Page 20 - Town & Around - August 2023

20 Town & Around August 2023 Tel: 01485 540620 email: editor@townandaround.net
Wendy Warner’s plant of the month

Echinaceas and Rudbeckias
his month two different genera of plants will look stunning in the
garden and although unrelated they both have the same common
Tname of ‘Coneflower’ due to the structure of their flowers with
petals radiating outwards and downwards from a dark, raised central
cone. The first is Echinaceas (pictured far right) with their vibrant
flowers in an array of colours from white, through green, yellow, orange
and red to pinks and purples and secondly Rudbeckias (right)with their
similar daisy-like flowers in numerous shades of yellow and orange.
Echinaceas are generally hardy perennials and equally suit either a
traditional cottage garden, prairie planting or a more modern,
contemporary style of planting and can be grown in borders or in pots.
They flower from July through to October and work well in coastal
garden as they have good wind and weather resistance, especially the
more compact varieties, are perfect for a wildlife garden as they attract
bees and butterflies and can be used as a cut flower too. Choose a sunny
position with moist, but well-drained, fertile soil for best results or use mix of colours with plants flowering the year after sowing.
a mix of John Innes No.3 and multi-purpose compost with additional Rudbeckias enjoy all the same conditions as Echinaceas but fall into
slow-release feed for growing in pots. two categories. Firstly, hardy perennials such as ‘Goldsturm’ with golden
Deadhead faded flowers to encourage more blooms to be produced yellow petals and dark brown centre growing to approximately 60cm,
and in late Autumn cut back faded flower stems and then mulch around ‘Little Goldstar’ which is slightly more compact and the ‘Summerina’
the plants with well-rotted manure to enrich the soil. Although larger series reaching up to 1m which produce numerous large flowers often
plants can be divided in Spring or Autumn, it is probably best to do this darker towards the base around a brown central cone in shades of yellow,
in Spring to avoid freshly rooted plants rotting off if there is a wet winter orange and coppery browns. Many have imaginative names such as
before their roots have fully established. ‘Butterscotch Biscuit’ with buttery yellow, darker butterscotch orange
The ‘Sunseeker’ series of Echinacea have been bred for their dense, petals towards the base around a brown central cone, ‘Pumpernickel’
compact habit, mass of flowers and come in a huge range of colours. with dark brown central cone and petals that are rusty orange in warmer
Generally, 60cm in height and 40cm in diameter, some varieties move weather and turn rich brown as temperatures cool and ‘Pecan Pie’ with
away from the traditional dark cone centre. Echinacea Sunseekers yellow petals progressing to deep brown at the centre. Others can be
‘White Perfection’ has a green centre with white petals, ‘Mellow’ has grown from seed and although marketed as Half Hardy Perennials are
golden yellow petals with a yellowy green centre and ‘Tequila Sunrise’ best treated as Half Hardy Annuals, although you may find that these
has two-tone golden-yellow flowers with heavily flushed orange-red self-seed to produce further seedlings the following year.
centres. Traditional Echinacea purpurea with its pink flowers will grow If you need an injection of colour in your late summer display, you
up to 1.5m tall. Echinacea ‘Dreamcoat’ can be grown from seed and is can’t go wrong with choosing Echinaceas or Rudbeckias.