Favorite Echinaceas
by Cliff Sharples (chief cultivator)
Whether you want to boost your immune system with this medicinal plant, or simply create a summer-long wow-fest in your garden beds, Echinacea is a must-have somewhere in your garden!
The folks at Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, OR are wizards at creating new plants. This year, they are offering color and forms never before seen. Their focus is to create better perfomraming flowers for your garden with stronger structure, rich colors and non-fading vibrancy. Terra Nova's Echinaceas are a standard in my garden, and I look forward to their new introductions each year.
Echinacea 'Coral Reef'
This is a color I haven't seen since I was snorkeling in the Phillipines several years ago. Amazing two-toned double flowers with dark orange to coral petals combined with a coral red cone. Terra Nova suggests that it's great in combination with Agastache 'Summer Fiesta' and or dark leaf foliage. You can purchase it at Territorial Seed Company.
Echinacea 'Firebird'
I love the shape of this flower - anyone for badminton?! The color is fantastic and it will attract butterflies in summer and seed hunting birds in the fall. Mix with Rudbeckia for a great combo. You can purhcase it at Wayside Gardens.
Echinacea 'Flame Thrower'
According to Terra Nova, this is a reliable, fragrant rebloomer. It has a two-toned orange and yellow flower that really throws the heat. It's one of the earliest to bloom in the season, and makes a wonderful plant along a fence line, or mid-border. You can buy it at White Flower Farm.
Echinacea 'Gum Drop'
Like a delicate bon bons in a French confiserie, each flower has a dark pink, feathery pom-pom, encircled with a packed house of pink peddles. Terra Nova suggests that you mix with pink coreopsis and blue ornamental grasses. You can buy it at Territorial Seed Company.
Echinacea 'Hot Lava'
OK, this is an instant favorite... perfect for my Tropical Seattle garden! Wide petals of deep orange red tint to a deeper red at the orange cone. Extra petals give this plant a fuller look and according to the cultivator, the super-strong stems make it a natural for cut flowers. You can buy it at Bonanzle.
Echinacea 'Mac 'n' Cheese'
Kids will love to have Mac and Cheese in your garden! The bright, electric yellow pedals just say "be happy!" Great when combined with another new Terra Nova introduction below: 'Tomato Soup'. You can buy it at Plant Delights Nursery.
Echinacea 'Maui Sunshine'
Large bright yellow flowers, maturing to a mellow yellow. The huge orange cones make it a favorite for cut and dried flower arranging. You can buy it at Wayside Gardens.
Echinacea 'Tangerine Dream'
I'm such a sucker for vibrant oranges in the garden... These 4" clear orange flowers have wide, overlapping petals. Terra Nova says that the color holds better than any they have ever seen and have a lovely honey scent. You can buy it at Forest Farm Nursery.
...and last but not least!!
Echinacea 'Tomato Soup'
Like a nice steaming bowl of its namesake, this 5" wide flower will keep you warm until frost. Of course, it's a natural pairing with Echinacea 'Mac 'n' Cheese'. It's easy to grow in full sun with good drainage. You can buy it at Plant Delights Nursery.
Tags
echinacea healing plants perennial border color
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