Blue French Anemones

Blue, along with purple, is one of my favorite colors to use as accent colors in many plant combinations. The eye is often drawn towards these colors and they can create dramatic effects in plant combinations. In spring I like to see blue colors among the bright fresh spring green color most plants have. Last fall I planted 20 small tuberous roots of Anemone Coronaria 'Mr Fokker'. I was not sure they were hardy enough here since I read it was hardy in USDA zone 6-9. Since I live in something that can be compared to USDA zone 5B-6 I was hoping for the best. There has got to be something positive about global warming! This winter I read that they were hybrids from De Caen in France in the 1700s, thus the name French Anemones. Anemones comes from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind. Anemones are often referred to as windflowers. Perhaps because they were thought to be opened by the warm winds of spring, or because they easily loose the petals in the wind? The Greek Wind Flower takes its name from a story out of Greek Mythology. Adonis was wounded by Aphrodite's jealous ex-lover while out hunting. When Aphrodite found him, she sprinkled nectar on his wounds. As she carried his lifeless body out of the woods, Anemones sprang up where drops of the nectar and his blood dripped to the ground. It is said then, that the wind which blow blossoms open, will soon afterwards blow the petals away. So it is called the Wind Flower, for that which brings its life forth, ends it. The blue French anemones has far exceeded my expectations!



They are so pretty and have bloomed for 6 weeks - far longer than our smaller native white and blue anemones (A. Quinquefolia). Each tuberous root has produced more flower stalks, about 1 feet tall. I planted them in front of some geranium Sanguineum 'Tiny Monster' that will cover the wilting foliage later this summer. In the fall I will give them a layer of compost and hope they come back next spring!