Echinacea 'Art's Pride

I've been wanting to post this since last week but major computer failure prevented me from doing so. My first and most favorite echinacea to bloom has once again opened it's lovely orange cones. Orange Meadowbrite Coneflower Echinacea 'Art's Pride' is not your typical "Garden Center" plant as it is tall, lanky and sometimes floppy, but I tell people that you can spot the color from across the garden it is so bright. It is a must have for Echinacea lovers. 


The following is a description from the Missouri Botanical Garden website "Echinacea Orange Meadowbrite grows to 2-3’ tall on rigid stems. It features fragrant, daisy-like coneflowers (to 5” diameter) with orange to coppery-orange rays and large, pin cushion-like, dark brown central cones. Flowers bloom from June to August with some sporadic later bloom." Art’s Pride’ is a coneflower that has no purple on it. It is noted for having distinctive orange ray flowers, a sweet orange-spiced tea fragrance and semi-glossy dark green leaves. ‘Art’s Pride’ is a product of a breeding program conducted at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Parents for this variety were Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’ (female) and Echinacea paradoxa (male). It typically grows to 2-3’ tall on rigid stems. It features fragrant, daisy-like coneflowers (to 5” diameter) with orange to coppery-orange rays and large, pin cushion-like, dark brown central cones. Flowers bloom from June to August with some sporadic later bloom."

The first photo is an early stage bloom with the in the later stages, but they hold there color better than some of the newer varieties on the market

Variety is the "Spice of Life"

So we were having a party for my daughter Molly's birthday, and on this wonderful 93 degree 80% humidity May 29th my niece asked me if I could get her some 'Stella D'Oro' daylilies. I said yes of course, but "why do you want those" I asked, "those are the kind you see in every shopping center parking lot or every industrial complex, and other than the fact that they bloom for a long time the flower isn't that spectacular". Upon hearing that they bloom a long time she said, "that's the one for me". Now I'm sure I'm paraphrasing to some extent but all this made me think, what's more important in a yard or garden consistency or variety? I learned a long time ago as a salesman that my personal likes and dislikes do not mean that everyone should feel the same, but I'm definitely a "variety" kind of guy. Especially when it comes to daylilies. There are so many amazing colors, types, sizes and shapes it's a variety kind of guy's favorite flower. I could go on for quite some time on this so I think I will make this a continuing discussion. I did realize that I really don't have enough daylily photos, but here are a few good ones I took.

This last photo is one I took a few years ago at Hornbaker Gardens in Princeton, Illinois. Every year they have both an iris and a daylily season in which you can see the plants blooming in the field and purchase them. You may have to wait a little bit before picking them up since that may not be the most beneficial time to dig them, but what fun to see them all blooming. Hornbaker Gardens will be having an open House this next weekend, June 10, 11 and 12. It's about a 2 hour drive from Chicago, but well worth making a day of it. It's just past the Ottawa area which is also a pretty cool spot to visit. Click on the links for web information.

Hosta 'Fire Island'

As we were preparing our 2011 perennial introduction presentation, Guus Boon, our mail order salesman in Holland noticed a particularly striking Hosta in our Holland nursery and brought it to our attention. Hosta 'Fire Island', has intense yellow leaves with red petioles which extend into the leaf. Breathtaking Hosta when fully mature. One of the best yellow, red stem Hostas out there, according to most Hosta sites. Height is 16 inches with a 28 inch spread. Lavender flowers on 21 inch scape's. Growers if your interested we do have some on our Portland availability, see www.devroomen.com. When something jumps out at a guy that practically lives in perennial fields, imagine how the every day gardener will feel. If any of you out their are familiar with this Hosta please comment on it.

New Perennial Introductions for Spring 2011

Tomorrow starts the series of new introduction meetings for DeVroomen. Always an exciting time for us because it's starts us onto a new season, with exciting new products and offerings. I can't show you the whole line of course, but here's a sneak peak at a new Dicentra spectabilis, it has dark green leaves with pink/reddish flowers on dark flower stalks. It's called Dicentra 'Valentine', it's a spectabilis so it can get up to 32" tall, I like it. Gardener's look for these at your favorite Garden Center, growers can email me for more information, richard@devroomen.com.

Wisteria 'Amethyst Falls'

I just had to show you my Wisteria, because it looks so cool and brings back wonderful memories of recent trips to Europe. Seeing all the beautiful Wisteria growing so freely in places like Holland and France, I had to put one in my yard. I purchased a plant in 2009 that was probably 2 to 3 feet tall from my friends (and great customer) Bill and Matt at Hawthorn Gardens. It not only survived the winter but bloomed magnificently and is trailing this fence to where I think it will be 5 or 6 feet across by next year. I would recommend this plant to anyone, but check to make sure the one you pick is hardy in your area.  The second and third photo were taken in Alsace, France. What a magnificent place to visit.

Sign up and Follow

If you enjoy this Blog (I'm starting to wish they had a better name for this), please sign on as a follower. Also, please, please, please comment on individual posts, I really would like to here what you have to say. If you don't like something tell me... that help's me learn. The older I get the more I find out what I don't know.
Thank's
Rich

Echinacea 'pica bella'

This particular echinacea has been getting a lot of positive press the last couple of years, with some well respected plant people singing its praises. Well I planted in the garden in summer 2008 from a one gallon, to see what all the hype was. 'Pica bella' has deep pink petals and the flowers are quilled, or rolled up, which gives the flowers a starlike look. Kevin McGowen, from Midwest Groundcovers, is a big fan and likes the contrast of the dark stems on this 30" tall variety. The photos here are a series of shots that really show how long this plant blooms, it started blooming in late June, early July and bloomed all the way to frost. Individual flowers lasted a long time. The top photo was taken July 19, 2009 the middle August 4th and the bottom August 23rd. I was thrilled with the size and length of bloom. Overwintering is not a problem in my zone 5 yard, in fact it is the stongest growing echinacea in the garden today, May 18th, it is appr. 12" tall already. Yes, that's a 'tiki torch' trying to compete behind it. I will let you know how that does this season, it's alive at least.

Check out Midwest Groundcovers' blog moderated by Kevin McGowen, at http://mgdisplaygardens.blogspot.com