Photographing blue anemones: looking forward to spring

This year, I am looking forward to spring more than usual. I have been photographing blue anemones, to beat the winter blues.

I am not really a winter person. I do like to skate, though. Holland is so beautiful seen from the ice. And I do like snow. But what’s the use of this cold weather when the ice is too thin for skating and there is not enough snow for sledging? Let’s move on to spring, shall we?

Nothing is happening in the garden at the moment. Winter’s cold temperatures have halted the development of my hellebores and spring flowering bulbs. My hellebores have lots of flower buds, but I don’t think the buds will open as long as the temperatures are below zero.

I don’t have a greenhouse to grow flowers in winter, but luckily there are always flowers available in shops and at the market.

Spring flowers

Anemones, ranunculus and tulips are the most popular cut flowers for late winter and early spring. When you see them pop up in flower shops, you know spring is on its way.

I have never been a big fan of anemones. Maybe I never bought the right anemones. I was often disappointed because not all flowers fully opened before wilting. Maybe I was too distracted by the glorious tulips to appreciate the delicate anemone. Just look at the double tulips in this tulip and anemone spring arrangement. The anemones are pretty, but the tulips are spectacular, don’t you think?

Tulips never disappoint. They are by far my favourite flower in spring. They come in many varieties. The standard tulips you will find in the supermarket are single tulips. Other varieties include the double tulip, the parrot tulip and the French tulip. When you buy them the tulips are still closed tight, but I have never had tulips not open.

Ranunculus are another spring favourite. I love their layers of delicate petals. I do find them rather tricky as a cut flower. Their stems rot easily. But because they are so beautiful to photograph, I always look for them at the flower market. I still like this arrangement I made with two varieties of white ranunculus.

The flower market in winter

Obviously, cut flowers are easily damaged by frost. Flower vendors try to protect the flowers by packing them in double paper so you can get them home safely. Still, people buy fewer flowers at the market in winter. Therefore flower stalls are smaller and there are fewer flowers to choose from.

So, when I went to the flower market last week at the end of the day, I couldn’t find tulips in my favourite colour. I bought some blue anemones instead, and this time, I was not disappointed!

Photographing anemones

All anemones opened beautifully and I had some fun photographing them. I think this was the first time I really appreciated the black-eyed, violet-blue flowers, and the velvety petals. The simple, saucer-shaped flowers are also known as poppy anemones in English.

These are spring flowering Anemones Coronaria as opposed to the autumn flowering Japanese anemones. Corona means crown in Latin and the black button centre and stamens do resemble a crown (best seen in the picture at the top of this post).

I love them so much, I am even considering buying some bulbs to plant in the garden in March.

I hope you liked this look at the blue Anemone Coronaria. See you next time!