Growing Anemones From Seed
Note, whilst anemones can definitely flower in their first season, they will more often than not put on their best show in their second season. So their first season is more about growing their corm, and the second season is when the flowerly magic really happens.
Anemones are very slow growing from seed, but once they get big enough they do get into their groove, just like corm grown plants do, they just take a noticeably longer time to get there.
We've found sowing them in a mix of about 75–50% seed raising mix to about 25–50% fine pumice. Making sure the tray is very well watered before making a little dibble (indent) to sow the seeds in, then covereing with vermiculite, and keep consistently moist (never lettting the surface dry out), gave us very good germination last year (we trialled a few different techniques and this was the clear winner). Generally we'd get germination from around 50–80% variety dependent (and if any accidentally dried out before they'd shown signs of life).
After they've died down and foliage died off in late spring, you can dig up the corms and store them some place warm, dark and dry over summer, and then pot-up/plant them, give them a good soak come autumn and away they'll go again.
We have found that they are most floriforous in their second season (which is what their corms are always sold as) and often slowly peter out in following seasons.
