My Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard….

Who talks about Echinceas in bloom in September?  I do…

I love it when new plants find a home in my garden right near the front door or along the walkway to my car.  This way, I get to see them every day, no matter how busy I am because I walk right past them.

Milkshake, a new selection from Arie Blom of AB-Cultivars in the Netherlands and part of our ever popular Conefections series, just happens to be planted in one of these special spots.

I admire Arie’s breeding because as all of the other, popular coneflowers come and go throughout the summer in my garden, all of Arie’s selections continue to look great and re-bloom well into late summer and fall.  If you deadhead them, they will re-bloom.  Most of the new coneflowers on the market do not re-bloom.  Most come into bloom in late June and bloom well into July and possibly the beginning of August.  Coconut Lime, Pink Double Delight and Avalanche bloom all summer if you dead head them.  You don’t see this trait promoted in coneflowers.  Perhaps Arie’s breeding brilliance exaggerates this trait?  In any case, it’s pretty cool to have coneflowers in bloom on September 2!

Milkshake is different.  It does not re-bloom.  It blooms over a long period of time, taking time for each fully double bloom to open.  The unique thing about Milkshake is how long the fully open blooms last.  Most purple and nearly all white coneflower blooms turn brown soon after they mature. Not Milkshake – it has been in full bloom since mid July and almost all of the blooms are as creamy white as they were when they first opened.  It’s a very wonderful trait.  A trait I have not seen in any other white coneflower selection – except Milkshake!

Read more about Milkshake here. I know you’ll love it.  It makes me want to rip up a section of my garden to plant white blooming plants.  White blooming plants that don’t turn icky brown, that is.

Here’s to cooler weather, a little rain and coneflowers that bloom in September!

Happy Weeding,

Angela Treadwell Palmer
President, Plants Nouveau