Enchanting Echinacea

I think I'm safe in saying that the Echinacea is a staple in most perennial gardens in the northeast, where I live.  Commonly known as the purple cone flower, it is easy to grow and plays well with friends.  I have quite a few in my back garden, planted with day lilies in various colors and rudbeckia.  They have intermingled very happily and are so thick that nary a weed can penetrate the bed.  I also have some in a light cream.   I never knew that they came in other colors until I went to the nursery today and was totally smitten by these new varieties, new to me anyway.

I didn't know where I was going to put them because my garden is pretty full, but I remembered that I had planted a yellow knockout rose last summer.  It was a huge disappointment.  While the buds were a pretty yellow, the open flowers were a wishy-washy white and for some reason it was very straggly looking this year.  So out it went making room for my three new plants. I also had to transplant some blue salvia, more about that later.

Isn't this amazing?  This one is named Evening Glow Coneflower and it does seem to glow.  I like the fact that the flowers on the plant are all a slightly different color from each other.

This beauty is Orange Passion Coneflower and while I'm not a huge fan of orange, this one spoke to me.

Double Scoop Raspberry Cone Flower.  How's that for a name?  It is a luscious deep raspberry rose red with a big fluffy center and a double row of short petals.

Here they are in their new home surrounded my blue salvia, which is just coming into bloom.  It will soon look like the ones around my mailbox in the front of the house where they get more sun. See the next photo. The new coneflowers will be twice as tall next year and twice as wide and should really make a statement.

Here are the blue salvia around the mailbox.  Aren't they lovely?

I just had to show you this, the first Stargazer lily of the season to open.  There are many more in full fat bud. I just love them for their stately presence and their heavenly aroma.

I spent all morning in the garden, planting (I did a lot more than the cornflowers), fertilizing and spraying for deer and bunnies (I'm at war).  Now to get back to my studio.  My new quilt is calling.