Anemone is a perennial flower from the Buttercup family. The name comes from the Greek "daughter of the wind" and is consonant with the second name of this plant - anemone. In the wind, its thin petals, like the flower stalks themselves, begin to sway noticeably. This property promotes the spread of pollen and seeds.
The natural habitat of this perennial is the temperate and arctic belts of the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, anemone can be found both in mountainous and in forest and lowland areas. The genus unites in itself more than 150 different species, differing not only in appearance, but also in terms of flowering.
Features of anemones
The huge variety of species and varietal forms of anemone includes both undemanding to care and capricious specimens. Anemones, whose root system is shaped like rhizomes, are usually considered unpretentious. Tuberous species require more care, whose health and development largely depends on compliance with all growing rules.
When growing an anemone in the garden, you should remember about the main requirements of this plant:
- The easiest breeding method for anemone is considered to be seed. Usually winter sowing is practiced or bushes are propagated in spring by means of offspring.
- Before planting the bushes in the ground and in the process of further development, it is necessary to fertilize the planting with organic matter. In the fall, mineral compositions are already used.
- Flowers can hardly tolerate drought, so they need to be watered more often in dry and sultry summers.
- Some anemones are especially sensitive to frost. For the winter, they are pulled out of the ground or covered with foliage.
Rules for growing anemones
Soil preparation
Before starting to grow anemone, you need to find a good place. A spacious garden bed, protected from strong winds, is suitable for flowers. Lighting should not be too intense: partial shade or diffused light is optimal. These flowers do not like overheating. The fragile roots of the bushes will feel best in well-drained and fertile soil. You can use deciduous soil or mix peat with loamy soil. Too acidic soil is supplemented with wood ash. You can also add dolomite flour. For loosening, a little sand is added to the garden.
Anemone does not tolerate transplants; this procedure is easiest for young plants. Adult bushes, if necessary, are transferred to another place along with a sufficiently large earthen lump. At the same time, it is not recommended to constantly grow anemone in the same place. For several years in a row, plants growing in one corner are depleted and may more often be affected by diseases or pests. This is especially true for tuberous species.When digging up for the winter, the spring transplant of such anemones will not be difficult.
Seed preparation
The seed growing method of anemone is the most common, but their seeds have a low germination rate. As a rule, only a quarter of freshly harvested seed germinates. To improve this indicator, the seeds must be stratified by keeping them in a cold (about 8 degrees) place for about 1-2 months. Sowing dates - from August to February, based on the climate and planting time.
For stratification, the seeds are placed in a mixture of peat and sand (part of the seeds for 3 parts of soil) and abundantly moistened. The moisture level of the mixture must be maintained at approximately the same level. After the seeds have swollen, a little more soil is added to them, mixed and again slightly moistened. After that, the container with seeds must be transferred to a ventilated place where it is kept no more than 5 degrees. With the emergence of seedlings, crops are taken out into the street and buried in the ground or in a snowdrift. The soil surface must be covered with sawdust or bunches of straw. With the beginning of spring, the container is dug up and the seeds are moved into containers for further growth.
The method can be simplified by simply sowing seeds in a street container before winter. From above, such crops are covered with dry branches. In the spring, the seeds are taken out again and transferred to the house for transplantation.
If stratified seeds are planted in the spring (summer), it will take about a month for seedlings to emerge. When sowing, only light soil is used and the seeds are not buried too much - thin sprouts will not overcome a large layer of soil. There will be enough depth of 1-2 cm. It is also important to monitor the soil moisture so that the emerging seedlings do not die from waterlogging or drought. With the formation of sprouts, the plants should be kept cool. Temperatures over 13 degrees will noticeably reduce the rate of development of the anemone.
Preparing anemone tubers
Tuberous flower species need other preparatory procedures before planting. To awaken them from hibernation, the tubers are immersed in lukewarm water for a couple of hours. It is important not to overdo it - having absorbed too much liquid, the nodules can rot. After swelling, they are placed in pots with moist peat-sandy soil, deepening by about 5 cm. The soil in the containers should not be too wet. They are transplanted into the ground after the formation of sprouts.
Another preparation option is wrapping the tubers in a cloth soaked in a stimulant solution. The wrapped tubers are unloaded into a bag and kept there for about 6 hours. You can also treat the planting material with potassium permanganate or fungicide. After processing, the tubers can be planted in pots. Sometimes they are pre-laid on the surface of wet soil, covered with a bag, and kept there until sprouts form. After that, such tubers are planted in pots with the shoot up.
Planting anemones in open ground
Planting tubers
Before planting anemones in open ground, a growing point must be found on each tuber. After swelling, the planting material usually has visible buds. If the buds are not visible, the slightly sharper end of the tuber should look into the ground. Even if you cannot find the upper, slightly flatter part of the tuber, it is planted sideways. They start landing when the temperature outside is no more than 12 degrees.
The depth of the planting hole is equal to two diameters of the tuber. Previously, a handful of humus and wood ash are poured onto its bottom. A tuber is placed on them, covered with soil and slightly compacted. After that, the planting is abundantly moisturized.
Sometimes the tubers are sprinkled with earth only slightly, until sprouts appear on them, and only then they are fully covered with soil.
Sowing anemone seeds
Stratified anemone seeds are sown on seedlings. Already slightly grown seedlings, which have formed at least one pair of true leaves, are transferred to the street. The landing corner should be slightly shaded. If anemones are sown before winter, the crops are covered with leaves or branches.
When growing anemones from seeds, the bushes will bloom only in the 3rd year of life.Some species bloom in spring, others only at the end of summer. Having on the site several varieties that differ in the timing of the appearance of buds, you can get a flower bed that blooms from April to autumn frosts. At the same time, each species may have its own requirements for planting and care.
Caring for anemone in the garden
If the basic requirements are met, the anemone will not require constant care. The main one is maintaining a sufficient level of humidity. Lack of moisture will have a bad effect on the development and flowering process, and waterlogging of the soil can lead to the development of rot. In order for the anemone to receive exactly as much water as it needs, the easiest way is to plant it on hills, providing a sufficient drainage layer. A flower bed can be additionally mulched. To do this, cover it with a layer of peat or foliage of apple trees, pears or plums up to 5 cm thick.
The soil in the flowerbed must also be periodically loosened and carefully cleaned of weeds. But you should not use a hoe: there is a risk of touching the fragile roots of plants with it.
Watering
Spring planting can be watered weekly. In the summer, in the heat, watering can be done twice a day, trying not to do this in the sun. In rainy weeks, anemones do not need to be watered at all. The only exception is the crown anemone, which needs moisture during the flowering period.
If anemones are grown in humid areas, they should be planted in high (about 20 cm) beds.
Top dressing
Before flowering, the anemone is recommended to be fed with organic compounds (except for fresh manure). Further, the plants are fertilized with mineral preparations. But if all the necessary nutrients have already been introduced into the soil before planting, you can do without top dressing at all.
Anemone after flowering
After flowering, the foliage of tuberous anemones turns yellow and withers. After that, they begin to prepare them for winter. When the foliage is dry, the tubers are dug up, dried and the stems removed. Then the tubers are transferred to a container filled with peat or sand. In autumn, they are stored at a temperature not higher than 20 degrees, with the onset of frost, the tubers should be tidied up in a dry, dark and cool (about 4 degrees) room. They can be left in the soil only if you are sure that the winter will not be too frosty. This method is suitable for southern regions. There, the plantings are simply covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves or spruce branches.
Anemones with rhizomes are considered more resistant to winter cold. The most winter-hardy is the forest anemone. It can withstand frosts down to -30 degrees.
Winter forcing anemones
If you want to get an anemone bloom in the middle of winter (January), then you will have to plant the tubers in early fall (September). You can drive the flower only until December, otherwise there will be no further result. Before this event, you need to thoroughly prepare. First of all, this applies to the tubers themselves. If they are dry, you can soak them overnight in a root stimulant solution. If the tubers are in a satisfactory condition, they are placed in wet sand for about three days. Do not forget about the quality of the soil, for this you can combine leaf and garden soils in equal quantities.
Pay attention to the pots used to distill the anemones. Their height should be at least 9-10 cm. Make the correct drainage system in the pots. When you have already planted the anemone tubers in pots, create favorable conditions for them until the first shoots appear: no light and a temperature of about 5-6 degrees. Of course, even after that, do not forget that this flower will feel good only in a cool place (about 10-15 degrees). Also, do not forget about systematic watering.
Pests and diseases
Anemone is quite resistant to the development of diseases, although sometimes it is affected by rot or viral diseases. The flower can be attacked by pests. Often, the bushes are attacked by slugs or snails. Such pests are collected by hand, and the garden bed is treated with metaldehyde.
If a leaf nematode has settled on the flowers, you will have to remove the affected bushes from the garden and burn them, and change the soil in the flowerbed.
Breeding methods for anemones
In addition to seed and tuber reproduction, new anemones can be obtained by dividing the bush. For the procedure, plants are chosen from 4 years old and older. Their rhizomes are carefully pulled out in the spring and divided into segments at least 5 cm long. You can also divide large overgrown tubers by processing their slices. Each division must have at least one own kidney. Parts of the roots are planted in loose soil to a depth of about 5 cm, placing them horizontally. Like a flower obtained from seeds, such a cut will bloom only after 3 years.
Types and varieties of anemones with photos and names
All types of anemones can be classified according to their flowering time. The first group blooms in spring. They form graceful flowers, painted in calm gentle tones: blue, white, pink, cream or light lilac. The structure of the flowers can be simple or double. But the species blooming in spring are pleasing to the eye only for a very short time and are considered ephemeroids. The bush of such anemones usually begins to form in April, blooms profusely in May, and by the middle of summer it gradually passes into a state of dormancy, disappearing from sight. The foliage of most varietal anemones can remain green until the end of summer.
There is another classification of such anemones - by the type of root. For example, the tender anemone has tuberous roots, and the oak anemone, like the buttercup, has a simple but very fragile rhizome.
Anemone blanda
Miniature anemone, not exceeding 10 cm in height. In the natural environment, it is considered a Red Book. It has several famous varieties, including: Blue Shades with bluish chamomile flowers, Charmer with pink flowers, Bridesmaid and White Splendour with snow-white flowers.
Anemone nemorosa
Not very common in the middle lane, but rather unpretentious look. Forms bushes up to 30 cm tall. The flowers have a simple structure and size up to 4 cm. Most often their color is white, but there are varieties with lilac, blue or pinkish flowers. The eye of a flower can also have a different color. Some varieties form double flowers. Sometimes, as it blooms, the flower of this anemone is able to acquire a different, more intense color.
Anemone ranunculoides
The species is also considered undemanding to grow and is able to grow in almost any soil. Forms compact bushes up to 25 cm tall. Small bright yellow flowers of such anemones can also be double.
Forest Anemone (Anemone sylvestris)
Refers to spring flowering species. The plant forms bushes up to 50 cm in height. It has rather large (up to 8 cm in garden varieties) flowers with a different number of petals.
Summer (or autumn) species usually include Japanese (hupehensis / japonica or scabiosa), hybrid (hybrida), and crown (coronaria) anemones.
These plants have more powerful rhizomes and form rather large bushes. They bloom in August and finish only in the middle of autumn. Peduncles are also large in size: they can reach up to a meter in height. Flowers are formed on them that have simple petals or have varying degrees of doubleness. Their color is usually quite bright.
Anemone coronaria
The buds can appear in two waves: the first occurs in early summer, and the second in autumn. The main varieties of this species:
- De Caen - with simple flowers of different colors;
- Mr. Fokker - with blue petals shimmering in the sun.
- Don Juan - with bright scarlet double flowers;
- Lord Jim - with blue flowers.
It is the crown anemone that is considered the most common in garden culture. Its bushes grow up to 45 cm in height. Flowers of this species are often used for cutting.
Anemone hybrid (Anemone hybrida)
The species was bred by breeders from England. The size of its bushes can be either medium or large.This anemone is considered very decorative, but does not tolerate frost well and requires shelter. Main varieties:
- Honorine Jobert - forms white-pink flowers;
- Profusion - semi-double flowers in deep purple color;
- Queen Charlotte - with bright pink flowers with a semi-double structure.
Japanese Anemone (Anemone japonica)
It can also be called Hubei. It was from this Chinese province that she first came to the countries of Europe. The stems of the flower can reach 1.5 m in height, but there are also more miniature bushes. The most notable varieties of this species are:
- Hadspen Abundance - Forms tall bushes and creamy flowers;
- Kriemhilde - with semi-double pinkish-lilac flowers. The inside of the petals has a slightly richer color;
- Pamina is a German variety with large double flowers of a dark pink color;
- Prinz Heinrich - with bright pink semi-double flowers.
