Anemones and ranunculus

Ranunculus joy from last year

Having done a bit of reading on the best way to get an early spring display from these, I’m feeling fully motivated to do some experimenting. I half-heartedly planted some normal ranunculus and anemones last year and neither worked. I think the anemones went in too late and then rotted, and I can’t remember what happened to the ranuncs - I think they went in a pot with hyacinths and then couldn’t get through. Or they were too cold. Anyway, this year I will treat them like divas and mollycoddle them as much as I have the energy/time for.

Today, I soaked the anemone corms in tepid water for about four hours and then planted them in two big pots and one smaller one. I have no idea how much space they actually need and it’s difficult to balance the suggested spacing with how much greenhouse space I have to work with. This is a test year though - I can always refine. I watered them thoroughly and have left them outside tonight but I’ll bring them into the greenhouse tomorrow.

The ranunculus in the image above are ones I bought last year as cut flowers. I do love these tightly packed ruffled ones but the claws I’ve got are of the ‘Butterfly’ series, which look lighter and airier and are apparently more reliably productive. I’ve gone out on a limb with these and followed the (online) advice of Floret Farms, who recommend soaking and then ‘pre-sprouting’ the claws for earlier flowers next year. This involves laying them in trays of compost, covering them with more compost, watering them and then putting them somewhere dark and cool to start growing roots. So the wine fridge it is.