Hats Off to the Sombrero Series

Add a fiesta of color to your garden with Echinacea, commonly known as Coneflower. This summer, we’re so excited about the new Sombrero Series of Coneflowers offering the trendiest, sizzling hot colors of 2012. Available in two varieties ~ Salsa Red and Hot Coral~ these beauties will set your garden ablaze with the deep, intense colors of a sunset on a hot summer day!

Coneflowers are long-blooming perennials that will offer up color from late spring all the way through summer. Remembering to dead head will prolong their flowering period. They require full sun and well-drained fertile soil. They are even a water-thrifty perennial that hold up even during the hottest summers. The brightly colored Sombreros are a single-flowered Echinacea that feature a well-branched and compact growing habit ~ growing about two feet tall and nearly as wide.

Coneflowers are easy to grow & maintain, and make a great addition to any landscape border. Their long sturdy stems rise above the compact foliage, making them an excellent choice for cut flowers. Their bold, dark green, coarse leaves contrast nicely with finely textured foliage of perennials such as the thread leaf Coreopsis, ornamental grasses, and Yarrow.

Wildlife is another reason to include Echinacea in your garden. First, they are deer resistant, and it is a challenge to find beautiful perennials that aren’t deer magnets! Second, butterflies are attracted to the flowers, which provide a rich source of nectar. And finally, the remaining cones on the plant add fall and winter interest to the garden and provide seeds for several species of birds, including goldfinches. With its long season of interest, easy maintenance, and benefits to wildlife, Echinacea definitely deserves top billing on your ‘must have’ list for this summer!