Anemone

Spring blooming anemones (not be confused with late summer blooming anemones I’ll tell you about later) are one of the first flowers of spring here in Virginia, given that most flower farms plant the corms in fall and overwinter them in unheated tunnels.

The eye of the anemones is what make them a stand out, especially the varieties with dark centers that add a stunning level of dimension. They last for over a week in the vase, and they are easy to arrange with given their sturdy stems.

Fun fact and quick warning to keep you from panicking if you see this happen: anemones are nyctinastic, meaning the flowers close up at night and open again in the morning. So though your flower arrangement may begin to look different at sunset, it will regain its full faced look by morning light.

Anemone symbolism: In Victorian times, anemones represented forsaken love. Today it seems that symbolism is based more around the color of the anemone.

Red represents the traditional Victorian symbolism, whereas white symbolizes purity/new beginnings, pink symbolizes platonic love/friendship, and purple symbolizes protection from evil.

Speaking of the color purple, one of my favorite works from Henry Matisse is Purple Robe and Anemones, shown below. I always say that anemones will convince any muted tone lover such as myself to embrace bright colors, and this piece is a perfect example of that.