Anemone

Family bulbous. The name comes from the Greek word 'anemos' - wind. The flower petals of most species easily fall off in the wind.

Description: The genus comprises about 150 species of herbaceous perennial plants distributed in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere (a few species occur in North Africa). Rhizomatous and tuberous perennials range from 10 cm to 100 cm in height. Leaves palmately divided or separate. Flowers solitary or in few-flowered umbels. Perianth petaloid. Perianth segments numbering 5-20, of various shapes. Stamens and pistils numerous. Flower colors are vivid: white, pink, red, light blue, blue or yellow. They bloom usually in early spring, some species in summer, others in autumn. Fruit - an aggregate of achenes with a short beak.

Anemones interested flower growers as early as the Middle Ages with their elegance, delicacy, and responsiveness in cultivation. Most of them bloom in early spring, when after a long, dark winter the period of warmth and light arrives, and people have longed for flowers.

Cultivation: Autumn anemones are undemanding, are robust and spread well. Unlike many other garden perennials, their long and sturdy flower stems do not require supports. The autumn beauty anemone prefers fertile soil. The ideal spot is in partial shade, and with good watering — also in sun. Anemone can grow in the shade of shrubs, but at some distance from them, as it does not tolerate competition from the roots of other plants. Autumn anemones reproduce by root offshoots. In a couple of years one plant can spread to occupy an area of at least one square meter. This should be taken into account at planting, since anemone does not tolerate transplanting well. Overgrown clumps are divided with a spade into smaller ones. Weeding should be done by hand, without a cultivator, so as not to damage the delicate roots of the plant. If you are already eager to plant an autumn anemone in your garden, be patient and wait until spring — in warm weather this perennial establishes roots better. In winter the plants, especially young ones, require shelter.

Partners: The flowers of anemone look magnificent in combination with astilbe, aster, late-flowering aconite (Aconitum napellus or A.carmichaelii), branched bugbane (Cimicifuga ramosa), which blooms in September. Equally impressive is the association with ornamental perennial grasses. The combination of a late-flowering anemone with the globe-shaped inflorescences of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), variegated palmate maple (Acer palmatum), and glossy-leaved rhododendron looks excellent.