I like to provide chairs for birds

The echinacea purpurea (aka purple coneflowers) have started to bloom here in Kansas.  They will continue to do so through August.   Purple coneflowers are low maintenance.   You can deadhead them if you want to, but you don't have to AND they are  extremely drought tolerant. 

I have a little blue salvia mixed in with the coneflowers.  Technically it's an annual but seems to have forgotten that and has re-emerged like clockwork for the last 5 years.   I see no reason to inform it that it is not following the rules. 

Butterflies like coneflowers.  So do birds.  Yellow finches like to sit on them when they need a break from flying.  I like to provide chairs for birds. 

Comments

[Amy at love made my home]

Your garden is so full of flowers Carol! Chairs for birds and butterflies and bees I expect! xx

[jacki long]

Glorious! a beautiful series! Perfect!

[Dawn]

I have them in my front yard garden and an Orange one in the back (it is amazing!!) one of my favorite summer flowers for all of the reasons you stated as well as I like the color purple. I think I need white cone flowers now!!
~Dawn

[Judy H.]

Sigh. I covet your coneflowers. I have a green thumb, but it turns brown for this native, low maintenance plant. I have killed off several varieties, and the one I've got now is being eaten by rabbits even though it's fenced with chicken wire. :(
On the upside, my Victoria Blue salvia attracts a tiny hot pink butterfly. :)

[Vicki in Michigan]

When people refrain from deadheading, goldfinches like coneflower seeds.

And coneflowers are extremely photogenic at all stages, from early bud to "in the dead of winter, with all seeds removed"........

:-)

[Maureen]

Coneflowers. On the shopping list. TY!

[Joan]

Love all the flowers! Chairs for birds and butterflies, Nice! Do you have hummer feeders in the garden? Mine are going full time...have to keep replenishing the sugar water now that many of the nestlings have fledged.

[Loretta]

Here in lower New York, they'v barely budded. Can't wait!

[Suki]

Chairs for birds, what a creative way of looking at our sturdy garden flowers. Love it!