Anemone 'Lucky Charm' Blooming - August 2023

There are a few plants in our garden that are there because I was drawn to them.  There are a few that were simply impulse-bought.  There are others that I was influenced by others like Roy Diblik, Austin Eischeid or Erin the Impatient Gardener. 

Then...there's this other set:  They are the ones that exist in our yard and garden because of Nat.    

That list of Nat-influenced plants includes the Saucer Magnolia and any/all of our Allium.  Another one of those that Nat-influenced plantings are anemones.  I've likely written this story before, but the connection with Anemone flowers comes back to our wedding day.  We've had them (now) in both of our houses (not in Equation Boy/Man and Vic's house that we lived in for two years) since last year when I planted three from Northwind Perennial Farm.

Here's a post from more than ten years ago (eeek!  ten years!) of the plant that Nat's Mom gifted us for our garden back in Elmhurst.  And here's a post from August 2011 that shows the blooms.  They were white (or...at least the phone I was using back then created a photo showing more-white blooms). 

Wait...now that I go read that post myself...*that is the post* where I wrote the story of Nat's wedding bouquet, her Mom, Anemone flowers and how they ended up in our garden.

The variety that we have planted in the little curved, 'kitchen-window' border is a variety named 'Lucky Charm'.  They went in the ground in July 2022; so just over a year ago.  

The sign at Northwind Perennial Farm has this description:

Which is better in life: the beginning, the middle or the end? Many people live as if the end is always near. Here's an Anemone that welcomes the beginning of Spring with beautiful, dark purple foliage and ends the season with engaging dark pink flowers, touched with gold.  And during the middle of Summer, your garden is accented with dark, rich green foliage.  Always add diversity to the garden. It's everything to be healthier.  

That's *some* description, right? 

Beginning, middle and end.  We're seemingly entering the 'end' of that description with the first blooms popping off.

Here, below, is a look at the three Lucky Charm Anemone plants:

They make for some really nice cut flowers.  Not necessarily for their blooms, but more for their unopened blooms that almost look like globes.  

Here is a post from July, which is the 'middle' in that Northwind description.  

August is a good time for flowers in our garden.  Our Limelight and Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas are heavy with big, pyramidal blooms.  The Disneyland Roses are on their third flush, the Zinnias are pop'ing off and these Anemone are throwing up their blooms.  I cut a few of them and put them together on the counter and they seem to work together:

Note to future Jake:  The Zinnias from Northwind are container stars.  Buy those again next year.  Along with the Euphorbia that I used this year (and saw at the Arboretum as a bedding plant).