Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Every year there are more and more brilliant coloured  echinacea hybrids available but the tried and true native, the purple coneflower remains my favourite. It never stops giving: in the summer, it brightens up the garden and attracts bees and butterflies. In our cold  season, the coneflowers provide winter interest, especially when snow falls on the spent seed heads, looking like intricate lace.

These grow  30 – 48 inches tall (75 cm – 120 cm) and provide many features: they are long blooming, drought tolerant, can be an accent in the garden and make lovely cut flowers.

Even though these are my favourites, I still love some of the newer hybrids in oranges, peaches, corals, and reds.  These self-reliant plants are designed for the lazy gardener.

There should be a song: Black-eyed girl, because Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ are singing in gardens, urns and in the wild at this time of year.

Black-eyed Susans come in many varieties and sizes, but ‘Goldstrum grow about 24-30 inches tall (60-75 cm) in zones 3-9.

These native, long-blooming flowers are a wow factor in the garden right now, and will often bloom well into the fall.  They are easy to grow in just about any soil, and spread easily and quickly in the garden – take that as a blessing or as a warning.

Use them to attract butterflies, as a cut flower or accent, in sun or part shade.