In Bloom: October



The Anemone | Anemone coronaria

The Anemone shares its name with over 120 species of its kind, blossoming gem-like red, white, blue and purple petals from autumn to spring. You may recognise these bright, buttercup-like flowers (they're related) from your wilderness walks, surrounding tree roots and scattered in nearby shrubs. 

The Anemone is another example of a flower steeped in mythology and cultural significance. According to Greek mythology, the plant is said to have blossomed from the spilt blood of Adonis and the tears of Aphrodite while she was mourning the death of her lover. The gods killed Adonis due to their jealousy over his love affair with the beautiful goddess of love. 

Also known as Windflowers, their name derives from the Greek “anemōnē”, directly translated as “daughter of the wind”; these delicate flowers are blown open by the wind, removing dead petals at the same time. 

 

Still Life with Anemones, 1885 - Claude Monet | Anemones in a Vase, 1909 - Piet Mondrian

This dainty flower is also an admired subject, particularly among Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, including Monet, Van Gogh and Matisse, which may be why Anemones seem so familiar to us. Anemones permeate art, music, and literature of many cultures around the world.

The most significant meaning for this flower is anticipation. This is because Anemone flowers close up at night, their head drops to prevent dew from damaging the seeds, and they open back up in the morning. It was once believed that magical fairies found shelter in the folded petals of Anemones during rainstorms. 

 

Anemones are the stars of the autumn border; they’re easy to grow despite their thin, upright stems and paper-thin petals.

 It’s no wonder the Anemone is found in gardens all around the world, but sadly these pretty flowers aren’t as innocent as they look. They are toxic to animals when ingested and can even cause minor illnesses to people if ingested in quantity.

If you suspect that your pet has eaten any Anemone, you must contact your vet immediately, regardless of whether symptoms of poisoning appear. Make sure to tell your vet exactly when the Anemone was ingested, along with the amount, species and exact part of the plant eaten.

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