Spring Daisies: Anemone blanda 'Alba'

Right now the front yard is brimming with little daisies, Anemone blanda 'Alba,' also known as Grecian windflowers. 

It has been a few years since I planted them, and they have multiplied prolifically.  The flowers set seed, and I assume the tubers are also dividing below the surface.  The plants are so small (6-8" tall in bloom) that they don't take over the other plants in the area.

I haven't seen many bees around the garden yet, but they would enjoy the frilly yellow centers.  The blooms open when the sun is shining and close at night or when it's cloudy.

 



These sweet spring flowers grow from tubers that look like chocolate-covered peanut clusters . . . or some sort of animal droppings (see a photo in this post).  The tubers should be soaked in water for a few hours before planting or they might not grow.

There are also pastel blue-violet and pink versions, but I only have the white.  They are hardy in zones 5-9.


In the photo above, you can see that the outside base of the flower is tinted pink, but from afar they look pure white.

Anemones don't like heavy clay soil, so they are very happy in the sandy amended soil in my raised flower beds.  They will grow in sun or part sun.



It's wonderful to have these dainty daisies filling the bloom gap after the croci (crocuses) finish and before the large tulips begin.  Soon they'll finish blooming and disappear until next April.