Last summer I cleared an area at the far back of my yard to start an echinacea garden. This is what it looked like at the end of the summer, promising, but bare.
Fast forward after one year’s growth and it is a lush garden full of color.
I’m not one to mix my oranges with my pinks, but I just love the riot of color in this garden.
And fortunately, the deer do not eat echinacea. They have nibbled on the black-eyed susan’s, so I will just pull those out.
I’ve never had a garden fill itself in, in such a short span of time. So, if you’re looking for a vibrant splash of color that goes on from July to September, I would highly recommend echinacea. And there are so many varieties and colors available now.
Last summer, I had the problem of new blooms being snapped and left dangling.
I was very fortunate to find a knowledgeable garden center employee who diagnosed the problem as the Sunflower Headclipping Weevil. Photo courtesy of Buckeye Yard and Garden OnLine.
After applying a rather expensive treatment of Nematodes to my yard last fall, I am glad to report, I have no dangling flower heads so far this summer. But I have spotted some in my neighbor’s yard just two doors away. I’m very much hoping they will not reinfect my yard and/or the Nematodes will keep them in check.
Here’s to the vibrant color of high summer.
How beautiful, Cindy! I love the mixed colors. I bet the butterflies love them, too.
Thank you Eliza! I love the riot of color too. I haven’t had too many butterflies yet this summer, but the bees are certainly having a good time back there.
Oh I love it! Superbly colourful. I’ve had no luck at all growing this plant. Let’s hope the weevil stays away.
They are just a joy to behold with that riot of bright color. And the nice thing is they will bloom for well over a month. I wish that everyone could grow and enjoy them. They are such a nice plant.
Great photos, Cindy! Coneflowers love the sun and since my gardens here in N.E. Massachusetts all have some shade, growing Echinacea has always been a bit of a challenge. I’ve also found that when we have little snowfall to provide winter protection, they don’t always survive. In spite of these problems, I love them and grow them wherever I can. I can’t imagine a summer garden without them!
They do love sun, but I’m surprised they don’t survive your winter, as every new plant survived our harsh winter. The deer were always laying back there during the winter. Maybe they were keeping them warm.
Strange, but the coneflowers that did survive last winter are starting to bloom now and doing very well. Maybe it was all the spring rain we had, who knows, but I’m grateful for every beautiful bloom!
What a magnificent display, Cindy! I think the pale yellow and white-colored blooms help to mediate the more vibrant pink and orange blooms – it’s a love fest rather than a riot. I adore Echinacea and usually fall prey to their allure each year, purchasing a few plants for pots. There’s essentially expensive annuals here as I can seldom coax them to return for a second year. I do try, though.
Thank you Kris. They have done better than I ever expected and I imagine each year should get better as they reseed. They could use a little more sun than they’re getting, so I’ll have a few branches trimmed from the pine tree.
I wonder why they don’t winter over for you as they are very hardy. I’ve had people in England tell me they can’t grow them either. Finally! Something that grows well in Ohio.
They really are beautiful and I might just have to make an area for some of these too – this kind of splash of summer colour is so uplifting. Thanks for the inspiration!
Their colors do seem to represent the essence of high summer living and they bloom right into fall, or at least the new plants did last year. We’ll see how long the blooms last this year, and I have found the dreaded weevil since writing this post. Trying very hard to do daily pest control.