Coneflower

Species Identification: Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

The Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a stunning native wildflower easily recognized by its drooping purple petals and prominent central cone. This hardy perennial not only adds beautiful color to gardens but also serves as an important pollinator plant and has a rich history in traditional medicine.

Key Identifying Features:

• Purple-pink petals that droop downward
• Large, prominent central cone that’s orange-brown
• Rough, hairy stems and leaves
• Composite flower head typical of the daisy family

Habitat & Distribution:
Native to eastern North America, commonly found in prairies, fields, and open woodlands. Widespread across central and eastern United States, naturalized in many other regions.

Sources & References:

• Missouri Botanical Garden (Botanical Database): https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org
• USDA Plants Database (Government Database): https://plants.usda.gov
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (Research Institution): https://www.wildflower.org

Beginning of summer

Ok, it’s here. It was a little late, but it’s finally summer. When the temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius.

As the weather is hot, I took some photos of the garden, enjoy.

A vibrant green lizard peeking through lush garden leaves, showcasing the beauty of summer wildlife.

Vibrant yellow and red lilies in full bloom, adding color to the summer garden.

A colorful lizard camouflaged among vibrant green foliage in the summer garden.

A stunning close-up of a passionflower in bloom, showcasing its unique petals and vibrant colors against a lush green backdrop.

A bee collecting nectar from vibrant flowers in the garden during summer.

A vibrant purple flower blooming in the summer garden.

A butterfly resting on vibrant purple daisies in a sunlit garden, showcasing the beauty of summer blooms.

Vibrant purple flowers in full bloom, adding color to the summer garden.

A colorful lizard basking on a wooden surface in a summer garden.

A vibrant green lizard with a striking blue throat resting among branches in the garden.

Spring 2025, comeback after a long break from blogging not by choice

I went thought a health problem back in the end of 2023. I suffered a stroke, that was caused by me being diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which caused the blood to clot in my heart.
The stroke did cause temporary paralyses, and some long term loss of speech and numbness in my right arm. It makes life a bit difficult because I am right handed, but it is what it is.

Anyway, I just wanted to share some spring photos that I just took lately. Enjoy.

Liliom

Rhododendron

common poppy

Oenothera speciosa

Violet

Pansy

Rhododendron

Liliom

Tulip

Common Hyacinth

Common Hyacinth

Common Hyacinth

Common Hyacinth

Beautiful purple hyacinths blooming in spring

Colorful crocus flowers blooming in early spring.

After a long time, some spring flowers

after a long time posting a few spring flower images from our garden finally, our own flowers 🙂

 

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Spring 2017

Spring is a great season, when the plants get back to life. And flowers are blooming, birds are loud on the trees.  Here are a few images of crocus flowers

Back to posting, end of 2016

I enjoy taking pictures in the winter, but I’ve been lazy lately. When fog freezes on the trees, everything becomes white and beautiful around you. Now the road is another story, but I’ve learned to live with it. Enjoy

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Snails

Lovely models, they move real slow, and are patient.

Pictures with the built in filter in the Olympus e-pl5

And doing some Monochrome vs. color

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The garden

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The begining of Spring

Spring is around the corner.  While there are ocasional freezes in the evenings, the weather is getting warmer overall.  I finally had a chance to take some pictures in the garden, hope you enjoy it.

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Colors of Fall 2015

I haven’t posted for quite some time.. I need to commit more to this blog, but it’s getting harder and harder spare time.  I do take pictures, and process them, so here are some Fall pictures, that fit into the season… Hope you enjoy them.

Awaiting Lunch after the rain

Summer is coming to an end.  I’m happy that it’s not 36 degrees celsius, but the sharp drop in temperature to 16 degrees doesn’t feel too good either.  It’s rainy, with the sun showing up every few hours. I took the opportunity and took a few pictures in the garden. A spider awaiting lunch arrival, with rain drops in it’s web.

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Towards the end of Summer

Some pictures towards the end of Summer, it’s been really busy, but I hope you’ll enjoy the following images.

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European Balloon Championship 2015 Debrecen, Hungary

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Cactus Flowers

While cactus’s don’t bring too many flowers, and they don’t last too long, maybe 2 days, they are beautiful. I already posted last year about it looking like a cave here

Bees find it, and like them too 🙂

Hope you enjoy it too.

Little lizard feasting

A long overdue post should have been published on the heels of this post.  I knew there are little lizards in the garden the trick was finding them, as they are shy creatures.  I was lucky enough, and had the patience to wait it out.  It came out, and found an earth worm.  I got a short video of it posted in this blog post.

Anyhow, here are the images, enjoy

Patience pays off

For the first time I tried to make a video of a little lizard eating an earth worm. I sat down waiting for it to show up.  An to my luck it found a worm and started eating it right in front of me.  So I decided to make a short video.  Images will come soon

A hoopoe Bird returned this year

From last years post Bubos Banka, A.K.A hoopoe Bird  The bird returned again this year, though I think this is a smaller one.

And more Garden Flowers

It’s the season, can’t stop taking pictures of the flowers 🙂

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Garden flowers

Starting to run out of titles for those pictures. Enjoy

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Spring 2015 continues

If there is an advantage of being home sick, is that you have time to process images taken in the garden. One of my favorite times of the year, winter being second favorite when it snows, and it has it’s own feeling.  Hope you enjoy

Bees at work

While these images are from more than two weeks, I totally forgot to post them.  They were all edited online, and used my zoom 40-150mm lense, with a +2 Macro screw on lens.