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This Month in the Garden (September 2010)
Dry
weather and shorter days take a toll on perennials by late summer.
Many plants look tired and worn, and most of the flowers are
spent. Very little in the
garden reminds you of the vivid greens and verdant splendor of summer. An
exception is the Japanese anemone whose 3” pink flowers dance on the
September breezes. Fall
blooming anemones are a last glimpse of summer garden glory before the
fall asters’ and sedums’ blooms signal The
rosy flowers pictured above are hybrid anemones, crosses of several
Asian species (white-flowered varieties are also available).
Their airy 30-inch stalks produce between 15 and 20 flower stems
with three to seven flowers on each. The plants grow best in moist, rich
soil and should be sited where they receive dappled sun or morning light
only. Like
spring snowdrops (Anemone sylvestris) and meadow windflowers (Anemone
canadensis), Japanese anemones produce underground runners and may
be vigorous spreaders. Weed
out any unwanted plants in the spring, removing the roots as well as the
foliage. The runners
aren’t difficult to unearth. Japanese
anemones provide a wonderful transition between the summer coneflowers
and rudbeckias and the frost-friendly asters, mums and sedums.
Make room for this often overlooked choice for your late summer
shade garden.
November 2010
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Port Washington Garden Club, PO
Box 492, Port Washington, Wisconsin 53074
Registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization