One of my favorite plants for this time of year is the fall-blooming perennial Anemone hupehensis. (The name of a similar species, Anemone hybrida, is sometimes used interchangeably, whether by accident or design, I don’t know.) More modest than the asters and chrysanthemums that dominate the early fall border, it provides an elegant counterpoint to its louder garden companions.
The fall-blooming anemone is sometimes called Japanese anemone, because it was discovered in Japan by European plant hunters in the late 18th century. Actually, the plant originated in central China, but it was naturalized in Japan centuries earlier.
Anemone is a large, wide-ranging genus belonging to the Ranunculaceae family. The genus includes around 200 species, some of which have joined its ranks recently from other genus classifications including Pulsatilla and Hepatica.
The word anemone comes from the Greek word for wind (the four Greek wind gods were the anemoi). The flower’s name comes from the Greek myth of the goddess Aphrodite and her mortal lover, Adonis. When the other Greek gods murdered Adonis in a fit of jealousy, Aphrodite shed tears over his grave that bloomed into anemone flowers. Anemones are often called “Greek windflowers.”
There are several types of Anemone that bloom variously in spring, summer and fall, and these types are quite distinct from each other. To avoid confusion, use the plants’ botanical names rather than simply calling them “Greek windflowers.”
A popular spring-bloomer is Anemone blanda. It grows from fall-planted bulbs that produce daisy-like flowers in shades of blue, white and purple.
Another common species, Anemone sylvestris, also known as “Snowdrop anemone,” blooms in early summer. (Not to be confused with the early spring bulb Galanthus, commonly known as “snowdrop.”) Although I admire its handsome, deeply lobed, pointed leaves and cheerful white flowers, it is highly invasive, at least in my garden. Spreading by rhizomes, it manages to reach its way deep into clumps of daylilies and other summer-blooming perennials, making it virtually impossible to eradicate without doing serious damage to its “host” plant.
Anemone hupehensis is a different kettle of fish. Although I’ve read that it too can be invasive, I haven’t had that problem. Its flowers are simple but striking, in silvery white or varying shades of opalescent pink. They grow on stalks 2 to 4 feet tall that rise over low, three-part leaves. The blooms appear to float like pale butterflies over the garden. They can be single or double, depending on the cultivar. After the petals have dropped, their prominent yellow stamens remain, becoming attractive seed heads for the birds. Some of the most popular cultivars include ‘Queen Charlotte,’ ‘Honorine Jobert’ and ‘September Charm.’
Alas, the plant is somewhat finicky. It grows best in shade or part-shade in humus-rich soil. It doesn’t like drought, but it doesn’t like soggy conditions either. Depending on how severe the winter, it might not come back the following year. Heavy mulch after the ground freezes will help it through the winter.
It’s too late in the season to plant Anemone hupehensis this year, but make a note to look out for it next summer when you’re scouting for something different to complement your colorful asters and mums. That time will be here before you know it!
Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst will host a monarch butterfly tagging event Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Jennifer Unkles, who has been tagging monarchs since 1997, will lead the program. It’s a great way for people of all ages to get up close and personal with monarchs and help this ongoing citizen science project.
It is free, but registration is appreciated. Go to: hitchcockcenter.org
Kestrel Trust is hosting its annual Fall Hawk Watch at the Summit Observe Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants will hear about the magnificent migration that passes over the Mount Holyoke and Mount Tom Ranges.
As the season begins to change, a great migration gets underway as birds large and small head out for warmer climates. U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Biologist Dave King will provide an introduction to the hawks and other raptors that we see in our region, and will talk about how to identify them. He will also discuss the ecology of hawks from nesting to migration, as well as the conservation efforts that aim to support hawks and other bird species, including the American kestrel.
The event is free; $5 for parking on Mount Holyoke Range. Space is limited to 20. RSVP required: office@kestreltrust.org
No rain date for this program.
Magical mini garden
It’s never too early to get youngsters into the garden. On Sunday at 2 p.m., Tower Hill will host a hands-on workshop for children 5 years and older to make a miniature dish garden for their favorite fairy, princess, dragon, dinosaur or other magical friend. All materials will be provided. Children are welcome to bring their own miniature friend from home. Materials fee $8. Pre-registration is required. The workshop is limited to 10.
We are fortunate to live in an area rich with history and historians. On Sept 23, from 1 to 3 p.m., historian John Clapp, author of “The Lost Village of Roberts Meadow” (2016), will give a guided tour of the remains of the vibrant 18th-century village. Founded in 1770 in a corner of Northampton along the toll road connecting Boston and Albany, the village was a small but colorful community of farms and homes, two taverns, a blacksmith shop and factories powered by the Roberts Meadow Brook. Today, only two of the original homes remain, but some of the lost buildings are marked by old cellar holes, dug wells and stone walls.
Space limited to 25. RSVP required: office@kestreltrust.org.
Rain date: Sept. 24.
Suggested donation: $5.
Mickey Rathbun can be reached at foxglover8@gmail.com.