Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Winter anti-depression treatment #4

I know you needed this! You need color! You are sick of the white of the snow and you are not looking forward to the meltdown of March and the April's rains, so this is the reason I give you a July plant combination from 2013!
The booms are: Purple Coneflower or Echinacea purpurea (zone 3-8), Blue Balloon flower or Platycodon grandiflorus "Sentimental Blue" (zone 3-8) and Hosta "Friends"

I originally planted this bed with Echinacea "Twilight" ( a cross of E. paradoxacrossed with E. purpurea), which was supposed to be close to a red color.  Over the years, the original plants disappeared and the seedlings that appeared look very much like the Echinacea purpurea I have in other beds. It might be that this hybrid was not stable and reverted to one of the stronger genes of the mix. I don't mind is so much since butterflies, hummingbirds and golden finches like it as much as in red.



The butterflies were so fearless this summer. My husband placed his hand under this bloom that had the butterfly on and the butterfly didn't care. Oh no! It wasn't dead! Just comfortable around us!

Close-up on the Balloon Flower - Platycodon grandiflorus"Sentimental Blue" (zone 3-8) .  These young un-opened blooms show why it deserves its common name. It multiplied so well for me and it is a long bloomer.
For more blue colored plants you can visit my older post link:  Blue in our garden

Hosta "Friends" (zone 3-8) emerges chartreuse and brightens to yellow.  The rippled leaves have a slight twist at the end. Lavender flowers with white throats top the clump in July. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Please leave some comments so that I know you were here.  For more Winter Anti-depression treatments, click the label with this name at the end of the post, and a list with all the other posts in this category will appear.  You may also like Monday Favorite Flower Combinations as well.

5 comments:

  1. Hosta "Friends"...what a perfect name for any plant growing in your garden, Daniela...you are the hostess with the mostess for all the growing things (including winged creatures) you have made so welcome and comfortable in your garden. Love all your combinations.
    I planted one of the coral toned echinaceas last spring and I am curious to see if it comes back true to the color I bought. The hybridizers sure know how to tempt us and get us to open our checkbooks, don't they?

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    1. Thanks Michaele! I really recommend this little host! It is chartreuse so it pops against the regular green foliage and it multiplies so so fast. I started with one clump just 3-4 years ago and I kept dividing it every 2 years and now have 7-8 large plants

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    2. Sounds like a total winner...good to know! And, I will be able to remember the name.

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  2. I think that's a tiger swallowtail butterfly, not a monarch. The monarchs are orange and black. They diminished greatly in numbers last season. They are the ones that migrate to mexico. I love the tiger swallowtails, too. They are especially prolific early in the season on my dianthus, but do stay around. They hibernate in the winter. Your balloon flower is gorgeous.

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  3. Thanks for the correction! I need to self educate my self on the butterflies. I know nothing about them other than what flowers they like!

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