The whole truth about my echinaceas
Perhaps I bragged on my “year round” echinaceas one time too many. Several readers with good memories have asked me recently whether my purple coneflowers really are blooming right now, in the middle of winter. Sheepishly, I must confess not.
However, a few of them are green…
…and one is budding. Hey, it’s trying!
Lee, another Austin blogger over at The Grackle, recently posted pics of his “uglies.” Likewise, in the spirit of honesty, especially after my recent post on color in which I showed you my best eye candy of yore, here is how most of my echinaceas currently look.
The horror! Crispy, gray leaves punctuated by leaning stalks with blackened seedheads. I don’t know if this is what Piet Oudolf had in mind when he talked about plants that look good as they’re dying.
Ignoring the big picture is the secret, perhaps. When you look closely, you can see some beauty here.
And interesting texture and pattern.
Just avert your eyes from the crispy foliage, please. And let’s give these guys a break. Even long-blooming echinaceas deserve a short winter holiday.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Oh, they’re not so bad. A. They’re not covered in ice. B. they’re not buried in snow. C. You know they’ll look better soon.
Or perhaps, like Monty Python’s dead parrot, they’re just pining for the fjords…;-)
Ya gotta love a comment with a Monty Python reference. Thanks, Jodi. 🙂 —Pam
Aw, Pam, surely we can tease you a little? But come on, you already have flower buds on some, for goodness sake! Here in PA, ours look like your “uglies.” But for us, that qualifies as good winter interest. It’s all relative, you know. (And Jodi, they’re not pining; they’ve passed on.)
Oh yes, I deserve some teasing about these “ever-blooming” coneflowers. 😉 They must have sensed the pressure this winter and choked. Poor things. —Pam
Would you say ten months out of the year the echinaceas are blooming? More, less? Still wonderful however many months they are open. While I like the Oudolf concept, in practice, real live color trumps attractive dead stuff every time.
Yes, 10 months would be accurate. That does make up for nasty, grey leaves for two months. —Pam
I agree with Jodi – although I’d say they’re “just resting.” (Also from the Dead Parrot sketch.) So, can I expect to see them in bloom for Spring Fling?
I expect so. I don’t like to say “definitely” regarding any plant in the garden because you just never know. But I’d be pretty surprised if they weren’t blooming in April. —Pam
Woooooooo That first photo is great. It makes me want to plant more Purple Cone Flowers.
The seed heads are great for the birds too.
That’s why I leave them up for so long. Free bird seed! —Pam
Yes, echinacea takes a brief holiday, but not for long if you already have some buds. We are happy to forgive your enthusiasm for these lovely flowers!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
I hope they’ll be blooming for you when you visit, Carol. —Pam
I planted my first echinacea last year and it now looks like your “dead variety.” We will be warming up soon (already 68°). Do I just cut the dead stuff off at the ground?
Yep, it’s that easy. I usually leave mine up until the average last freeze date so the birds can enjoy the seeds. If you want more echinaceas, it’s simple. Just take the dried seedhead and flick it with your thumb over a patch of dirt. Seeds will fall out, and many will germinate. Enjoy your cheerful coneflowers! —Pam
Don’t look at them as dead flowers, look at them like what they are..SEEDS, and thus the promise of spring. It’s about time for me to do my “ugly” pics of the garden too.
Oh, I do look at them that way…for a while. They’re still up, after all. I generally cut back in mid-February, though I may do it a little earlier this year because I need to get my fence painted before it gets hot. Bravo for posting “ugly” pics too. I think it’s good to show less-experienced gardeners that everyone’s garden has “uglies” sometimes, and that’s OK. —Pam
I was beginning to think you had echinacea blooms year round. I couldn’t believe how short my bloom time was this past year, it sure wasn’t very long at all. Hopefully, next year will be more normal, (whatever that is for Indiana), and the blooms will last longer.
I hope so too, Robin. They’re such cheerful flowers to have around. —Pam
Pam, I love the work of Piet Oudolf. It is consolation for me as a wait through February and March which offers little opportunity to work in the garden. BUT, if I had my way I would also have the growing, blooming, green garden all year around also.
Heirloom Gardener
I think it would be hard for most gardeners to resist a green garden all year round if it were possible—though with seasonal changes, of course. —Pam