asks to name plants with certain characteristics. For example, with long hanging stems or with variegated leaves.
- Children look at the leaves of potted flowers. They share what they think the leaves of each plant look like.
- The teacher places 4–6 plants in a row. The students try to remember them, then close their eyes. The teacher removes one flower. Children, opening their eyes, try to remember which plant is missing. The game can be complicated by adding new plants to the row.
Ripe or not ripe
The game teaches you to visually determine the ripeness of fruits. The teacher lays out vegetables, berries, and fruits of varying degrees of ripening in front of the children. On command, children choose the ripest fruits among the fruits. At the second stage, they try to identify fruits of medium maturity.
The game can be active. The children are divided into two groups: the first receive ripe fruits, the second receive the same fruit, only unripe. Children dance and run to the accompaniment of music. And when the signal sounds, they try to find a friend with a similar fruit, only of a different degree of maturity.
Hang the fruit on the branch
Preschoolers are divided into two groups: the first receive branches of vegetable and tree crops, the second receive the corresponding fruits. On command, the children look for a pair, that is, they try to attach the fruit to a branch.
What types of flowers are there?
First, the teacher tells the students that there are garden, potted, forest, field, and meadow flowers. They differ in size, foliage, and inflorescences.
For the game you need images of flowers growing in different conditions. The game task is to divide the pictures into groups according to their location: forest, meadow, field, garden, house. During the differentiation process, players compare the external characteristics of plants and describe each species in detail.
