Echinacea - Coneflowers
Echinacea might be a well-known and much-grown perennial for some gardeners, but not for me. We've only just met face to face. This could be the start of a long and rich relationship...
Echinacea with two Bumble Bees
During one of my seed catalogue grand purchases I bought some seeds of Echinacea. They germinated, grew on, were planted, and didn't do anything. Then the following summer - hey presto! Long stems appeared, topped with the most beautiful old-rose pink daisy flowers.
Adored by the Bees
I've planted several clumps down the water race - they provide great flower competition for the white Shasta daisies. The weeks immediately after mid-summer can be scruffy and oddly colour-free, and Echinacea fill this down-time in the garden perfectly. And the bees absolutely adore them.
Echinacea are commonly called 'Coneflowers', and are used in herbal medicine. Some farmers grow them as a crop - imagine the beauty of a field full of Echinacea flowers!
Footnote
It must be at least six weeks since my Echinacea plants started flowering. And - you guessed it - they're still flowering! We are friends for life. I'm going to grow some different colours from seed.