Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Coneflowers (Echinacea) shouldn’t be called purple coneflowers anymore, as there are many new cultivars (cultivated varieties) with various flower colors and shapes. This genus of perennials, native to the central and eastern U.S., has been one of the most popular in recent years. Many of the new hybrids are the result of crosses of several species including purple (purpurea), yellow (paradoxa), and Tennessee (tennesseensis) coneflowers.

Like the purple traditional coneflower, all are quite hardy to USDA zone 4 (-20 to -30 degrees F), and many to even colder sites. They are also fairly maintenance free, with few pests and diseases, and are generally deer resistant. Under ideal conditions in some areas coneflowers may seed around the garden, producing new unknown hybrids.

Coneflowers, once established, are drought tolerant. They do prefer well-drained soil, and full sun for best bloom. Flowers in mid summer are very attractive to butterflies, the seedheads in fall are attractive to migrating birds. Many also are fragrant.

Unlike the purple traditional coneflower, many of these new hybrids have flower petals that are held horizontal, not drooping down (reflexed). Often their stems are erect and strong, so don’t need staking as do some older cultivars and species. Most are similar in height, about three feet tall more or less, while the lower ones are about half that height.

White was one of the first changes in coneflowers some years ago, with cultivars such as ‘White Swan’ and ‘White Star’, the former being more popular and still readily found. Then came ‘Kim’s Mop Head’, a shorter selection just 12 to 15 inches tall. It was selected by nurseryman Pierre Bennerup in Connecticut, and named for Kim Hawkes of Niche Gardens in North Carolina who introduced the short purple ‘Kim’s Knee High’ (of which ‘Kim’s Mop Head’ is a sport). A recent white introduction with large flowers is ‘Fragrant Angel’. ‘Primadonna White’ is a recent introduction, with larger flowers than ‘White Swan’ that last longer as well.

Several new purple to pinkish coneflowers have been introduced including the ‘Kim’s Knee High’ just mentioned; ‘Bright Star’ with large, rose-pink drooping petals; ‘Indiaca’ with single pink drooping petals the first year and some “double deckers” or “mopheads” the second, on low plants; ‘Double Decker’ (‘Doppelganger’) with smaller petals arising out of the top of the central cone; ‘Magnus’ with large, less dropping rose-pink flowers; the older ‘Rubinstern’ with carmine-red less drooping large flowers; the recent ‘Little Giant’ with large, rose pink flowers on dwarf plants; and the recent ‘Primadonna Rose’ with double flowers.

‘Razzmatazz’ from Europe, forming rose-pink pom pom flowers, has been around a few years now. Similar and new, from Holland, is ‘Pink Double Delight’. ‘Fatal Attraction’ is from the famous Dutch nurseryman and designer Piet Oudolf, and has intense pink flowers on black stems. New from England is ‘Elton Knight’ with large purple flowers and strong bushy habit.

One of the first of the new flower colors was introduced from the Chicago Botanic Gardens. It has dark orange flowers as its name Orange Meadowbrite (sometimes seen as ‘Art’s Pride’) indicates. ‘Mango Meadowbrite’, with orange-mustard color flowers, was then released by the same breeder, Dr. Jim Alt. The third introduction from this program was ‘Pixie Meadowbrite’ with flat, pinkish flowers that rebloom on dwarf plants.

‘Paranoia’ has light yellow petals that droop down from a dark central cone. Being sterile, they don’t produce seeds for birds or to seed around the garden. It was introduced by North Carolina nurseryman Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery, although the seeds originally came from crosses by Richard Saul of Itsaul Plants in Georgia.

This latter nurseryman is responsible for many of the new colors of coneflowers, and some of the most popular, often seen as the Big Sky series. Sundown (‘Evan Saul’) is bright orange with many flowers, Sunrise is only about two feet tall with buttery yellow flowers, Sunset has bright orange flowers with a lavender cast as they age, ‘Twilight’ is rose with a red cone, Harvest Moon (‘Matthew Saul’) has peach-orange flowers and an orange central cone, and Summer Sky (‘Katie Saul’) is one of the newer introductions with dark stems topped with peach flowers cherry red towards the center.

If these aren’t enough, consider those such as ‘Prairie Frost’ and ‘Sparkler’ with variegated leaves and purple flowers.

Look at your local complete garden center or perennial nursery for some of these new introductions, or shop online or through mail order catalogs. Some can be grown from seeds, but as many are patented hybrid cultivars you’ll need to buy them as plants. Consider planting some of these in prime garden locations where they can be most enjoyed. They are striking in masses, especially as a mix of various colors. They combine well with upright ornamental grasses such as switchgrass and feather reed grass, with the “other” coneflowers or Black-eyed Susans, with Russian sage, and with many other perennials and shrubs.

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Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Each year the Perennial Plant Association, the professional organization of growers and designers, names a plant of the year. This is either a new plant, or one they feel deserves wider use, and grows well in most areas of the country. For 2008, the perennial geranium Rozanne has been voted as the Perennial Plant of the Year. This hardy perennial has a long and attractive bloom period, and is very low maintenance.

Rozanne geranium is perennial, so is quite different from the annual geraniums most are familiar with. It has many iridescent blue flowers, with pink tones and white centers, in midsummer and repeating until fall in cool climates. Flowers are about two and a half inches wide, and have five petals.

The flowers are on top of low, bushy plants that reach about 18 inches high, and about the same or more wide, in a couple of years. This plant is great from its flowering, low maintenance requiring little care, and no serious pests or diseases. This plant seldom needs dividing. If it is spreading more than desired, shear back the side branches. Cutting back to about three inches high after bloom will promote a tighter habit and bushier plant, and perhaps even more rebloom. You can cut back the stems after leaves have died back in late fall, or wait and cut back in early spring.

Leaves have a generally circular outline with five lobes. They are about one to two inches wide, slightly dark-marbled, and turn a reddish brown in the fall.

This perennial geranium really needs full sun to bloom best. Grow it in a moist, well-drained soil. It will tolerate some drought once established, but grows larger in moist soils. Plenty of organic matter in soils, such as from compost or peat moss, will help it thrive.

Although often found listed to USDA hardiness zone 5, it has proven quite hardy for me over several years in USDA zone 4 (average annual minimum temperature of –20 to –30 degrees F). If it is in a cold pocket with little snow cover, you may wish to add a couple inches of mulch or compost around plants in the fall.

Rozanne is named for one of the owners of the garden in which it was found in 1989 in England, Rozanne Waterer. It is a natural hybrid of the cultivar ‘Buxtons Variety’ (Geranium wallichianum) and the Himalayian geranium (Geranium himalayense). It was first introduced in England at the Chelsea flower show by Blooms of Bressingham in 2000, later making it to the U.S. It is similar to a few other cultivars such as Buxton’s Variety, but has better heat tolerance, larger flowers, and longer bloom.

Rozanne perennial geranium is nice in fronts of borders, used in masses as a groundcover, or in large rock gardens. Try it in front of roses, or filling in between daylilies, New England asters, blue stars, tall garden phlox, and other tall clumping perennials. I find a mass, interplanted with daffodils, quite effective. As the daffodil foliage dies back in early summer, it is hidden by the emerging stems of the perennial geranium.

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The popularity of organic food and gardening has certainly increased over the last few years. Not only does it give you a sense of well being but people love the beauty of wonderful colored flowers and the taste of vegetables they helped create. Organic gardening tips on how to successfully start and care for an organic garden are becoming easier to find as this type of gardening continues to become more popular. Along with being relaxing, it is a very interesting hobby. Anyone can organically produce wonderful fruits, herbs and vegetables and know that they are healthy to eat and pesticide, herbicide and chemical free. There will always be garden pests but instead of using chemicals to deal with this problem, there are many organic gardening tips to get rid of them, similar to the way gardeners did many years ago before the use of pesticides and herbicides.

A good homemade pest deterrent to use in organic gardening is:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Following a few organic gardening tips, you will produce fruits, vegetables and herbs that are healthy, taste wonderful, are less expensive than buying produce at the grocery store and give you the peace of mind knowing exactly how they were grown and what was used on them. Aphids are annoying little insects that often cause a lot of damage in your garden. If you plant marigolds near your vegetable garden, the aphids will quit bothering your plants. If you already have an aphid problem, spray the infected plants with diluted soapy water and then spray them again with clear water. Organic gardening tips you should try are; instead of buying compost for your garden, which could contain chemicals, make your own while you cut down on garbage at the same time. Using your garden and kitchen waste is an excellent and very easy way to make your own compost. In your compost pile use peelings from carrots, potatoes and other vegetables, dead weeds, coffee grounds, egg shells and even the pruning from roses and other plants. The different textures help break down the compost quickly. Compost improves the soil texture, structure and aeration while enriching the soil, which stimulates root development. When choosing plants for your organic garden, make sure you choose ones that are well adapted for your area.

Here are a couple of great organic gardening tips that not only help keep your garden free of weeds but also keep the soil from drying out too quickly. Grass clippings and pine needles mixed or old newspapers make very good mulch, which keeps your garden weed free and the soil moist. Organic gardening tips help you grow healthy organic fruits and vegetable that you, your family and friends will love.

Most important of all, is to enjoy your organic garden and the fruits of your labor. Not only will you have the satisfaction of growing vegetables and herbs organically but you it will also inspire you in your culinary tasks.

Here’s to a great organic garden and fabulous, healthy meals.

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

About the Author: Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at Container Gardening and Gardening Outside
and Herb Gardening

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