Reflections of a Signature Flower

 I like to use mirrors in my garden. They just seem to double my enjoyment of beautiful blooms. Last year I placed one in the kitchen garden behind the perennials that I grow there. I plant perennials and annual flowers near my vegetables to encourage pollinators.

The mirror hanging on the picket fence reflects purple cone flowers, Echinacea purpurea

Mirrors in the garden, like those inside your home, make the space seem bigger.

As well as purple cone flowers and delphiniums, the mirror reflects the raised vegetable beds.

I attached another mirror to the ugly, pasture fence to reflect a bushel basket filled with pots of phlox. The reason the phlox plants were in pots, and not in the ground, was because I was plant-sitting them for a friend -- the bed they were to inhabit not being ready.

I am always looking for some way to hide that ugly fence. It is a necessary evil, needed to fence-in the horse and goat. Someone once suggested I disguise the fence with a pretty vine. She obviously doesn't know that goats eat anything and everything! I make sure the phlox are not reachable by little nibblers.

The pasture-fence mirror provides a focal point at the end of a grassy path.

Phlox are beautiful, but not my favorite, being prone to powdery mildew. I confess, however, I have a special love for Echinacea purpurea purple cone flowers. I am choosing them as my second signature plant -- my first was English bluebell. In my endeavors to create a wildlife garden, I find the purple cone flower has an amazing ability to attract birds, butterflies and bees. Furthermore, they have a long season of interest. Loved by butterflies in the summer; in the fall their seeds are prized by American goldfinches.

Reflection of the seeds of the purple cone flowers in autumn.

American swallowtail butterflies on purple cone flowers.

Fritillary butterflies on purple cone flowers.

Monarch butterfly on a purple cone flower

I planted purple cone flowers liberally throughout my cottage gardens.

They make great cutting flowers, too ...

A vase of purple cone flowers adds color to my shady deck.

Today, I am linking to Diana at Elephant's Eye with my February pick for my signature flower. Also, I am making a very belated link to Donna at Garden Walk Garden Talk, who wrote a great post, and inspired other wonderful postings, with last month's Word for Wednesday, 'Reflection'. Please visit Diana's and Donna's blogs -- you will be glad you did!

I would also like to thank three great blogger friends for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award.

They are Bumble Lush, Donna at Garden's Eye View, and Julia of Polka Dot Galoshes. While I am not following the award rules, I am truly honored to have been nominated, and thank them sincerely. I recommend that everyone reading this posting go over to their must-visit blogs.

Garden bloggers are the best!

Wishing you a love-filled Valentine's Day next Tuesday,

Pamela x

Autumn reflections in the pond.

~~ I love reading your comments. I hope you leave one so I’ll know you visited!

I look forward to visiting your blog in return.