Can you believe it’s already mid February? It sure has been a mild winter here in central PA! I do miss a good quiet snowfall! -Notice I didn't say a blizzard, just a pretty dusting.
Even though I have been trying to slow down and rest during these quiet days, I am slowly gearing up to really get seeds started and plants growing-even though it’s only February. I have all my seeds ordered and this week I organized them in planting order.
Last month I started ranunculus and briefly wrote about them in my first blog post.
This month I’m talking about anemones. If you've ever watched Finding Nemo, you might remember when he is trying to pronounce the sea anemone.
Last month we learned that ranunculus flowers are in the buttercup Ranunculaceae family.
Well guess what? Anemones are also in this buttercup family.
Anemone Pulsatilla is also known as Pasque flower.
The word Pasque flower meaning is derived from “paschal” which means “of Easter”. The Pasque flower blooms around Easter time. It grows wild in its native habitat of Northern and Central Europe.
There are many varieties of Anemones including poppy and Japanese anemone. The Japanese Anemones bloom in the fall.
They were a popular flower to paint by famous artists during the late 1800's and early 1900's.
I had a few anemones bulbs that survived in the ground from last year, that are currently looking good. It won’t be long before they send up their flower stems- showing off that they are one of the earliest blooming flowers.
I also have some new anemone bulbs this year. These tiny little bulbs look like little acorns.
You can plant them directly in the ground, or you can soak them for a few hours to wake them up.
I chose to do the latter-soaking them and placing them in a shallow tray to sprout for a few weeks.
Since they are a root plant, I chose to get them in the ground around the full moon of February (inside a covered hoophouse). I have a second batch of pre-sprouted bulbs that will be going in the garden around the full moon of March. They do not like to sit in wet soil, so I will have to plant them in a well-draining site.
These little beauties will wow your socks off once they bloom. They come in vibrant colors and shades of purple, pink, red, burgundy and white.
White anemones are very popular for weddings and make dramatic, flirty bouquets or centerpieces.
I would love to try some of the other colors in the next few years, but for now I have these purplish/blue, white and red anemones to look forward to. There are also white anemones with black centers that I would like to try some year too.
One thing I noticed last year was that they would close up at night when it would cool down.
In Greek, Anemone means “wind”.
In Greek mythology, the daughter of the wind god is named “Anemone”.
I am really curious if they close up when it gets windy.
Do you think that the flowers will be opened or closed by the wind?
One other idea is that the wind will blow the dead petals away.
I’ll keep you posted as I observe them this spring, as to why I think they are called wind flowers.
I also looked up the meaning of the flower Anemone. I found out that it has the meaning of anticipation. This is sweet because, like most flowers, it reminds you to relax and enjoy the moment that is to come. Don’t be too busy to miss the memory!
If you are into plant tinctures, I found it interesting that some herbalists make an anemone tincture for panic/anxious feeling. If I think about the anemone flower and how it closes up in anticipation of the coming cool night or wind, it could make sense that the plant
tincture could help you prepare and calm down from a panic or anxious moment.
(This is not medical advice-I just found this interesting).
As a gardener I love to try new plants each year. Have you ever tried to grow these anemones in your gardens? I am looking forward to the pop of color that is about to come.
This purple variety is supposed to be ready for a late April wedding this year, but we shall see!!
Jealousy
The violets their soft, dark lashes part,
While robins serenade them far and near;
But the anemone, with ebon heart
And blood-shot eyes, pretends she does not hear.
The violets invite the nightingale
Whose carols fall in dew upon their bed;
But the hydrangea, as saffron pale,
Holds high above the wall her nodding head.
From Myrtle and Myrrh (The Gorham Press, 1905) by Ameen Rihani.
*these paintings and poem are in the public domain.
In medieval England and Ireland, it was believed that the anemone petals closed at night to protect the fairies that were resting inside.
I like this idea-
Don't wake the sleeping fairies!
I think my favorite Renaissance painting of them all was the very last picture on wiki art, when you search for Anemone. This last painting was done in 1889 by Hans Andersen Brendekilde. I do not ever remember seeing this painting before-it's just amazing!
Please enjoy below.
If you want to go down a rabbit hole, make sure you look through all 64 artworks of anemone paintings on Wiki Art: https://www.wikiart.org/en/Search/anemone
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