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Japanese anemone and lupins

FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
in Plants
Hi all, 

I have a space in my front garden where I’ve just removed an ugly shrub, it’s about 6ft wide and 3ft deep.  I’d like some colour and to attract pollinators. 

I have a Japanese anemone and a lupin both currently in small pots, can they live together in such a small space or is the anemone likely to take over completely in a few years?

Posts

  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066
    It depends on the variety of the anemone some are more thuggish than others. If they really like the conditions they will take over.  I've been trying to eradicate the pesky stuff from my garden for years with no success.  I just have to settle for removing any bits that come up each spring. 
    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    Hmm, that’s my concern, a few people on the street have it and it does seem to like the local conditions!  The person who gave me the cutting lives a few miles away and theirs doesn’t take over, but I don’t know if the soil is the same. 
  • BraidmanBraidman Posts: 274
    Dreaming Swan is the plants of dreams flowers all season long, Wild Swan has a death wish with me.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I don't think the two would look right together somehow. the Jap. Anenome flowers in around September so a bit too late for pollinators and is either a pink or white variety.
    Lupins flower earlier so may be a better choice for insects but in that space you'd need quite a lot. Lupins are usually in much more vibrant colours but don't last long in my experience.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    Why would September be too late? Ever seen a Sedum in Autumn? Absolutely crawl with bees.
  • elle_sharpeelle_sharpe Posts: 2
    edited May 2020
    Absolutely will take over. I have a J Anemone and every year it grows to 6/7 feet tall and just as wide.
    the lupins in my garden are monsters and grow to around 4 foot with up to 27 flower spikes on one plant. They are planted away from one another but I have white Astrantia next to the anemone as that’s tall too. My JA flowers from June through to the first frost and is a lovely pink. Astrantia has seeded around the garden but in the right places. The photo below is just two lupin plants. The first photo is one plant so they need lots of room too. Best of luck :) 
  • elle_sharpeelle_sharpe Posts: 2

  • ERICS MUMERICS MUM Posts: 627
    Personally I’d put the J anemone into a large pot.  I like to sit pots (planted) in flowerbeds to add height and it’s handy if you want to move things around.
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    I decided to keep them separate, I bought two more lupins when the garden centres opened and put all three in the space in the front garden.  They are attracting bees as we speak! 

    I've put the Japanese anemone in a tricky patch at the bottom of the back garden.  Its a fairly steep bank, and I will eventually be landscaping it to create flat levels but not for a few years, so if it takes over there and spreads then it will at least keep it looking reasonable attractive and suppress the weeds! 

    Thanks for the advice. 
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    elle_sharpe said:


    That's the colour of the new lupins I bought, I really hope they thrive as much as yours have!  What kind of soil/aspect do they have?
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