A real super-plant for the spring and early-summer season, Anemones are wonderfully reliable and easy to grow, rewarding minimum effort with a colourful display of cheery blooms.

Classic Anemone varieties like ‘De Caen’, ‘St Brigid’ and Anemone blanda are unfussy characters, they’ll grow well in most gardens – just dot them around in pots, borders or even through grass and they’ll happily do their thing. One of their best characteristics is their ability to naturalise and pop up each year for another lovely show.

Italian and Israeli Anemones look impressive in the garden and come in a wide range of colours, they also make the most magnificent cut flowers. Unlike the older Anemone varieties, they are best in year one and don’t tend to naturalise or return each year. As they are bred in countries with warmer climates, they need a little protection from cold and wet winter and spring weather. For best results, it’s best to plant them in trays or pots in a cool greenhouse or cold frame during the cold months and transfer them outside in the spring when the weather is milder.

You can plant Anemones in autumn or spring, but remember that it is necessary to plant them in the same season that they are supplied while they are still fresh. Corms will lose their freshness a number of months after they are harvested leaving it too long before they are planted may affect their performance.

Anemone planting basics

Anemones are easy to grow and provide a lovely, bright display in most outside spaces, but they especially love growing in a sheltered sunny or partially shaded position in rich, well-drained soil or multi-purpose compost. They grow from small brown knobbly corms which can be planted in clusters in pots or borders to create natural-looking groups. If you are planting in spring, you can stagger your plantings and enjoy a fresh display of blooms which last right into summer.

Anemone planting instructions

— Plant direct into outdoor pots and borders between March and June. Autumn or plantings are best started off in pots or trays in a sheltered location unless you are planting fully hardy Anemones which can go straight outside.

— Soak the corms in plain water for 3-6 hours prior to planting.

— Plant straight away after soaking, positioning 3-5 corms in each planting hole at a depth of 3-5cm, then water-in.

— Ensure the soil is kept lightly moist (but not soggy) after planting. Container-grown plants should be watered whenever the soil begins to look dry.