Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day: Anemone 'Frilly Knickers'

Anemone 'Frilly Knickers'

I'm delighted one of my latest plant purchases has managed to flower in time for this month's Blooms Day. May I introduce you to Anemone 'Frilly Knickers'? She may be looking a bit ruffled around the edges, but she's not bad for a small plant bought in September at Malvern's Plant and Garden Fair and planted into her new home last month ready for next year.

This is a completely new, award winning introduction for 2020 and one of the plants on my shopping list when I saw Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants were exhibiting at the Fair. This is a mutation of Anemone 'Dreaming Swan', spotted on the nursery as a potential good 'un and named by Rosy Hardy herself. I had a lot of fun tweeting to Rob Hardy prior to the show, to tell him I was looking forward to seeing his 'Frilly Knickers'. It was a good way of introducing myself on the day and we had a long, good humoured chat, especially when we found we had Marylyn Abbott of West Green House in common.

I've planted my A. 'Frilly Knickers' in the gradually evolving new border scheme at the bottom of the garden. This is a fairly well shaded spot which the plant will take, and is designed to echo the Anemone 'Wild Swan' I have in the bottom terrace bed higher up the garden. If she does as well as that plant, then I'll be a happy gardener. If you didn't know already, A. 'Dreaming Swan' is a selection made by Scottish Hybridiser Elizabeth McGregor from A. 'Wild Swan, so it's good to have a little plant ancestry going on in my garden.

Some of the larger Anemone 'Frilly Knickers' on Hardy's plant stand at Malvern

Hardy's had some much larger plants for sale in full bloom at Malvern so I had a good chance to see what I was getting up close and personal. I chose a smaller, non-blooming plant as I tend to find this usually settles in and gets going more quickly than larger specimens. It's lovely to see my choice has rewarded that faith, and so early on - Hardy's website says bloom time is usually July through to September. Our continued mild autumn has definitely prolonged this year's flowering season* and allowed my anemone to strut her stuff.

It's interesting to see Hardy's suggestions for planting companions, Actea simplex 'Pink Spike' and Ageratina altissima 'Chocolate'**. I bought the Ageratina and a different Actaea at August's plant sale at West Kington Nurseries to provide some height in my revamped border. It's good to know my choices are backed up by the experts. If you look carefully at the top photo, you'll see another West Kington purchase is also in bloom, the aster Symphyotrichum 'Little Carlow'. I've been after this plant for some time as it hails from Devizes and it's good to have locally originated plants I know will like my soil.

What's blooming in your garden this month?

Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

* = I STILL have dahlias flowering in November. I've never known them to bloom so late into autumn. We did have a slight frost around a week ago, but it wasn't enough to floor them. Next weekend might be a different story...

** = arghhhhhhhh! Another name change, just as I'd got used to Eupatorium instead of Joe pye weed.

Comments

  1. Karin / Southern Meadows15 November 2020 at 12:54

    What a beautiful addition to your garden bed. I love the frilly petals. and that name is outstanding. I've got to get a post together for bloom day. Mid-November already! It snuck up on me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP28 December 2020 at 10:32

      Apparently, the nursery owner Rosy Hardy came up with the name straight away. It's proving to be an unforgettable name and the Hardys have a brilliant sense of humour :)

      Delete
  2. Lea15 November 2020 at 14:43

    Beautiful!
    Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Debby Flowers15 November 2020 at 14:59

    Hello Michelle - I just wanted to introduce myself as a new "fan" of sorts. I found your blog after it being featured several times by Feedspot Today. I now have you bookmarked so I can check in regularly. You always have something interesting to say and great photography. I live in Minnesota in the United States - so different from there but yet so very the same. I guess COVID is all of our problem no matter where we live.

    Thank you for your blog and interesting view of life in the UK.
    Debby

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP28 December 2020 at 10:34

      Debby, how lovely of you to pop on here to comment, thank you. We've had some tough times here, hence my delayed reply but seeing this has cheered me up immensely :)

      Delete
  4. Arun Goyal16 November 2020 at 08:34

    Beautiful Anemone and those frilled petals are adorable.It would be my pleasure if you join my link up party related to gardening where you can share posts related to plants and flowers here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2020/11/garden-affair-happy-diwali.html

    ReplyDelete

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