Japanese Anemone Honorine Jobert
In its first year of planting, the Japanese Anemone Honorine Jobert has taken a strong hold in our Cheshire garden
I published a post on this plant some time back when we were in Aberdeen. It had been in one of the main borders for several years, it did flower but never produced more than a single stem.
Its not that this plant struggled in the cooler climate of Aberdeen, in fact I often saw large clumps of it in other gardens.
Our Aberdeen garden, in spite of how we managed over the years to make it look lush and pretty special, it did have its challenges.
Although it was sheltered the garden was in a frost pocket. The frost would hang around for days after it had cleared in many other areas of the city, on top of that the soil was rather acidic.
Well anyway it has been noted that I often compare how plants performed in our Aberdeen garden with the performance of them here in Cheshire. I guess I will continue to do this, mainly because, when I first started this blog, 
it was all about plant profiles in the cooler climate of the North East of Scotland.
I have to continue with these references, not just because Aberdeen is where my heart is but also for the reason that my website carries the name Aberdeen gardening, and all the posts from before December 2013 are from Aberdeen.
Time has moved on, in fact its ten years ago today when I first made an entry in Aberdeen gardening. As I have said in the past, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, in fact I think it was 2010 when I deleted hundreds of posts, including the first entry I made on January 6th 2006, I decided to put a stop to my deleting as perhaps it would be interesting for me to look back on them from time to time.
Honorine jobert is often described as the best white Japanese Anemone available. The pure white single blooms with a corolla of yellow stamens are exceptional and in our garden they really have been abundant. For years I have been keen to see this plant looking as robust as it has been in our Cheshire garden.
In October of 2014 I planted three of them in the main border of the back garden which I had purchased in two ltr pots. Being a tall perennial I was taking a chance placing them so near the front of the border, thinking I would get away with it due to the airiness of the plant. The vine like foliage is not much to look at and sort of makes it look a bit weedy. How could I say that about a plant which received the RHS prestigious award of garden merit.
However all in all it is a magnificent plant which will have to be moved, in spite of advice which states they do not like being disturbed.
Position
We have this Anemone at the moment planted in a position that could be described as semi shade. Honorine Jobert will grow in sun or shade, probably stands out best of all in a shady position.
Habit and height
The white single blooms stand elegantly above vine like dark green semi evergreen foliage. Grows to a height of about 120cm/4ft. Although the branching stems are sturdy, a little support may be required. From the midlands of England and south the leaves are more likely to remain during the Winter.
Soil
Thrives in most free draining soil and will stand it on the acidic side, although I think the soil in our Aberdeen garden was too acidic.
Hardiness
Fully hardy throughout the UK, not sure if it would stand the more severe frost of the Highlands of Scotland, (perhaps you know)
Flowering period
Blooms late August through till October. Cut back flowering stems in November.
Cultivation
Doesn’t like being disturbed in the first three years. After this, if it starts outgrowing its position, lift divide and replant in Spring.
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for the ten year landmark of my site I thought I would add a little reminder of how our garden in Aberdeen was looking back in 2006/2007.
Front Garden
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Back garden
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I didn’t know that Honorine joberts don’t like being disturbed. This is probably why mine died after I depotted moved it to our garden patch out back. It was such a pity because it was in full bloom too then it just started wilting and there was nothing I could do to save it!
Persevere with your Anemones Esther, off to see what this time machine stuffs all about.
When I lived in London Japanese Anemones grew well. Now I’m in Dorset I can’t get them to do anything more than grow a leaf each about six inches above the ground. It’s disappointing.
I’m hoping you might like my new blog. Esther and the Time Machine.
http://estherandthetimemachine.blogspot.co.uk/
It’s a bit late to wish you a happy new year. None the less – Happy New Year. (And Burns Night!)
I have Japanese anemones in two gardens fifteen miles apart in the York area. One has a fairly heavy soil with clay and one that is very sandy with zero clay. My favourite pink variety – I have forgotten its name grows a magnificent six foot high on the clay soil and a still very healthy but more compact three foot on the sand
Hello Alistair, I left my Japanese anemone in my previous garden, it was a self-seeded one that came flying in from somewhere else so not really sure what type but it was very happily growing in complete shade. I have Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ on my wish-list for my new garden, for the complete shade bed, but that bed is almost 100% clay and more suitable for pottery. Not sure what I should do with it as digging it up and replacing the soil is out of the question. I might have to just choose plants that can cope at first and add compost in each planting hole with bark mulch, that’s what I did in my previous garden and it worked well – albeit a very slow process.
I wonder if you have found any plants that coped better and performed better for you in Aberdeen than in Cheshire?? I am just curious, now that you have been there this long and have had time to compare. 10 years of blogging is impressive, congratulations!
In the past I also found these anemones slow to establish, must be something in the Cheshire soil that suits them.
Crikey Alistair, congratulations! What a milestone! Honorine Jobert has to be one of my favourites. I have always found Japanese Anemones disappointingly slow to establish, then just as I am giving up on them, they settle in and make themselves indispensable in the border. Lovely plants!
Thanks Donna, plants are growing well the daffs are so far through I wouldn’t be surprised to se some of the buds opening soon. Having said that it is very frosty this morning.
Thanks Jennifer, hope your anemone shows through in the spring.
I am approaching my fifth anniversary, so I have tremendous admiration for you having reached your tenth anniversary. Congratulations on reaching this impressive milestone Alistair!
Honorine jobert is just beautiful. I planted a white Japanese anemone last fall (not sure of the variety off-hand), but mice or voles seemed determined to make a home near the base of the plant. I hope the plant survives the winter!
Happy New Year Alistair! I had this plant in my white garden originally, but it has disappeared…I was thinking of planting it again and then your post popped up. I think it is a sign! Loving how wonderful your plants are growing in your new garden!
Thank you Pam, Home will always be Aberdeen for Myra but she is so much better now. The slideshow pictures today are of our Aberdeen.
Love, love, love your Honorine jobert, Alistair. I believe I remember your review of it back in Aberdeen. There were advantages to your moving south — gardenwise. Is your wife more settled, now? I didn’t think you could produce better gardens, but your Cheshire ones are amazing! Wishing you every blessing in 2016! P. x
Thanks Deb, with a garden like you have your comments mean a lot to me.
ps– I have been adding a list of the blogs I follow on my sidebar, with your link I am getting an error message saying the link is not readable?
Ten years in the blogoshere! That is an amazing accomplishment, but it would not be possible without the stunning gardens you have created. What a floral feast! It must be something to see in person. Honorine jobert is quite lovely. Thanks for sharing your corner of paradise with us. I can only dream of such eye-popping color!
Well, I guess I am a slow starter Donna.
Your gardens have always had more flowers than I have seen in a residential garden. Even though you said you then did not know what you were doing, the ten years proved you did.
Hi Rick, overcrowding was my favourite pastime in Aberdeen, still hints of it going on now.
Your Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ is a cracker Alistair and quite rightly regarded as a choice plant. Japanese Anemones always seem to be such contrary plants, some are quite invasive whilst at the same time being difficult to establish as well as being sensitive to moisture levels in the soil. I have always thought of them as plants for the edge of woodland so have planted them in what I hope are similar conditions and given them space as I know from experience they do not like to be crowded.
Hi Sunil, The posts I deleted were early attempts at plant profiles. When I decided this was what my site was going to be all about I deleted the very bad early attempts (not that I think what I now do is brilliant) Plenty posts from the early years left to laugh and cry about.
Hello Rita, thanks for visiting my site. Pleased to hear your Anemones did take after transplanting. Your welcome back any time.
I have just come across your site by chance as I was wondering when to prune Skimmia’s and what a wonderful site it is (now in my favourites).
As for Anemones, I moved a clump about two years ago and it really has taken a time for them to settle but I am hoping for a good year. They are worth growing for a lovely show in the garden.
Your garden is a joy to see so I hope to be a regular visitor to your site.
Hello Alistair, you’ve been blogging for such a long time I can’t believe you would go back and delete old posts! Those are the very ones to read through and cringe or reminisce or just gently chuckle and naivety and hindsight! I’m glad you wrote about anemones as they’re on our shopping list. I’m not sure where they would go though, we don’t have many places that are free-draining, perhaps apart from the top of the mounded borders where is dries quickest.
Time doesn’t half fly Indie. They do say the Anemones do well enough in shade but like yourself I think a little sunshine may be of benefit.
Your Aberdeen garden was so beautiful, and I know you are whipping your current one into shape! Congratulations on 10 years of blogging! The anemone is lovely! I have a couple pink ones that I put in my shade garden. They are doing beautifully there, though I do wonder if they’d bloom more in a different spot with a little more sun. Good to know that transplanting is tricky!
Peony hoop sounds like a good idea Carolyn. You have convinced me to be extra careful with the transplanting.
Honorine Joubert is definitely my favorite and the best Japanese anemone that I have tried and there have been many as I sell them at my nursery. It often produces so many huge pure white flowers that I put a peony hoop around it to keep it from falling over. I find Japanese anemones one of the most difficult perennials to transplant as the roots are composed of a small number of woody sticks so it is hard to get a rootball. Usually the transplant fails but the plant resprouts in its original site. If I was more patient I am sure I could do it successfully!
Happy New Year to you also Shona, pretty sure your Japanese Anemones will be a success.
Happy New Year Alistair, Iwas so pleased to read your post about Japanese Anemone Honorine Jobert as I have just purchased my first of these, I have a few others, namely Whirlwind another of the Whites, Prinz Heinrich a Pink& Queen Charlotte another Pink which has just opened another flower this week!. All of these are first year plantings for me and I will be delighted if any grow as well as yours. Your photos are just lovely, I am so enjoying your posts, thank you
Thank you Linda and a happy New Year to you also.
Happy New Year to you and warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!