Anemone blanda 'Blue Shades'

One of my favorite early spring bloomers are Grecian windflowers or Anemone blanda. I am particularly fond of the 'Blue Shades' mixture. They bloom early in the spring usually starting in the first or second week of March and continuing easily for almost two months, when our hot weather begins to set in. I think this fall I will try over-planting a patch of dwarf daffodils, Narcissus 'Tete-a-tete', with some 'Blue Shades' windflowers.

Windflowers can be purchased from many of the major bulb companies and planted in the fall when other fall-planted bulbs are planted. I have found that like their large cousins, Anemone coronaria, I am most successful with windflowers when I soak their dime-sized tubers overnight before planting. They are easy to poke in wherever you want them. Just push your finger into the soil about 2 inches deep and pop it in. Plant them in an area where they can naturalize and form a mat and you will be greeted with the cheerful blooms throughout the spring. Hardy in zones 4-8.

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