Anemone - "De Caen Bi Colour"

Family: Ranunculaceae

Common Name(s): Windflower, Wind Poppy

Native to: Mediterranean and Southern Europe

Flowering: Late Winter to Spring

Watering:Water in well at planting time and ensure that the soil is kept moist (but not wet) during windy and particularly dry weather conditions in Spring

Planting Aspect: Full Sun, Part Shade

Preferred Climate:

 

Temperate, Subtropical, Grassland

Description

Anemones are well known and popular for floristry work and home gardening alike. They are woody, tuberous-rooted corms and although regarded as semi-perennials that flower very well for one or two years and can be allowed to naturalise in the garden, are more often treated as annuals and replaced every year. They have tufts of basal leaves and bowl shaped poppy-like flowers up to 10cm wide on stems up to 25cm in height.

Anemones produce flowers of single layer petals and vary in colour shades of white, pink, scarlet, purple and blue. In the garden they look best planted in swathes and also in pots and containers. They also look excellent in vases as cut flowers.

Cultivation

Choose a sunny and wind sheltered position and well draining soil. Prepare the growing site by digging over the soil and adding a good handful of blood and bone, rich compost or well decayed animal manure prior to planting out. The corms should be soaked overnight in tepid water prior to planting out 3 to 4cm deep and 12 to 15cm apart. Plant them (pointy end down) in autumn for spring flowering and water in thoroughly. If a pointy end is not evident, set the corm on its side. If the soil is not moist at planting out, water the corms to initiate growth. Ensure that the soil is kept moist (but not wet) during windy and particularly dry weather conditions in spring. Allow the soil to dry out in summer while the corms are dormant. This will assist flowering the following season. Feed every spring as new growth is made. Protect them from snails and slugs.