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Page 82 Exit Zero
August 27, 2004 August 27, 2004 Exit Zero
Page 83
THE THEME of last week’s
column was coneflowers,
Echinacea. I’d like
to continue with that theme this
week and include two additional
varieties of Echinacea and then
move on to Rudbeckia, also
know as coneflowers to some.
Echinacea ’Mango’ and
Echinacea ‘Orange’ are two
new perennials that prefer full sun
and average soil conditions. Like
traditional Echinacea, they are
hardy, drought tolerant and thrive
in Cape May weather conditions.
Both grow 2-3’ tall and wide and
are perfect compliments to Echinacea
‘Purple’ and ‘White
Swan’. Both have slender petals
around a brown eye. Bloom time
is June to September.
‘Mango’ is the most fragrant
coneflower and is the color of a
ripe mango. It makes a fabulous
cut flower and is a great addition
to any garden border. ‘Orange’ has
slender orange petals. It also has
a brown eye. Both are butterfly
magnets and goldfinches love the
late summer and fall seeds.
Depending on the area you
live, Rudbeckia is called either
Black-eyed Susan or Yellow
Coneflower. This is one reason
it is best to know the botanical
THE GARDENING COLUMN
CONEFLOWERS REVISITED~ BY HOLLY HOCK
Have a shady spot in your garden?
Plant some Rudbeckia “Irish Eyes.”
names, as the common names
change with different geographic
regions.
The most popular Rudbeckia
is ‘Goldstrum’. It was the 1999
Perennial of the Year, is easy to
grow and has large flowers of golden
yellow petals with black-brown
centers, cones. It blooms heavily
from mid-summer through early
fall. It grows to 30” tall and 2’
wide. I planted several small containers,
quart size, this spring and
now have huge masses of flowers.
They prefer full sun, but will tolerate
afternoon shade.
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish
Eyes’ is the native of the family
and can be found growing wild in
prairie meadows. It
has golden, aster-like
petals with a dark eye.
Full sun or part shade
does the trick for this
vigorous grower.
‘Rachel’s Eyes’
is the compact form
of ‘Goldstrum’ and
is ideal for smaller
gardens. Its 2”
blooms appear in
late June and remain
until the first heavy
frost.
‘Triloba’ is my
favorite Rudbeckia.
It grows to 3’ tall
and 2’ wide and makes a perfect
back of the bed plant among taller
grasses. It is native to our northern
neighbor, Canada, and it
prefers part shade in warmer climates.
It has hairy toothed leaves.
The lower leaves have three or
more lobes (triloba) and add nice
texture to the garden. The smaller
blooms are bright yellow with
dark centers.
The newest addition to the
family is ‘Autumn Sun’. It has
huge blooms to 5” of bright yellow
with yellowish-green centers. The
petals droop and give the plant a
different look then its cousins and
other daisies. It grows to 6’ tall
and produces flowers from August
through October.
All members of the Rudbeckia
family are popular with butterflies.
They have a good source of
nectar and the size and shape of
the blooms provide ample room
for landing. All are salt spray and
drought tolerant and are not fussy
about soil conditions.
Now is a good time to plan
your fall planting. Plant shrubs,
trees and perennials and Mums.
Cape Island Gardens will be getting
theirs September 2, along
with ornamental cabbage and kale
and cool weather annuals.
Refinancing? Going after your dream
place? Thinking about a second home?
You need to join the Ivy League.
Jim Walls
Loan Officer
Call me to discuss your
needs: (609) 972-9171
Get It Done
Right.
www.capemayelectric.com
NJ Lic. #8614
New Office Located at Washington
Commons Mall, Near the Acme
Or E-mail me: Jwalls@IvyLeagueMortgage.com
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