Hi everyone. I need some advice about growing Anemone de Caen in containers (I have a roof garden so everything is confined to containers). I've never had any luck growing the de Caens from bulbs. Has anyone had success in containers? I know after many years of losing my perennials over the winter that I need to have at least 12 inches of room for roots. I'm facing northwest so in the winter there's no direct sun on my containers, except for one small corner. I'm wondering if I should soak the bulbs in February and plant them out then. I know whenever I've planted them in the fall they never grow. Does anyone have advice for me on this? - Linda
In smaller pots the Anemone coronaria DeCaen tubers would not be getting the cold that they require. They like partial shade/full sun and they do do well in containers as a rule. Be patient - they take a year or two to settle in and give you a show! Good luck!
Lilsprout, I wonder if you meant in "larger" pots they wouldn't get the cold they need. Because if they're in smaller pots they're going to get DARN cold, whereas they're somewhat insulated in larger pots. And I've planted the bulbs a number of times over the years, and still no show. Have you actually kept track of where you'd planted anemone bulbs, and found them popping up a year or so later where they hadn't broken through the ground before? Is it possible for them to stay too wet over the winter? I know they want soaking initially, but I've wondered if some of my spring bulbs rot because they stay wet all winter long.
Yes! Larger! A long day yesterday :o) The ones that I have planted over the years, usually have taken one to two years to show, but they have always impressed me. It could be that they were old stock (sat around on the shelves for extended periods of time), or yes, good thinking - perhaps not enough drainage in the pots - add a little more sand or vermiculite this time around. Funny little things - they look like a piece of shrivelled up bark - so worth the wait. Good luck! LS
I've been toying with soaking and planting them in January. If, though, they do take a couple of years to mature, I won't see anything happen. I just thought they'd be less likely to rot from being in the container too long. I do use a nice light mix of soil, and always have drainage, but I know since I get no direct sun on my deck for close to six months, the soil stays wet that long - simply because of the interminable Vancouver rainfall. I guess I'll just plant them out and put some serious demarcation lines around them so I don't lose track of where they are; then watch to see if they pop up in a year or two.
Well, they range from about 13" in diameter and 12" deep, to 16"x14". I have a few smaller but I don't rely on those to make it through the winter. Oh, and I have things like Kerria Japonica, oriental poppy, some "volunteer" birch trees, wallflowers, Aubretia, Erica carnea, tickseed, and a Japanese anemone (off the top of my head), plus a Blue Diamond rhodo and various other bits and pieces. My best show occurs in May, and it kind of thins out in the summer. It's taken me 14 years to get this far, and I've still got a long way to go before I have a good showing of flowers from the spring through fall.