Wednesday 30 July 2014

Echinacea

For years I have wanted an Echinacea (aka Cone-flower). I don't know why I didn't buy one. I suppose it was because until recently I have considered my garden to be just a veg-plot and have devoted little attention to flowering plants. Anyway, all that has changed now.


Last year I bought a rather bedraggled white Echincea ("Pom Pom White") in an end-of-season sale at our local Garden Centre, and was fortunate enough to get a plant which was easily divided into two

September 2013



A couple of weeks later I also bought another Echinacea plant, this time one called "Little Magnus". It has flowers that are magenta coloured. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of the plant at the time I bought it.

The plants have grown a lot during the year. This is what they look like now:


I am currently so enthused with this plant that I have taken loads of photos, some of which I want to show you now...


















That beautiful green beetle thing (I have no idea what it is!) appears to be carrying a load of those little Brown Mites, like the ones I found in my compost bin back in April. Here's another shot of it:




These plants have already earned their place in my garden, and I expect them to get even better as they mature.

17 comments:

  1. I love cone flowers too. You'll get plenty of seeds from it. The poor beetle is Cetonia aurata, the rose chafer. I never sow one so infected! Amazing catch! Beautiful close up photos too.

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    1. Thanks for the identification Vesna. Mark has got a wonderful picture of that poor beetle!
      When you get up close to natural control it's not nice!

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    2. I'm glad there are knowledgeable people like you out there to help with the IDs, Vesna! My knowledge of insects etc is very limited.

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    3. Any time, Mark, as long as I know the species. That is my area, biology, horticulture, animals, plants. Even if I don't know the very species, I recognize the family or genus and I find the species more easily.

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  2. Lovely colours. Hard to tell if the beetle is happy about carrying all his little friends around with him or not!

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  3. I haven't grown echinacea but I've always fancied them, I love the magenta one. I've never seen a beetle that colour before, I didn't know they carried mites like that.

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  4. That's a mega-photo at the top of the post. One would take it to be a very large flower!

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  5. At my last house I had a purple coneflower, but at this house it is a pale yellow one I like the purple ones better - not that I'm even thinking of ripping the yellow one out. But I do want a couple for the front yard. I'll probably grow some Prairie Splendor from seed this winter. Coneflowes are a favorite of mine.

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  6. Just love coneflowers. They are beautiful and super easy to grow - I have completely ignored the ones that are growing in my backyard and yet they still flourish. Can't go wrong, really.

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  7. Should make cleaning up the mites easier, when they simply stick to the big beetles. :)

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  8. Our garden is abundant with these. I love how alien they look. Gorgeous pics!

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  9. Fantastic photos Mark, beautifully edited ;D
    I've actually planted five Echinacea this year...I think they're going to be a big hit!
    Great photo of the Cetonia aurata too. We had masses of them when we arrived back in this garden last July but I haven't seen any this year.
    Enjoy your blooms...and veg of course

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  10. I love cone flowers especially the magenta ones but I cannot for the life of me grow them. I have tried them from seed, and bought plants but they just disappear over winter never to be seen again - so I have given up on them now - I love to see mass plantings of them especially.

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  11. Glad you have added flowers to your portfolio Mark.
    Echinacea don't overwinter very well on my sandy soil , although I do have a beautiful orange one flowering at the moment. I am starting to think that on my sandy soil they need an extra bit of nutrition.

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    1. My Echinaceas are currently in pots, Roger, so I will be able to over-winter them under cover.

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  12. That poor beetle must be weighed down - I wonder if the mites make it itch!

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  13. Ah I love Echinacea and yours are looking great. I've only ever grown them from seed, and this year they have all finally given up the ghost - I suspect swamped by all the lush damp green foliage that our mild winter and spring brought alas, and the cover it gave the slugs and snails. I do have some little echinacea seedlings in a tray though, so hopefully next year we'll have their beautiful flowers here again!

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