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Try Easy-To-Grow Echinacea in Your Garden
 (ARA)
- For some people, Echinacea is merely a dietary supplement that
is purported to prevent a cold. But if you like to garden, you'll
want to discover colorful Echinacea - also known as Coneflowers.
Native to the Central and Eastern
United States, Echinacea are a daisy-like flower that have an
extra long blooming period throughout spring, summer and into
fall. Most people think of Echinacea as purple, like the Magnus
Purple variety that was chosen as the Perennial Plant of the
Year in 1998. But thanks to the recent popularity of Echinacea,
growers are developing a range of colors, from white and yellow
to orange and bright pink.
Echinacea are very versatile
-- they are drought tolerant and can handle late summer heat.
They look great in beds or borders, rock gardens and containers,
preferring full sun but able to tolerate some shade. They grow
tall and straight, making great cut flowers to bring indoors.
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Some varieties have pendulous
or weeping petals; some are more horizontal, but they all have
a large seed cone that hints at the origin of the name. Echinacea
comes from the Greek echinos, meaning hedgehog. The seeds attract
finches, and butterflies gather to sip the nectar.
Monrovia, a leading grower of
plants, suggests some colorful, easy-to-grow varieties to try
in your garden: The Orange Meadowbrite Coneflower was the first
truly orange colored variety and has a sweet orange tea fragrance.
In the same family is the Mango Meadowbrite Coneflower, with
a mango yellow color and sweet fragrance. |
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Most Echinacea can reach two- to
four-feet tall, so for those with smaller gardens or container
plantings, Pixie Meadowbrite Coneflower is an ideal choice. Pixie
is a true dwarf Echinacea reaching 18 to 20 inches tall and 20
inches wide. This adorable mini coneflower yields a profusion
of pink blooms. Kim's Knee High Coneflower is another dwarf variety,
with dainty purple-pink pendulous flowers and dense foliage.
Ancient history has shown that
fragrant plants were used to heal the mind, body and emotions
so it seems appropriate to say that aromatherapy begins in the
garden, and, outside of the garden, when summer's blooms have
long gone, one may remember the heavenly scents of spring and
summer by utilizing essential oils, which are the heart, soul
and spirit of the plant, the true essence. These can be applied
to the body for skin care, for therapeutic use with massage,
or, can just scent your home with an oil diffuser. Just another
way to remember the scents of the garden! |
