Coneflower season....

I have mixed feelings about coneflower time!  I love them but they are warning me that the end of summer is approaching!  Although I enjoy fall, I will miss the seemingly endless varieties of my favorite spring/summer perennial friends as they take their turns visiting! 

These coneflowers have been in my garden beds for at least 15 years and have been a joy with their strong stems and showy flowers that handle rain and winds so well!  Of course, their original spot has long disappeared but I have split them and relocated them several times!   I like to think some of them are living exciting lives in other gardens as I have contributed many pots to our garden club plant sale!

I fell in like with this lantern at a garage sale once upon a time!