Can't speak to the hybrids, but I have Honorine Joubert and LOVE them! I want to add more and some different ones. They look nice when not in bloom and when they bloom-wow. They are great for me because I have so much shade. I haven't done anything special in the winter to protect them and they seem to have come through the 58" of snow last winter just fine!

Pink saucer will likely bloom a little earlier and not quite as tall, but you shouldn't otherwise find the care and hardiness of Anemone x hybrida Pink Saucer significantly different than Anemone x hybrida Honerine Jobert.

If planting now, watch the water. Once established they will become more drought tolerant, and you can expect them to spread (more so in rich moist soil).

Blister beetle defoliates mine.....

I've had some kind of fall blooming anemone (pale pink) growing for years in a semi-shaded spot. In fact, they spread like crazy and are trying to take over--I have to yank out "extras" all the time. That said, I do nothing for them -- other than the normal watering with the sprinkler that the other plants in that general area get.

Mine started blooming this week--quiet, subdued, but pleasant flowers.

I actually like my spring/early summer white anemones better, but the fall ones are all right.

Kate

I have two, a 'Whirlwind' (double, white) and a. tomentosa Robustissima (pale pink, single). We have a very sandy soil, amended with organic matter but still very sandy and well-drained.

The Robustissima is certainly living up to its name, having developed into a very large clump which flowers from August (this year late July) into late October or until frost. It is supposed to be among the hardiest and most adaptable anemones. It is undaunted by this summer's high temps (mid 80's to high 90's), humidity, watering restrictions, and its location in morning shade/afternoon sun. New plants pop up from underground runners, which I pull up a few times a year, potting up the better ones to grow on and relocate.

'Whirlwind' gets morning sun/afternoon dappled shade from limbed-up tall oaks ... and is not as strong a performer.

I give these, like most of my perennials and shrubs, a winter mulch of shredded leaves, nothing more in the way of winter protection. We are in Zone 7, but night temps in the teens are not uncommon here in January and February.

As for fertilizing, they get fresh compost and a dose of whatever I'm feeding my roses.

Besides anemones, some of my favorite late summer/fall-blooming perennials are turtle head (chelone), great blue lobelia (lobelia siphilitica) & lobelia cardinalis, Montauk daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum). Nepeta and calamenthe keep going, and a false aster 'Genghis Khan' (looks like a tiny daisy) blooms from mid-summer until frost as long as I keep shearing back spent flowers. Perennial salvias will re-bloom, too, if sheared back. Weigela 'Rubidor' is coming into bloom now, ruby-red flowers against chartreuse foliage. Glossy abelia has been in bloom for some weeks just outside my living room window, visited daily by a hummingbird.

I'm still undecided on the reblooming irises. I love irises, but somehow they just look out of place in October/November. Nevertheless, I think I'll just see if I can get used to it.

If you have a shady, protected spot with well-drained soil, you might want to look into fall-blooming hardy cyclamen ... something you don't see in everyone's garden. These also bloom about August-October and are hardy down to around 10-20 degrees below 0, so should be OK in your Boston garden.

Oh, almost forgot liriope! Not a very showy flower, but they are starting to bloom now, evergreen, easy to maintain, seem pest and disease resistant, and make an excellent edging. No need to prune - in spring, when new growth just barely shows, shear them back. Be careful, though: l. spicata spreads quite aggressively, but l. muscari is a well-behaved clumping type that stays where you put it.

Sorry to ramble. I didn't mean to digress from anemones, but there are more fall-bloomers than we sometimes realize. A good thing because, you're right, mums and asters can get a little stale after a while! Also don't forget to consider some of the trees and shrubs that have fantastic fall foliage color ... but that's for another thread.

I had a great deal of trouble establishing my Honorine Joubert anemones. Lost a lot of them over a 3 or 4 year period of trying them, some failed to overwinter & some came back so poorly they became (and stayed) little stunted things.

I was told here on gardenweb that the problem was buying near bloom plants & planting in the fall. Unfortunately, other than mailorder they seldom show up around here until late in the season. I would give them some winter protection and plant them (if your yard is heavy clay) in a slightly raised spot with the best drainage you can manage.

I have been reading up on them from Internet sources.

My soil is extremely sandy. I have added composted manure and mulch to give my plants organic material to decompose.
Most say to give them deep, rich, fertile soil and to add compost every year and they like "moist" soil... I don't know if my sandy soil is too bereft of nutrients to keep a nice clump of these going.

I am tempted to put one in my border, one in the rear of the house that gets shade and is always moist, and who knows where the third will go? One source says East side of house is perfect. Also they like lime! Have you heard this too?

All say water, water, water, the first year. Also, they say to plant in the spring! Dol garnit, I have lovely healthy plants and I wanna plant them now! (what a crybaby I am!!) :-)

I'm assuming that what you bought are container grown plants. You should be able to plant these at any time, as they should have a well-established root system in the pot. Timing of planting is more critical if you're planting bare-root stock. I would, however, make sure they get adequate water, and perhaps some shade, until they are established in the ground (especially with the hot weather we've been having in the northeast).

It's good to see you're doing your homework and reading about proper cultural conditions, but I must say my sandy soil is somewhat on the acid side. I think plants are often more resilient and adaptable than we give them credit for. And yet, they can sometimes fail inexplicably, despite the best of care. So, watch them for cues and follow your instincts.

Had a little time for more than a cursory look at the back gardens for the first time in a week, and am pleased to see that 'Whirlwind' has put out a nice crop of flower buds! (That old maxim about giving perennials 3 years: sleep, creep, leap.)

debra, I haven't seen references to lime, the japanese anemones do well in soils slightly acidic to neutral but are adaptable. I find them a little too happy in my acidic clay based soil, have never seen reason to raise the ph around them.

A mature stand of "Honorine Jobert" in full bloom gently swaying in the breeze on a backdrop of a clear blue autumn sky is a glorious site. If you have room for only one, she is the one I'd recommend, no doubt about it.

Runner-up in my book is "Pamina". She is a deeper rosy-pink.

Also have "Robustissima" but purposely planted in drier soil so wouldn't get out of hand. Alas, after a couple of years he is getting established and is starting to take off....

Not only are the blooms gorgeous, they foliage is, too. Lower in height, lush and deep green, reminiscent of maple leaves, never bothered by pests or disease in my yard.

I have them planted in varying conditions, from full sun to part-shade. I've found that the full sun plants emerge sooner in the spring, but the part-shade ones eventually catch up and end up blooming around the same time, give or take a it. They definitely prefer moister conditions, they are not as lush in drier soils (if can even get them established in such conditions), and they wilt quickly if it is too dry.

Dear Mxk3:

"They definitely prefer moister conditions, they are not as lush in drier soils (if can even get them established in such conditions), and they wilt quickly if it is too dry."

You can say that again!

I had these three plants out in the driveway in full sun. I had watered them the day before..... By the next day, they were Almost crispy critters! I was amazed! In one day's time! I watered them and put them in the shade thinking they would rebound like many plants do. They definately came back but the ready-to-bloom buds are toast. Damn. Well, at least now I know these sweeties definately need moisture at all times. Wow! With that in mind they will have to go in my semi-bog garden, but a little higher to get better drainage. These wilting plants remind me of hydrangeas -- who REALLY show it when they need water! I don't think I'm even going to try to get them established in my much drier border! Maybe that's why folks have trouble getting them started...

Spreaders, invasive even. In my garden the spreading plants don't bloom, just take over everything in their path. Only the original clumps bloom. Sigh. I loved them when I was a girl in zone 5. My mother had them planted on the north side of the house, which was a wall of bloom in the late summer. Here....I think I need to rip them all out. I have Pamina, Honorine Jobert and robustissima.

Sorry to hear those buds are toast, Deb, but there are some other factors to consider. Sitting on a driveway, in pots, in full sun, is about the harshest environment you can give them, so I would think not a good test. Consider:
1. Plants in containers need more frequent watering - their roots are pretty confined in that pot.
2. Those pots are probably black or dark green, absorbing the sun's heat to toast the roots and dry the soil even more quickly.
3. The driveway on which those pots were sitting also absorbs the sun's heat and radiates it back up to the pots and the leaves, further hastening the drying out.

Planted in the ground and given a good layer of mulch to help stabilize soil temperature and moisture level, you would probably see very different results.

deb, i have hesitated responding bec. i have nothing educative to offer about the fact that i have lost them more times than i care to remember. i think they're the prettiest things in all the world and a big stand of them is breathtaking.but i don't have the talent for them. sigh.

don't we all sometimes wish that someone could show up and offer to grow something (that we cannot keep alive)for us in our garden- something we've alw wanted? well, that's me with delphinium and poppies and anemone. but i stray......, sorry.
mindy

Not to stray even farther, but I think plants keep us humble. Our County Ag Agent isn't ashamed to tell how he finally purchased some daphne, planting some in his own garden and giving the rest to his brother-in-law. Now, our CAA, coming from a family that owned a nursery in addition to his formal training, was well aware not only of the finicky nature of daphne, but also how to meet those needs, and he made sure he did all the right things at the right times. His daphne were fine ... and then, one day, they just inexplicably, without warning, up and died. His BIL, being a somewhat casual gardener, treated the daphne with something just a tad better than benign neglect ... and they are still alive and thriving!

Go figure.

I've given up on delphinium. Love 'em, tried 'em, lost 'em. I finally found out they just don't like our humid weather.

'Windswept' buds are swelling and should be open soon.

Update on my japanese anemones.... Well, as I said the buds I saw were toast, but I planted them anyway.... I have a very wet area in my "secret garden" next to the pond I live on. (It's a big one, a mile long and a mile wide, in Ayer - a flooded meadow is what it really is...) So, I planted them in three different locations, in the wet area. They get dappled sun, mostly shade. And, et voila! I've got buds (AGAIN) on the one, facing the house and the other two look green and healthy but no buds, alas! But I am so thrilled that the one nearest the house has buds that are swelling more every day... I'm sure to have flowers near Labor Day! Woo Hoo! Thanks for all of your advice. Feel free to post your experiences. Can't live (properly) without gardenwebber's experiences. You all are so wonderful! Thkx again!

Here you go - a bit fuzzy because the sun was low ....
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And as a special bonus some Cyclamen hederifolium which bloom at the same time.
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My Honorine Jouberts are in morning sun only, heavy clay alkaline soil with lots of tree root competition. They stand their ground great.

Flora UK:

Wow! That shot of your blooming anemones are absolutely stunning! So lovely, and they look tough as iron, but I know NOW ANYWAY, that they really need moisture to look that healthy. Congrats on a healthy plant and a lovely photo. When can we visit in person? LOL

debra_boston - they are tough. Moisture is relative. They grow in what we would consider quite dry conditions but it's probably wetter than many of you have to deal with. This clump is growing under a birch and you know how dry that can be. The bed they are in gets no feeding or watering at all. Just a dose of compost in the autumn.

Their roots must go down, down, down!

I saw today my first bloom of the pink saucer and I must say I am UNDERWHELMED. The bloom is pretty small, I'd say maybe an inch and a half, that doesn't translate to you Brits. The size of a kiwi? Maybe I need to fertilize for next year.

Will try to post a picture in the next few days.

Debra - you just planted these, right? Keep in mind in may take a season or two for a plant to show what it can really do...

Lots of buds on this clump - imagine when they all open!

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Much smaller clump in this location, but better shot of the actual flowers:

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The sun washed out the color in this photo, but you get the idea...

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debra-boston - don't worry. I'm old enough to have gone to school in feet and inches times! Many here still use them and they are pretty well universal for talking about people's heights.