• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Diseases
    • Raised Bed Gardening
    • Seed Starting
    • Tools & Equipment
  • Plants
    • Plant Profiles
    • Vegetables
    • Fruit
    • Herbs
  • Recipes
    • Canning and Food Preservation
  • About
    • Plant a Row for the Hungry – Central Virginia
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

The Echinacea and Its Offspring

June 21, 2010 by Jeanne

It’s about 110 degrees in the shade (literally) today but still I keep finding more Echinacea babies. You’d think that with this intense heat the self-sown seedlings would shrivel up and die, but no – they’re going strong.   I’m not sure if it’s purple coneflower, yellow or the White Swan.  I found clusters of seedlings under the snowball bush, under the crepe myrtle, and daring the blazing sunlight. They’re in a garden bed that gets baking hot sun all day long, no water unless nature provides it, and lousy soil.

Then you have the Echinacea I tenderly nurtured from seeds under the grow lights in the basement. Ten weeks of pampering. Transplanted it in the morning, watered, mulched it, and planted it among the other perennials so it would have some shade. I practically sang this thing a lullaby. And what do I find today? Bare dirt.

Moral of the story: the more I neglect my plants and just follow the leader – the plants – taking my cue from what grows, the better my garden will be!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Turtles, Turtles Everywhere
Next Post: Perennial Combinations for Sunny Borders – Grow Gorgeous Flowers »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ~Gardener on Sherlock Street

    June 21, 2010 at

    Been there. Crazy isn’t it.
    I have a white echinacea in my garden. I try to ignore it.

Trackbacks

  1. Perennial Combinations: The Sunny Border | Home and Garden Joy says:
    August 12, 2014 at

    […] planted them outside and crossed my fingers.  Today, not only did they thrive, but their offspring are crowded under the shadows of the white snowball Viburnum near the […]

Footer

a single asparagus shoot in the home garden

How to Grow Asparagus in the Home Garden

Homegrown asparagus is a treat, and if you have enough room to grow it, adding an asparagus bed to the garden offers rewards for years to come. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable. Each year, it sends up new shoots from the crown. The young shoots are harvested while other shoots are left on the plant…

Read More

potatoes drying on a screen

How to Grow Potatoes in the Home Garden

Who doesn’t love potatoes? Fried, mashed, or baked, potatoes are a staple of most family dinners. If you’ve ever wanted to grow your own, our guide to growing potatoes in the home garden will help you master the art of growing the perfect spud. While potatoes have very specific soil requirements, if given what they…

Read More

three cats checking out their christmas stockings

Christmas Gifts for Gardeners They’ll Love

Are you looking for Christmas gifts for gardeners? This is your holiday gift guide to find the perfect present for that special gardener in your life! I have a lot of experience shopping for Christmas gifts for gardeners, that’s for sure. My dad was an avid gardener, and I delighted in buying him gifts from…

Read More

lettuce plants in the garden

Beginner-Friendly Easy to Grow Vegetables

Have you ever wanted to start a vegetable garden, but felt completely lost about what to grow? Here at Home Garden Joy, I specialize in making gardening fun and easy for beginners. Sometimes, the gardening information available is scary. It reads like a cross between chemistry class and a foreign language. Well, I’m here to…

Read More

  • About
  • Plant a Row for the Hungry
  • My Books on Amazon
  • Awards
  • Privacy Policy

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2026 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme