How to Plant Anenomes

Anemone flowers are available in a variety of colors including blue.

Most anemone varieties bloom in spring, with the exception of Japanese anemone which adds color to the fall garden. Available in a range of colors, the anemone has cup-shaped flowers that sit amongst lush foliage. The anemone isn't a true bulb, instead it grows from a tuberous root section that stores the nutrients for the plant. Sow spring anemone in fall six weeks before the first expected frost and sow fall anemone after spring frost danger is past.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Compost
• Fertilizer
• Trowel

Instructions

1. Fill a bowl with lukewarm water. Soak the anemone tubers in the bowl from four hours to overnight to begin breaking their dormancy.

2. Spread 1 to 2 inches of compost over a well-drained, full-sun garden bed. Work the compost into the top 6 inches of soil.

3. Apply a bulb fertilizer or a general-purpose balanced fertilizer to the garden bed at the label recommended rate. Work the fertilizer into the soil just prior to planting.

4. Plant the anemone tubers so the top of the tuber is 2 inches beneath the soil surface. Space the tubers 4 to 6 inches apart in clusters of five to seven plants.

5. Water the tubers immediately after planting, moistening the soil to a 6-inch depth. Water once weekly thereafter, maintaining soil moisture.

Tips & Warnings

• Combine anemones with other spring or fall bulbs in the garden. Care between the different bulb plants is similar enough for them to share a bed. Anemone tubers may require replacing every five years as they eventually stop flowering.

• Freezing winter weather may kill off anemone plants. Cover the bed with a 4 inches of straw mulch once the ground begins to freeze to help protect them.

References

• Yale University Extension: Japanese Anemone
• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Spring Flowering Bulbs