The White Japanese Anemone

“In any scene where harmony prevails the least discordance of colour disturbs the eye. But if we suppose a single object of glaring white to be introduced, the whole attention, in spite of all our efforts to the contrary will be drawn to that one point; a whitened object is already lighted up; it remains so when everything else has retired into obscurity; it still forces itself into notice, still impudently stares you in the face”.
          - Uvedale Price

As Uvedale Price pointed out, white can be discordant when placed among other colours.  But when it’s on its own with a dark backdrop it can look splendid, especially at this time of year.  And none more so than the Japanese Anemone.  It’s a perfect autumn flower, lasting for at least two months from the beginning of September and, if you’re lucky one or two blooms will survive until Christmas.  It needs no attention at all, in terms of staking, feeding or dead-heading and will happily multiply behind your back until you suddenly realise that it’s everywhere.  In fact I’ve no idea where the clump shown here came from – it just suddenly seemed to appear.  But it’s very comfortable on the edge of the shady border and I’ll be perfectly happy for it to spread to its heart’s content.