My favorite native American wildflower is the purple coneflower. They are so beautiful and so easy to grow, no garden should be without at least one clump of them. I always grow mine from seed and have never had to buy a single plant. They do really well in Ohio clay and just glow despite the heat and sun of late summer.
I only grow the species, Echinacea purpurea, and none of the frou-frou hybrids. Anyone who knows me knows I wouldn't be caught dead with hybrids in my garden. Yes, I'm a plant snob.
This little spot of wildflowers follows the curve of the driveway. A white birch is to the left and is already 8 feet tall after only 2 years! This little bird house was our first project when we moved in three years ago. I love it. Tree swallows successfully raised their young in it this spring and it is currently inhabited by a large group of paper wasps, which are welcome in my garden because they are one of nature's best organic pesticides! I often weed within one foot of the bird house and they never bother me. I've even supported myself by grabbing the wooden post but they seem to know that I mean them no harm and they ignore me. I often find myself extolling the virtues of wasps as a gardener's friends to those who fear them. Mud daubers are equally good at killing insects, although they specialize in killing only spiders which they place in the cells of their nests for their larvae to feed on. Gruesome, but true!
The new layout looks great!
ReplyDeleteI also love the flowers - all wildflowers, actually. REALLY loved the bluebonnets when we were in TX and wish we could persuade them to love cold winters!
Lucy
Love the pictures today - and your new layout is fabulously interesting! Rather 'retro'!
ReplyDeleteI try to value all of God creature's except I have a hard time loving flies, and we have sooo many of them and they bite me. The purple coneflowers are thriving up here right now too.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy, I love my purple coneflowers too! I agree on the simple non-hybrid flowers although I do have some lilies that I think must be hybrids. I didn't see your birch tree though. We had 3 clump birch trees in PA. I loved the peeling white paper-bark, and I miss them but here the river birch has taken my fancy so I planted 2 of them this year. They all grow pretty fast! Your birdhouse lends a nice rustic look to your garden!
ReplyDeleteHi. I found your blog while surfing Homesteading Webloggers. I love echinacea too. Lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteAmy, your birdhouse area is beautiful. I love flowers as well. I don't grow mine from seed but am inspired to try after seeing the beauties you are growing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely view of the pond. I hope you are staying cool these days. It has been quite hot with little rain here lately. I'm ready for another monsoon storm!
ReplyDeleteI want the pond in your pictures!
ReplyDeleteI love your coneflower pics! It looks like the bees love them too.
ReplyDeleteLove the Purple Coneflowers, they are absolutely beautiful, and look how big. I have planted some in my mailbox garden, but they don't seem to be happy there, maybe to much shade.
ReplyDeleteYour rock garden with the bird house, overlooking the lake, what a welcoming home for birds.
Thanks for sharing,
Mel
I too love the coneflower and have them in both the front and back yards. They're propagating too which is awesome. But, I haven't had any luck at all with the white or yellow cone flower... they died off and didn't come back. Purple's my favourite colour anyway. LOVE your photos!!!
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