Milkweed & Fireflies - ONCE UPON A CONEFLOWER

Fleeting Visitors Up Close

An excellent time to observe the more elusive visitors to a garden is early morning. It’s mid-July, and I’m up well before 7:00 this morning. A humid 75-degree haze fogs the windows and runs in rivulets down the panes. Our street is quiet. Only the regular runners and the occasional commuter are out and about.

I drain the last of my coffee and fit the Nikon D-800 with a macro lens. Stepping outside, the clear notes of our resident song sparrow pierce the air. I step into the front garden populated with dwarf conifers, barberry, roses, and lush fountains of maiden grass dripping with dew. I don’t have long to wait for the action to begin.

Pollinator Portraits

Eastern Black Swallowtail on Magnus Echinacea

One of my greatest garden joys on warm sunny days is watching and photographing the pollinators as they frolic, mate and scavenge in the garden. Many are battling steep population declines nationwide, yet the most familiar still manage to make a showing every July and August – for now.

A Guide to Coneflowers (Echinacea)

*An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sips from echinacea Glowing Dream* *in my garden*

Most people have heard of one of America’s best-loved native plants, if not by its common name coneflower, then by its genus and herbal remedy name, echinacea. Coneflowers are members of the Asteraceae genus, of which there are ten species along with daisies, sunflowers and asters. The name “echinacea” is derived from the Greek for sea urchin, which refers to their spiny, conical centers.

In this article, I explore echinacea’s considerable contribution to the perennial garden, followed by a plant summary and profile chart. As perhaps the most prolific and ubiquitous perennial in my garden, I’ve named this website after it as well. Can you tell I’m a fan?