Filling a bed with color usually means planting dozens of bulbs and hoping enough come up to make a show. Anemone blanda takes some of that pressure off. These low, daisy-shaped flowers in blue, pink, purple and white naturalize easily, spreading on their own and returning in larger numbers as the seasons pass.
Planting is simple: set the bulbs about 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart in well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade, and water regularly. They stay low, so they tuck in nicely around taller plants, in patio planters and along walkways. They’re also one of spring’s earliest bloomers, a welcome sight after a long, gray stretch.
Thirty bulbs cover a small bed or a pair of planters, while 75 give a walkway a running start. A little more color shows up every year, without another trip to the garden center.
