Blogging from A to Z April challenge Anemones

This challenge is inspired and initiated by Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out. The objective is to  post every day in April, apart from Sundays, using the alphabet sequentially.

Thus, by April 30th, there should (!!) be 26 posts. 

More than 1000 bloggers have signed up so there will be in excess of 26000 posts!!

The co-hosts are as follows:-

Jeffrey Beesler at World of the Scribe

Alex J Cavanaugh at Alex J Cavanaugh

Jen Daiker of Unedited

Candace Ganger of The Misadventures in Candyland

Karen J Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain

Talli Roland

Stephen Tremp of Breakthrough Blogs

Anemone pavonina

Anemones are members of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae)

I like the sturdy stems of Anemone pavonina with ruffs of raggedy green leaves at the base and the vibrant jewel colours of velvety petals. They have a deceptively simple construction but reward closer observation. 

They are all beautiful but my particular favourites are the rich and royal purple flowers.

The other anemones I enjoy are the Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis) sometimes known as Japanese Windflower or Japanese Thimbleflower. The name is misleading as they are natives of Hupeh Province in China. However, they have been grown and naturalised in Japan for hundreds of years.

Anemone hupehensis flower bud

There are well-established clumps of tall Japanese anemones in my front garden, providing colour and interest from the first emergence of green leaves in Spring to downy buds in early August through the long-lasting flowering to the final formation of attractive seed heads in late October.

It is such a generous plant and demands little attention, though some gardeners claim that it can be rampant. One gardening correspondent describes it as ‘thuggish’!  However, I am grateful for any plant that deigns to grow in my garden and welcome its awakening each year.