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The flower belongs to the perennial plants of the Ranunculaceae family, genus Anemone (there are about 120 species). First mentions of Japanese anemone appear in 1784 with Karl Thunberg, a famous Swedish scientist and naturalist. And already in 1844 the plant was brought to Europe. It was in England that the hybrid anemone was bred through crossing. Flowers can be roughly divided according to their flowering period: spring and autumn. Nowadays several varieties of these flowers are popular. The most famous autumn anemones: hybrid anemone Serenade, anemone Velvid, anemone Margaret.
The plant has erect, branched stems 60-70 cm high. The flowers grow relatively large - from 3 to 6 cm in diameter and form loose, spreading inflorescences. Semi-double petals have an elegant color, mostly bright pink.
Varietal splendor of hybrid anemone
Thanks to its late flowering, hybrid anemone is very popular among summer residents. The plant has several features. First of all, it is a tall stem that grows up to one meter and does not bend during plant growth. Therefore, these bushes do not need supports. The leaves have a lush green color.During the flowering period, hybrids shoot several arrows at once. Anemone flowers have a yellowish center and have semi-double petals of various shades. Some varieties are more popular and in demand:
Anemone Velwind
Delicate perennial flower. The stems grow up to 80 cm in height. The foliage is grayish-green. Anemone has a horizontal rhizome. The flowers grow with a diameter of approximately 8 cm and have pale white petals, forming inflorescences of 14-15 pieces. The plant blooms in August and blooms until frost;
Anemone Margaret
A wonderful variety. This is a perennial plant, the stems of which grow up to 100 cm long. It blooms in August with large pink double or semi-double flowers. Flowering continues until early October;
Anemone Serenade
It has soft pink elegant semi-double flowers with a yellow center. Plants bloom at the end of July and delight summer residents with elegant inflorescences until the end of September. As a rule, the stems grow up to 85 cm high;
Anemone Queen Charlotte
A spectacular flower, grows 60-90 cm high. The flowers are medium in size. Petals of soft pink color border a golden center. The flowering period is from mid-summer to the first frost.
The variety of varieties allows every summer resident and gardener to choose an anemone to their liking.
Rules for growing hybrid anemone
Autumn flowers are unpretentious and grow well. To get an elegant flower garden for the period of late summer and early autumn, you need to adhere to some rules for planting and caring for the plant.
When choosing a site for growing flowers, you need to pay attention to places that are not heavily exposed to drafts and moderately illuminated by the sun.A slightly shaded area is the best option for anemones. It is also necessary to take into account that during the growth period the flower’s stems grow greatly. Given the weak root system, the plant should be planted in areas where nothing will damage it.
Hybrid anemone prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soil. The structure of the soil should be loose and well permeable to water. Otherwise, stagnation of moisture negatively affects the growth of the plant and can lead to rotting of the roots. The soil is suitable mainly neutral or with a slight acidity level. To lower the acidity level (if it is above 7 units), wood ash is used. It is enough to pour a little ash into the hole before planting the plant, and during the growth period you can sprinkle the soil around the sprout. You can make the soil looser by adding sand.
Flower propagation
To propagate hybrid anemone, you can use two means: seeds and dividing the rhizome.
- Seed propagation of the plant is considered very problematic, since seed germination is about 25%. And anemone seeds from two years ago do not germinate at all. To increase germination, seed stratification is used. A humid environment is created for them for 4-5 weeks and kept at a low temperature. When planting, it is not recommended to lower the seeds deep into the ground, since the fragile and thin anemone sprouts will not be able to break through the soil layer. During the germination period, it is necessary to carefully monitor the soil moisture, since the root system of young flowers can quickly rot. Hybrid anemone blooms 2-3 years after germination from seeds.
- The most convenient way to propagate plants is by dividing the rhizomes. You need to choose a plant that is at least 4 years old.The most suitable time for this procedure is the beginning of spring, when active sap flow has not yet begun. Anemone rhizomes are dug up and divided into parts. The separated part of the root must have several buds for the germination of stems. Plant the root to a depth of about 5 cm. When the first shoots appear, it is advisable to carefully shade the anemone during the day so that the new leaves gradually harden and get used to the sun.
The plant should only be replanted in the spring, to an area with previously prepared soil - the ground is carefully dug up, loosened and fertilized with compost. You can, of course, plant plants in the fall, but there is a high probability that the seedlings will not strengthen until winter and will not survive frosts. Flowers planted in spring will adapt to the soil and site for several months. Therefore, you should not expect abundant flowering from the anemone in the first summer.
Features of care
There are no secret techniques for growing hybrid anemone. The main requirement is to plant the plant in moist, fertile soil.
It is advisable to do regular weeding of flowers by hand, otherwise you can damage the root system with a hoe. Loosen and water the soil as needed. With weak watering, the plant will not gain strength to grow and buds may not form. Since excess moisture will lead to rotting of the roots, it is advisable to create high-quality drainage - mulching the area with peat or straw. In the root zone of the plant, it is recommended to lay mulch in a layer of 5 cm.
Also, do not water frequently in cold summers. And on hot days, it is worth watering the plant daily: before sunrise or after sunset.
When the hybrid anemone fades, all stems are carefully cut off. The basal leaves are left and cut off in the spring. The remaining bushes are covered with spunbond or a thick layer of fallen leaves, since in a winter with little snow the plants may freeze. To make it easier to open flowers in the spring, the location of the bushes is marked with pegs.
Plant nutrition
To improve the quality of the soil where anemones grow, organic and inorganic fertilizers are used. Organic matter includes manure and compost, which are added to the soil before planting and during the flowering period.
To prepare the fertilizer, dilute 500 g of manure in 5 liters of water. The solution is watered onto the soil near the plants.
Complex mineral fertilizers (Ammophos, Ammofoska) are added to the soil in the fall to increase the immunity of flowers and their resistance to disease. Inorganics also improve the tillering processes of plants and the decorative qualities of flowers.
Diseases of hybrid anemone
This plant has good resistance to diseases and pests. Sometimes the flower is damaged by leaf nematodes (microscopic phytohelminths). Pests penetrate the leaves and roots of the plant, which almost always leads to the death of the flower. Infection manifests itself as a slowdown in the growth of hybrid anemone, and dry spots appear on the leaves. Shiny spots with a brownish/red tint appear on the underside of the foliage.
To combat the plant pest, you can spray the bush with Decaris solution (one tablet per liter of water), and the infected leaves must be removed and burned.
As preventive measures, we can recommend: reduce watering of anemones in cool times, do not irrigate the flowers from above (this leads to the rapid proliferation of helminths). If the plant is severely affected, it is better to remove the entire bush, and dig up the soil under the diseased bush and replace it.
Snails and slugs cause some damage to anemones. To get rid of them, they are collected from the bushes, and the plant is treated with a solution of metaldehyde. If you do not want to use such a strong poison, then you can resort to folk remedies: sprinkle the soil around the bushes with sand, ash or sawdust.
Conclusion
Hybrid anemones exquisitely decorate a summer cottage from mid-summer until frost. Due to their growth, massive and long-lasting flowering, these plants are considered universal flowers for planting in autumn mixborders (mixed flower beds). Anemones look exquisite against the background of trees and can gently decorate any corner of the dacha. These plants combine organically with other flowers: asters, bush chrysanthemums, gladioli.
