Rivers of blue

Of the spring bulbs or corms the anemone and ranunculus seem to be least lauded. I love them for their laissez-faire manner -just toss them in and you should be rewarded with many years of stunning colour and when they die down you don't have lots of messy foliage and in my forgetful manner I always have a happy surprise when they show the following year. They are generally inexpensive and are a great way to enhance colour themes. This year my blues ones seemed like the most precious exotic flowers one could grow -truly you could imagine them as the tears of Venus as she wept over Adonis.  

For me they are my flower of love as they were the first bouquet (the exception rather than the rule!) my husband gave me on our first date 21 years ago. I see them as fresh as yesterday in my mind's eye, a happy meld of pinks to blues and purples embraced by frills of green -oh love!