I cannot (Gentlewomen) withold one other secret from you, which is to informe you how you may so order Anemones, that after all others ordinarily are past, you may haue them in flower for two or three moneths longer then are to be seene with any other, that vseth not this course I direct you.
The ordinary time to plant Anemones, is most commonly in August, which will beare flower some peraduenture before Winter, but most vsually in February, March, and Aprill, few or none of them abiding vntill May; but it you will keepe some roots out of the ground vnplanted, vntill February, March, and Aprill, and plant some at one time, and some at another, you shall haue them beare flower according to their planting, those that shall be planted in February, will flower about the middle or end of May, and so the rest accordingly after that manner: And thus may you haue the pleasure of these plants out of their naturall seasons, which is not permitted to be enioyed in any other that I know, Nature being not so prone to bee furthered by art in other things as in this. Yet regard, that in keeping your Anemone rootes out of the ground for this purpose, you neither keep them too dry, nor yet too moist, for sprouting or rotting; and in planting them, that you set them not in too open a sunny place, but where they may be somewhat shadowed.
The Place.
I shall not need to spend much time in relating the seuerall places of these Anemones, but onely to declare that the most of them that haue not beene raised from seed, haue come from Constantinople to vs; yet the first broad leafed or yellow Anemone, was first found in Portugall, and from thence brought into these parts. And the first purple Starre Anemone in Germanie, yet was the same sent among others from Constantinople also. And the first thin cut leafed Anemone came first out of Italy, although many of that sort haue come likewise from Constantinople. And so haue the double red or Scarlet Anemones, and the great double blush, which I first had by the gift of Mʳ. Humfrey Packington of Worcestershire Esquire, at Haruington.
The Time.
The times of their flowring are sufficiently expressed in the descriptions, or in the rules for planting.
The Names.
The Turkish names whereby the great double broad leafed kindes haue beene sent vnto vs, were Giul Catamer, and Giul Catamer lale; And Binizade, Binizante, and Galipoli lale for the thinne cut leafed Anemones. All Authors haue called them Anemones, and are the true Herbæ venti. Wee call them in English eyther Anemones, after the Greeke name, or Windflowers, after the Latine.
The Vertues.
There is little vse of these in Physicke in our dayes, eyther for inward or outward diseases; onely the leaues are vsed in the Ointment called Marciatum, which is composed of many other hot herbes, and is vsed in cold griefes, to warme and comfort the parts. The roote, by reason of the sharpenesse, is apt to drawe downe rheume, if it be tasted or chewed in the mouth.