Friday 10 August 2012

Name that Bloom #2

I promised you Friday flowers every week and like the worst florist I've failed to deliver. Thank you though to all the contributors to the last 'Name that Bloom'. I've found myself walking out in to the garden with that slightly smug gardener satisfaction of 'I know what that is' now. In a few weeks time I'll be unbearable to myself, but please don't let that stop you helping me out today!

Yes, it is now a baking hot sunny Friday afternoon and what better way to enjoy it than identifying the following beauty? What's that? You'd rather a 'cider'? You must be mistaken. For those of you who appreciate there is more to life than this poisonous apple juice could you help me out with the following flower:




Again it's from my mum a couple of years ago and seemed to do ok in a pot, but I planted it in the shade at the back of the garden so as not to take up precious food growing space. Amazingly it's thriving and has reached an impressive height. I feel quite proud as it definitely doesn't get any sunshine.

So, points for its name and extra points if you can tell me about its natural habitat


4 comments:

linniew said...

Gotta be some variety of Japanese anemone I think. Shade or part shade and keep it watered. Also it will spread underground. Happy summer!
-L

Margaret said...

It looks to me like a Japanese Anemone. Good for shady and woodland areas. I love them, but mine haven't spread. Wish they would, then I wouldn't have to buy any more!

Poppy said...

Yep, Anemone Hupehensis, otherwise known as Japanese or Chinese Anemone. Beautifully also known as the windflower. Native to China, where it was often planted around graves (maybe because it was believed to carry the souls of the dead on the wind to paradise? am I being overly fanciful?) Naturalised in Japan, arrived on these shores... um... (reaching now!)... probably sometime in the early 19th century (that's when most exotics started coming over here, carried by those wonderfully quirky English botanist-cleric types the 18th and 19th centuries did so well).

Hapless gardener said...

Linnie, Margaret, Poppy, thank you! Mine is looking menacing at the moment, and has reached a proud height - I shall keep an eye out.

Poppy, I love the tales of their heritage, thank you. Keep an eye out next Friday...

The Hapless Kitchen Gardener

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I only feel hapless because some people make it look easy to grow 10 ft marrows or a banquet of greens whereas my courgettes got nabbed by killer slugs and I only got one raspberry. So tips and stories from people less hapless than I are more than welcome. As a disclaimer though, none of my comments should be taken as expert advice on which you can rely! © Unless stated otherwise, and with the exception of guest content where that guest retains copyright, all photos and posts are the copyright of Tom Carpen and may not be used without permission.