coneflower – echinacea purpurea

Aug-1 016I had to move the Midway Gardens Sprite, because the contractors are sealing the seam between the house-bricks and the cement pad on the side of the house. At first, I moved it into the corner with all the annuals. (I left a post from the old bonsai shelf and put the Sprite up on top of it. It’s way too tall for that location.)

When looking for a new place for the Sprite, Leger suggested that I put it on the ground next to the Japanese lilac. I wasn’t sure about this, but I tried it. It didn’t work on the right side of the trunk, but man it looked great on the left. To balance it, Leger suggested a Wright-like pot for the opposite side. Today, I found a great Wright-like pot at Home Depot. The Coneflower is a great match for the blue-stones and the patio-bricks. (I have to keep the dogs away from the plant; they like eating the leaves. They touch no other plant, but the Coneflower.)

It’s a surprise how well the Sprite, the pot and the Coneflower fit the space.

The National Gardening Association has the following info about the plant on their website – Coneflower is a native North American perennial sporting daisylike flowers with raised centers. The flower, plant, and root of some types are used in herbal remedies. Widely renowned as a medicinal plant, coneflowers are a long-flowering perennial for borders, wildflower meadows, and prairie gardens. Blooming midsummer to fall, the plants are relatively drought-tolerant and rarely bothered by pests. The flowers are a magnet for butterflies, and the seeds in the dried flower heads attract songbirds. Flower colors include rose, purple, pink, and white, plus a new orange variety. Plants grow 2 to 4 feet tall, depending on variety.