TODAY'S FLOWERS - Echinacea, Coneflower, Sonnenhüte

Flowers from around the world can be viewed here:
http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/



Echinacea is a genus of nine species of herbaceous plants in the family Asteraceae commonly called Coneflower. All are strictly native to eastern and central North America. The plants have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. Some species are used in herbal medicines.

Die Sonnenhüte (Echinacea), auch Scheinsonnenhüte oder Igelköpfe genannt, sind eine Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Korbblütler (Asteraceae). Der botanische Gattungsname Echinacea ist vom lateinischen Wort echinus für Igel abgeleitet, siehe auch Seeigel (Echinoidea), und bezieht sich auf die gattungstypischen, die Röhrenblüten überragenden, auffälligen, stachelspitzigen Spreublätter. Alle Arten haben ihre Heimat nur im östlichen und zentralen Nordamerika.

Visiting beautiful Manitoulin Island, Ontario

With rain in the forecast we are leaving Manitoulin Island to drive back to Toronto.

Just in case :-)

The day before we ordered fresh and smoked Lake Trout from by Purvis Fisheries from the Purvey's Brothers !!

The Mississagi Lighthouse is located at the western tip of Manitoulin, some 12 km. from the village of Meldrum Bay. Built over 115 years ago, the lighthouse guards the treacherous Mississagi Straits. Now serving as a museum and restaurant, this working lighthouse gives glimpses into the marine history of Lake Huron. The building is furnished as it was for the lighthouse keeper and his family of one hundred years ago.

Picture bottom left shows Mennonite women in very lovely cotton dresses.

hello from Manitoulin Island...

Wikwemikong remains the only unceded Indian Reserve in Canada

Please visit: http://www.circletrail.com/

The Great Spirit Circle Trail encompasses eight First Nation communities on Manitoulin Island and the Sagamok region in Northeastern Ontario, Canada.

Beautiful Manitoulin Island is a unique scenic region, where Native life and legend meld with European history
to provide an unforgettable holiday experience.
The island town of Manitowaning was the first European settlement.

Gone fishing..

TODAY"S FLOWERS - sunflower and bees - Sonnenblumen und Bienen

Flowers from around the world can be viewed here:

http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

No flowers no bees ... No bees no flowers...

Annabelle hydrangea in full bloom - Annabelle Hortensie blüht

Annabelle ...
One of the most beautiful cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens.
Vigorous growth with enormous, pure white, hortensia type blooms up to 12 inches across.

Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle
Die Ball-Hortensie Annabelle ist eine sehr beliebte Hortensien-Sorte.
Nicht nur wegen der bis zu 25 cm großen halbkugeligen, weißen Blüten,
sondern auch wegen der großen, frischgrünen und frühaustreibenden Belaubung.
Der schnellwachsende Strauch bildet viele Grundtriebe aus bleibt aber dennoch kompakt.
Wächst bis 1,5 Meter hoch und breit.

Invincibelle Spirit ..mophead Hydrangea arborescens..

Now available in Toronto.

The first pink flowered mophead Hydrangea arborescens!
From Proven Winners:
Invincibelle Spirit is as hardy and adaptable as 'Annabelle' but produces loads of hot pink flowers from early summer to frost.
It's a reliable bloomer in the north and is also heat tolerant.
Features:Rich pink flowers bloom from early summer to frost.
Very hardy.
Reliable bloomer.
Reblooms without deadheading.•
Cut Flower •
Deadheading Not Necessary •
Heat Tolerant •
Landscape Plant •
Native to the Americas •


Picture and information from Proven Winners website.
I have ordered Invincibelle Spirit from Gardenimport.com

Monarda - Bee Balm

Monarda - Bee Balm, Horsemint, Oswega Tea or Bergamot



Monarda is a genus consisting of roughly 16 species of erect, herbaceous annual or perennial plants in the Lamiaceae, indigenous to North America. Ranging in height from 1 to 3 feet (0.2 to 0.9 m), the plants have an equal spread, with slender and long-tapering (lanceolate) leaves; the leaves are opposite on stem, smooth to nearly hairy, lightly serrated margins, and range from 3 to 6 inches (7 to 14 cm) long. In all species, the leaves, when crushed, exude a spicy, highly fragrant oil.

Of the species listed, M. didyma (Oswego Tea) contains the highest concentration of this oil.

The genus was named for Nicolás Monardes

who wrote a book in 1574 describing plants found in the New World.

Several Bee Balm species (Monarda fistulosa and Monarda didyma) have a long history of use as a medicinal plants by many Native Americans including the Blackfoot, Menominee, Ojibwa, Winnebago and others. The Blackfoot Indians recognized the strong antiseptic action of these plants, and used poultices of the plant for skin infections and minor wounds. A tea made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Bee Balm is the natural source of the antiseptic Thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas. The Winnebago used a tea made from Bee Balm as a general stimulant. Bee Balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to treat excessive flatulence.

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Monarda ist eine Pflanzengattung in der Unterfamilie der Nepetoideae innerhalb der Familie der Lippenblütler (Lamiaceae).
Die Heimat ist Nordamerika.

Der spanische Arzt Nicolas Monardes (1493-1578) hat im Jahr 1569
die heilende Wirkung einiger "Neuer Welt Pflanzen" beschrieben, darunter auch diese Gattung.
Monarda-Arten wachsen als einjährige bis ausdauernde krautige Pflanzen.
Oft enthalten sie ätherische Öle und duften aromatisch.
Die meist gegenständigen Laubblätter sind gestielt.
Die einfache Blattspreite ist gezähnt. Nebenblätter fehlen.

picture by guild-rez 7/2009
source - text wikipedia

Sempervivum...New in the garden...neu im Garten...

Pyrenacium Hen & Chicks
Sempervivum 'Pyrenacium'
Mat-forming succulent with large central burgundy coloured rosette
surrounded bt small green rosettes which turn red with age.
Great in containers, rock gardens or as a groundcover.
Requires full sun , blooms in the summer,
height and width 11x20cm/ 4" x 8"
Hardiness USDA Zone 3
Hardiness - 40 Celsius to -40 F.

No Name Sempervivum - ohne Namen ??

Who can help to identify the plant?

Wer kann die Pflanze identifizieren??

Ladybug, Veronica spicata - new in the garden..

Ladybug on wildflower.

Veronica spicata - speedwell "Royal Candles".


Veronica spicata - speedwell "Red Fox" ( Roter Fuchs)
Flower spikes are more pink than red.

Ähriger Ehrenpreis (Veronica spicata) –
in vielen Übersichten auch als Ähriger Blauweiderich, Pseudolysimachion spicatum (L.) Opiz, geführt.
Die Spezies ist nach der Bundesartenschutzverordnung „besonders geschützt“
und wird beispielsweise in der Roten Liste Deutschlands als "gefährdet" eingestuft.
Sie wird auch gerne als Zierpflanze in verschiedenen Sorten kultiviert.