A celebration of a flower which is being a total delight at Veddw just now: Japanese anemone or Anemone hupehensis.
Japanese anemones often get identified as weeds in the UK, making people afraid to grow them, and it’s true that they are wonderful spreaders. So for those who can’t have them, or won’t have them, here’s a load of them just for your pleasure. Then I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing with them and what I hope for…
They start like this, and this is beautiful.
Then this wonderful bud….
We’d never just settle for a bud though. (why not? It’s not terribly different from a berry.)
A glimpse of the flower appears.
How did it get so furry? And, no, I’m not sure which one this is. Or any of them, for that matter. Sorry.
Just celebrating beauty here…
How about this!?
Sweet…
So what do I do with them at Veddw?
Mass them, of course. I have a bed of Felicia roses, and although they do reflower in August and September, they are not as exuberant as in their first flower. (like most of us, I suppose). So I have added the floral madness of anemones, in pale pink at first.
Then I decided the whole thing needed a bit more edge, so I added a clematis.
Next, of course, I realised that wasn’t enough contrast and added some crimson anemones, (Pamina and Prinz Heinrich) and bronze fennel.
and I came across a beautiful Eupatorium, (Eupatorium cannabinum ‘Flore Pleno’ ) and being in love with Eupatoriums I added those as well.
I also added some Persicaria Fat Domino for some sticky up crimson.
Take this view and you get a globe too.. (those are a little way away, in the meadow.)
And from the opposite end you see some more anemones on the adjoining bed. Why didn’t I do the whole Felicia bed in crimson ones??? I think I love them best.
The crimson ones look as if they’d like to climb over the rail and join the party over the path…..
Here’s a view from above to help you get the picture.
With thanks to Charles for the drone pictures. (he has to get in here somehow, doesn’t he?!)
And –
This shows up how insignificant my additions currently are………
As ever, this is still a work in progress.
The crimson touches and the Eupatoriums have not been planted long enough to really do what I’m after, but I can see how it ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ may be in the end. Perennials seem to take between three and five years to mature, so not long to wait. (!) It’s not too bad in the meantime, apart from the roses needing deadheading.
Shall I add Clerodendrum bungei maybe?? We have it already and love it and it might muscle in there amongst the pale pinks?
And then……
Nice piece. How could anybody think of these beautiful flowers as weeds? Always happy to support you with pics, love.
Love them. I planted some years ago and when it came up the next spring the leaves looked suspiciously like maple seedlings and,,,,,,gone. I’ve got to get more.
You must! But give them time to get going, unless they mysteriously turn out to be maple seedlings….
Anne, thanks for setting Japanese anemones free and hooray for ‘Pamina’. I’ve given the young lady free rein to grow where she wants, and she has. An addition of bronze fennel in may be in her future.
There are such wonderful pleasures in store for those who are not afraid of plants……
It’s too bad that here in Maryland Japanese anemones are deer candy…
Ah – we are in the process of attempting to fence the deer out! Wish us luck….
Love the overwhelming abundance of it all. Japanese anemones are borderline hardy here so of course we would love them to spread in abundance. I think you are on the right track just adding more to the mix. Lovely.
Sorry about borderline hardy – that’s not a situation to risk exuberance which might all wither. I am grateful for our possibilities here. Thank you for the encouragement.
I just purchased my first J. anenome this fall – Robustissima. I hope it blooms half as well as yours do! Admired them for several years in visited gardens, maybe it will be the beginning of a collection.
It should brighten late summer and early autumn for you – good luck with them.
I have grown them ever since seeing a very healthy “Robustissima” in England thirty years ago.They thrive in northern Indiana. This year I dispersed small ones to other parts of the border: “Honorine Jobert” (white) will be a backdrop for purple asters, two shades of yellow “mums,” and a Caryopteris with lime-green leaves, for example. I look out a window and can see their dancing blossoms while it rains and leaves fall.
Sounds to be a great view for you!
Lovely! Just lovely! I’m in California, wish I could just hop over and visit your garden .
Wouldn’t that be great. But travel is begining to open up again, they tell me, so who knows: maybe you’ll get here some day. Hope so.
The best gardens are works of art in progress! Love the combinations & explanations. I hope it inspires people to attempt more combined plantings. Monocultures are dull.
Most plantings in the UK are mixed. The habit is to go out and buy a plant, come home and try to find somewhere to plant it. Most Brits are a bit horrified to see as much of one plant as I have here. (and more elsewhere in the garden too..)
The big challenge is putting it all together – and it all working as you plan. As if!!!
I have been growing Robustissima for many years in a part shade bed with hydrangeas, pink and purple astilbe, hellebore and foxglove, a few hostas. They are tall, very vigorous and always put on a show at the end of summer here in the Fingerlakes of central NY. I love the idea of mixing in some rich red! Please post pictures of your fluffy seed heads-they are almost as interesting as the flowers!
ANY fluffy seed heads?? I do find myself taking lots of pictures of seed heads at this time of year…
WOW. And definitely add some of that Clerodendrum bungei I’d never heard of coz I’m curious.
It may be invasive with you?? Here it jumps about and is welcome wherever it lands…I did a link
Just read this and have fallen in love (all over again) with anemones. You have so many beautiful varieties. Stunning photos!
Thank you (nearly all MY photos!). And you have lots of space for anemones, I hope I’ve encouraged you to a big indulge.
Honorine Jobert – a great love, such a pure white, and a statuesque beauty to boot. A great love of the deer too, but I grow it through Persicaria virginiana and they are confused sometimes. Sometimes. Great post – GORGEOUS photos! – MW
Our current major task -deer fencing. Though they’ve only had hostas and grasses so far….
But, ahem…. Charles only took the drone pics! The rest were mine!!!!