Low tufts barely a foot high, carrying white or blue flowers — sometimes red or purple — from around mid-spring to late spring: that is Grecian windflower (Anemone blanda), a tuberous perennial for edges, rocky ground, beds, bouquets and containers. Give it free-draining soil, because excess moisture rots the bulbs, and it returns year after year.
| Name | Anemone blanda |
|---|---|
| Family | Ranunculaceae |
| Type | tuberous perennial |
| Height | 5 to 12 inches (5 to 30 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun, part sun |
| Soil | ordinary, well drained |
| Flowering | early spring to late spring or early autumn/mid-autumn |
It will decorate edges and rocky ground but also flower beds and bouquets in spring or summer. If you’ve got a terrace or balcony, it will also grow well in garden boxes and containers.
Anemone is planted in spring or in fall (preference for fall) and always in well drained soil, or even sandy soil. It’s important to avoid any excess moisture that might lead the bulbs to rot.
It is very simple to do, and it’s even recommended to multiply your anemones every 2 or 3 years. This regenerates the growth base and rejuvenate older bulbs.
Even though pruning isn’t necessary, you can eliminate wilted flowers regularly (deadheading) in order to boost flower-bearing.
Once all the leaves have wilted away, and in no case before they have done so, you can cut them off very short. Simply spread the cut leaves together with other dried leaves over the bulbs to protect them over the winter.
Most named forms of Anemone blanda differ chiefly in flower colour and in how boldly they carry it. The table below compares the ones commonly sold in bulb catalogues and garden centres.
| Variety | Flower colour | Height | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Splendour | Pure white, yellow centre | 6 in (15 cm) | Naturalising under trees, edges |
| Blue Shades | Mixed pale to deep blue | 4–6 in (10–15 cm) | Drifts in beds and rockeries |
| Pink Star | Soft pink, yellow centre | 4–6 in (10–15 cm) | Edges and rock gardens |
| Radar | Magenta, white eye | 4–6 in (10–15 cm) | Accent clumps, containers |
Anemones have blooming periods that are spread in various seasons of the year from spring to fall, but Grecian windflower blooms from spring to summer.
Thus, spring-blooming anemones are Anemone blanda or Grecian windflower, A. apennina and A. coronaria, more famous under the name Poppy anemone or Spanish marigold.
For anemones that flower in summer or fall, there’s the renowned Japanese anemone, A. bupehensis and A. rivularis which is one of the first to bloom in summer.
These are all perfect for lining edges, and also will thrive in underbrush or to cover a bare surface.
Flowers are generally white or blue, but some species will boast red or purple flowers. They appear in spring, around mid-spring to late spring.
Anemones have blooming periods spread across the seasons, so the species you choose decides whether you get flowers in spring, in summer or in autumn. Here is how the ones mentioned above compare.
| Species | Also known as | Flowering time | Where it works best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anemone blanda | Grecian windflower | Spring to summer | Edges, rocky ground, beds, bouquets, containers |
| A. apennina | — | Spring | Lining edges, underbrush, bare ground |
| A. coronaria | Poppy anemone, Spanish marigold | Spring | Beds and cut flowers |
| A. bupehensis | Japanese anemone | Summer to fall | Edges and underbrush |
| A. rivularis | — | Early summer | Covering a bare surface |
Mixing a spring species with a late one keeps anemone flowers coming from early spring right through to mid-autumn.
Watch out if you have children because this plant is poisonous.
