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St. Brigid Anemone
Most times I get distracted and the packages of bulbs get tossed into a box and I forget about them. When I finally remember, or stumble across them in a search for something else, the bulbs, or tubers have dried up to uselessness and end up in the compost bin. A couple of Octobers ago I picked up a package of St. Brigid Anemone, Anemone coronaria, and quickly planted them in large empty clay pots. I didn't have high hopes for success because the woody looking tubers were small, almost dead looking, and I wasn't all that sure which side went up when I planted them. To my surprise, a few weeks, later the potted containers began to show signs of life as St. Brigid's foliage started to emerge from the planting mix. I placed the pot on a table in the front yard. At that point the foliage had a nice delicate appearance and any blooms would an added bonus. Surprisingly by late January the first signs of buds started to show and it wasn't long after that the first flowers appeared.
Considering the St. Brigid packaging claimed the flowers were to be doubles it was odd the first flowers were single in appearance. And the red, blue and pink colors I expected were plain ̶ less than flamboyant ̶ white. It's as if the plants enjoyed my mild dismay. I'd check on them daily and there'd be another white flower and then another. Fortunately my patience paid off. In a few days the white flowers were joined by a myriad of colors.
Since that first adventure with St. Brigid I try to plant them every fall. I don't save the small tubers from year to year instead treating them as annuals. You can usually find a package of 25 bulbs for less than $5 or pay a bit more for postage and handling by purchasing on line or from a bulb catalog. I haven't had any trouble with the small tubers rooting and I'm sure I've planted a few of them upside down. I do look for a small scar on the tubers that indicates where the original stem was located and then try to plant with the stem side up. The bulb packaging instructions suggests the hard, woody tubers be kept moist between damp newspaper for 24 hours before planting and I may try that in a future planting. The flowers supposedly hold up well as cut flowers although I've never cut any for inside display. I get plenty of enjoyment from them when they bloom in their containers as an early sign of spring. (2006) |
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