News: Consider Anemones
News
Consider Anemones
The very cold weather this weekend has temporarily bought any temptation to get out into the garden to a stop. Instead, take this opportunity to think about adding plants to your summer garden that you may not have previously grown. The anemone, dating back to British gardens during the reign of Elizabeth I, definitely warrants consideration.
The real worth of anemones lies in their ease of cultivation and their ability to flower well into the autumn. This is achieved by staggering the planting time, it takes approximately 14 weeks from sowing to flowering. Always popular as a cut flower the anemone also makes a striking bedding display in the border. Despite all their charms many struggle to get the best results from anemones. The starting point has to be the corms. Unlike most bulbs, where bigger is always better, this advice does not apply when growing anemones. It is in no way the case that the largest corm will produce the most blooms. If you are offered large corms the best you can do is refuse them. They will have become to accustomed to their local growing conditions, to woody and tough to produce vigorous growth and flowering.
The real worth of anemones lies in their ease of cultivation and their ability to flower well into the autumn. This is achieved by staggering the planting time, it takes approximately 14 weeks from sowing to flowering. Always popular as a cut flower the anemone also makes a striking bedding display in the border. Despite all their charms many struggle to get the best results from anemones. The starting point has to be the corms. Unlike most bulbs, where bigger is always better, this advice does not apply when growing anemones. It is in no way the case that the largest corm will produce the most blooms. If you are offered large corms the best you can do is refuse them. They will have become to accustomed to their local growing conditions, to woody and tough to produce vigorous growth and flowering.
Anemones develop a vigorous root system and must be given sufficient room. I find the best results are obtained when planted 5cm deep and 10cm apart. They flower at their best in well-drained loam soil. If you have heavy soil lighten it with some coarse sand and leaf mould. If you have a sandy soil you will need to add some humus. Give an application of lime and mulch every year in early autumn as contrary to popular belief anemones favour an alkaline soil. Given a little preparation, you will not be disappointed.