The Anemone is hardy herbaceous and tuberous-rooted perennials. The windflowers, to give them their famous name, may most conveniently be considered in three distinct groups. These groups are the larger fibrous-rooted species suitable for the herbaceous border, tuberous-rooted kinds principally grown for bedding or to provide cut flowers, and dwarf kinds sometimes partially tuberous-rooted, which are most at home in the rock or wild garden.
In the first group, the most important species of this plant is Japonica. St. Brigid and fulgent are good examples of the tuberous-rooted kinds while Apennina and Blanda are representatives of the rock garden or woodland types. Hepatica and Triloba appear under the name Hepatica.
Japonica will grow in any ordinary garden soil and succeeds well in partially shaded positions. It may be planted with good results near large trees, provided it is not entirely cut off from light. Roots may be planted in October, March, or early April, but, once established, should not be disturbed unless necessary, as the plants resent transplanting. The tuberous-rooted variety like a deep rich but well-drained soil and should be lifted annually as soon as the foliage died down and stored in shallow trays in a cool place until planting time, which may be either September or October if fresh flowers are desired, or February or March for later display.
A sunny, warm position is best for these windflowers. The rock garden or wild garden species will thrive in any reasonably good and well-drained soil, but do best in one containing a liberal quantity of humus either in the form of well-decayed leaves or peat. These should be planted in early autumn or spring, and should not be lifted and dried like the tuberous-rooted species. Once established they can be left alone like Japonica to increase annually and form broad drifts of colour.
Anemone Japonica can be increased by division at planting time or by cuttings of the finer roots spread out in February in seed trays filled with sandy soil and covered with about half inch of the same compost. These cuttings should be started into growth in a cool greenhouse or cold frame. Seeds may be sown in a cold frame in March. The tuberous-rooted ones can also be raised from seeds, which may be planted either in a warm greenhouse in January or February or in a sunny but sheltered border outdoors in July. The seeds should be lightly covered with sandy soil, and if sown thinly the seedlings can be allowed to stand in the seedbeds until they have flowered. Indoor-planted seedlings must be picked out and gradually hardened off for planting outdoors.
Careful division at planting time most readily increases rock garden species, though seeds were sown in a frame in March also offer a possible means of growth. The seeds of all anemone plants are somewhat susceptible to excessive moisture before germination, so should be sown in well-drained soil with which a certain amount of sand and leaf mould has been mixed if it is naturally of a complex nature.
