'Green Jewel' Coneflower & 'Cherry Brandy' BES

I bought two new perennials today for my whiskey barrels.  The two older barrels on the other end of the deck have two different varieties of  coneflower. I love to have perennials in my barrels. It is a saving of work and money. Coneflowers don't grow for me in the ground,  but they seem to love to grow in the barrels. I thought it would be nice to have 4 different coneflowers as the main perennials--a different variety  in each barrel. 

So when I saw this gorgeous mahogany-colored flower In Home Depot today, I grabbed it, knowing it would be perfect with Tropicanna--and it is:

 It was not until I got home and removed the tag, that I realized it is not a coneflower!  It's a black-eyed Susan called 'Cherry Brandy'. 

Coneflowers and BES are related, so I don't feel too badly that I was fooled. :)  I still think it's a knockout color with those striped Tropicanna leaves.  I think that the nasturtium that I planted here should be a similar color when it blooms. This may be my favorite color combo for 2012.  There is no way that I can dig in the barrels to plant this right now, so I just stuck the container inside and will do the permanent planting this fall.

The second perennial that I bought today was the coneflower 'Green Jewel'.  I have been admiring that green color for the past few years, so when I saw it for sale, I did not hesitate to get it.  Too often I have waited for a better price, etc. and then my chance was gone. 

'Green Jewel'  does not really WOW me with the same Tropicanna I have planted in barrel #2 this year,

but I do like the complementary color scheme  in this container with Tropicanna 'Gold' and the yellow calla lilies.

 I like the green-tinged flowers with the Trop 'Gold' yellow veined leaves.

as well as with the white-splotched calla leaves:

So next year I just need to replicate this container in the half whiskey barrel.

No problem as long as I remember which container the Trop 'Gold' is in. So I took this pic to help me and I will save it in my "Remember Next Year" category. 

Note to self: Transplant everything from the big blue container in 2013 to the whiskey barrel with  coneflower 'Green Jewel'.

I hope you are all having a great 4th of July.  It is too hot here to do much.  I spent from 7 to 8 am outside and it was so humid that I came inside and decided not to attend any holiday festivities. 

 When DH got home about noon, we went to Home Depot to see if they had any stone pavers because earlier this week, I decided I need another path in the area where the yellow line is: 

These Lake Superior stone/cement pavers are heavy and by the time we loaded 16 of them in the truck bed, we were both dripping wet. 

I am hoping it cools off  early this evening so we can unload them and I can begin working on it tomorrow morning.  I promised DH that last year's path was the last one. Of course, this man who can't remember anything he says, remembered that pledge.

 I acknowledged saying it, but who knew then that the black-eyed Susans I hoped would fill the entire end of this garden,  would decide not to grow all big lush as they do in all the other gardens where I don't want them?

 Adding a path will open the planting possibilities--I can plant short items next to the path and I can get to the middle of the area to weed.   Every time I have added a path, the garden has improved.  The path I added last year, was this one:

It is by far, my best area this year!  So I am excited to get to work on the next path, which I really hope is the last one.  It takes a ton of hard labor to make these paths!