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crunchpa

Butterflies and blooms

crunchpa
9 years ago

Its great to get bird or butterfly photos on a plant that's blooming. It doesn't get easier than the 10 x 10 coneflower patch I grew from seed. The finches can't wait for their turn later in the season. My large patch of crocosmia did not survive winter. Should have dug them up and stored them. They were good for the 5 previous years.

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Comments (11)

  • dbarron
    9 years ago

    Excellent photos, they look quite similar to some I did with the same species.

    Last year was the (what did they say?) a 100 yr winter ? with record lows ?

  • mnwsgal
    9 years ago

    Thanks for sharing your photos. It has been fun watching the swallowtails flitting around the echinacea and spiraling up, up and up as they chase each other. See monarchs, red admirals, and painted ladies there also.

    Kids next door check my milkweed and flowers for caterpillars and release the butterflies back to the garden when they emerge.

    Lots of interesting dragonflies this year as well.

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago

    Beautiful on three counts: the flowers, the butterflies, and your photos. This is a great time of year for echinacea. Nice work and thanks for sharing!

  • nchomegarden
    9 years ago

    Stunning photos!
    How long ago were the echinacea seeds sown? Which variety?
    Thanks for sharing.

  • TexasRanger10
    9 years ago

    Wow! Great shots.

    I like the old fashioned normal echinacea the best by miles-- you can't beat that form or the orange/purple color combination. I haven't seen too many butterflies yet this season, I saw one black swallowtail the other day and I think I saw a Gulf fritillary from the upstairs window. Its been dismal so far.

  • crunchpa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Its the 'old fashioned normal echinacea'. In 3 years the 2 patches are solid to the point of no mulch, no weeds. Intially I scattered the seeds of a few echs I had. Then I just left the seed heads on all winter after that. I iron raked the area(the first year) in the fall before I scattered the seeds in November. The first year typically got me nice plants few flowers. Then it was off to the races. I have at least 250 sq ft between 2 patches. It cost me nothing. I divided my Hyperion daylilies and have a yellow and purple extravaganza. I tossed in some old fashioned red canna that multiply like rabbits.Those I have to dig every year. Weeds cant get going in this jungle of color. Its a mid summer ...long blooming...low maintenance tapestry. It shows up well in a border thats away from the house due to the size of the plants. You could see it a block away..

  • tepelus
    9 years ago

    I have Hyperion daylilies growing with my purple coneflowers, too.

    Karen

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    9 years ago

    Incredibly clear sharp photos crunchpa.

    I get an extra thrill these days seeing butterflies and bees on flowers as it is so much rarer to see them :(.

    There is little doubt that our use of pesticides have contributed in large part to their pending demise.

  • TexasRanger10
    9 years ago

    crunchpa, I'd like to see a shot of the whole area if you could. 250 sq feet must be a sight.

  • crunchpa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That is so true about the butterflies in this area. The coneflower were loaded with bees, though seeing honey bees is rare. When I visit family in the Carolinas and Virginia though, it is not the case. Lots of butterflies. More swallowtails than anything. I read clear cutting forest in Central America has had a big effect. I will get a photo of the coneflower beds. One is 15 x 10 as I was looking at it today. The other is probably 6 x 30. There are a few Russian Sage in there also,another plant that easily is multiplied. There is enough seed from Karens echs to fill that bed. Once they get some size you can move them around for better spacing. If you cut the seed heads off before they dry out, you are able to keep your area of echs in check. They are shallow rooted and easy to manage anyway though. A friend of mine is building a house with a very long driveway. We are going to do some epic coneflower patches I think. I have the seed to do it. Its something to do with large spaces that doesnt need to be permanent , Easy to go back to square one. Initially there is some weeding to do before the echs get large enough. 3 year process.

  • bouquet_kansas
    9 years ago

    Gorgeous blooms and photos of them!!!!