Soft pink flowers floating on long stems suspended above a blanket of trifoliate leaves give Japanese anemone an otherworldly elegance. Sometimes known as windflowers, the genus Anemone encompasses 63 species of flowers. In 2018, ‘Japanese anemone’ (formerly Anemone x hybrida) was reclassified into the species Eriocapitella which describes close relatives of the anemone that are native to Asia; both names are acceptable to describe the Pretty Lady series of flowers.

Japanese anemone prefers humus rich well-drained soils in partial shade, particularly here in the South where extended exposure to summer sun can scorch leaves. Diana boasts rose-pink flowers with yellow stamens that begin blooming in late summer, continuing into October. The foliage has a mounding habit, forming low, fluffy clouds with flowers rising out like shooting stars. Prolific once established, this perennial requires little maintenance in our warm climate, but does appreciate mulching in winter to protect the roots from freezing temperatures.

Pretty Lady Diana can be found in the Cottage Garden at the end of the Kitchen Garden.