Time For Planting

The best time to plant the principal sorts for the general bloom is October, or early in November, and the plants will come into flower in April and beginning of May; but if some are planted in the middle of September, and a second parcel towards the middle or latter end of October, they will afford a succession of bloom from the beginning of April until the middle of May; and if a third plantation is made in February or beginning of March, they will come into flower about the middle of May, and continue until the middle of June.

Those planted early in autumn come up before Christmas, and always produce the largest flowers, and continue in beauty; the roots too afford a larger increase than those planted in spring.

Soil And Site

The situation proper for the anemone should be thoroughly drained, and open to the south, and unincumbered by the shade of trees. The anemone will prosper and flower in tolerable perfection in any common moderately light earth, only observing to avoid planting in overmoist and stiff soils, which rot the roots in winter; and if any addition is necessary to raise or form the beds, no more is needful than common light soil from the quarters of the kitchen garden, or any other well-wrought garden earth, working the whole one good spade deep. The beds, however, are often formed of composts. Take maiden loam from the surface of a pasture, the top spit turf and all; to every load of this add one of neats' dung, and half a load of sea or drift sand; blend the whole together, and form it in a ridge, in which let it remain a year at least, turning it over once in two or three months.

But in default of pasture earth, a good compost may be formed of common light garden soil and rotted neats' dung, adding to every load of the former half a load of the latter, and about a quarter of that of drift or sea sand; and of either of which composts the bed is to be formed, about twelve or fifteen inches in depth, and three feet and a half broad.

Planting

In the borders, plant them in patches three, four, or five roots together, in a patch of five or six inches breadth, putting them two or three inches deep.

Beds

Mark out three feet and a half broad, the length according to the number of plants, with alleys eighteen inches wide between bed and bed. The beds must be worked fifteen or eighteen inches deep; break the earth small, but do not sift it, observing that to prevent lodgment of wet, and to give the beds a good appearance, as well as to show the flowers to the best advantage, it is eligible to elevate them three inches above the common level or general surface, but if there is danger of moisture standing in winter, double or treble that is a proper height, working the whole a little rounding and raking the surface smooth.

In each bed plant six rows lengthwise, the roots at six inches distance in each row, and two inches deep, and when one bed is planted, run over it lightly with the rake.

Those of the autumn plantation will come up in leaf in November, but as the plants are hardy, nothing is needful to be done till the bloom begins to appear; and then, if you think proper to bestow a little care upon the superior sorts, by arching the beds with hoops, in order to cover the bloom with mats occasionally, to protect it from cutting black frosts, which often prevail in April.

Protection

An easy way of protecting Anemones and Ranunculuses is to bend across the beds wooden or iron hoops, securely fixed in the ground; upon these mats can be thrown in cases of frost or snow, but care must be taken that they are firmly secured to the hoops by pegs. - Gard. Chron.

Forcing

"Double Anemones may be potted in October, and the soil should be composed as follows: - One-half maiden loam, fresh from the pasture, with one-quarter well-rotted cow dung, and one-quarter fine sand (sea or river sand if possible). After potting, they may be placed in a cold frame or pit, and watered but sparingly until the following spring, when they may be put into a warmer place. They will not stand much forcing by artificial means." - Gard. Chron.

Mildew

This disease first appears as pale spots on the under sides of the leaves. These spots gradually rise into tubercles, and a minute fungus bursts through, shedding its seed, and diffusing the disease. This parasitical fungus is AEcidium quadrifidum. Sea sand, or a little salt mixed with the compost of the bed, is a good preventive; and a syringing with very diluted gas-water, is a good application after infection.