The first instant I saw the coneflower, I thought it was one in a million, with its giant 5-inch-plus golden blooms that at first reminded me of a gloriosa daisy. I am talking about the new Color Coded 'One in a Melon' coneflower, making its debut next year. Last week I told you about the new Double Coded or double coneflowers Butter Pecan and Raspberry Beret, but at The Garden Guy’s house, a wild kingdom is playing out on the Color Coded One in a Melon plants.
I was only able to rustle up one plant in early spring for my trials. It was like having a juicy sirloin strip and only getting one bite (oh, I wanted more), as I could tell this coneflower had the possibility of being one for the ages. It is a thoroughbred in all aspects. It is tall, reaching 24 to 26 inches with a 20-inch spread. The flowers are huge, with many exceeding 5 inches. The summer was one of heat index misery, but they persisted, just like the flaming Color Coded 'Orange You Awesome' variety.
Later on, I was able to come up with about a half-dozen more plants to temper my plant lusting. One in a Melon is special in its color progression. It starts off golden orange and matures to the melon or a vibrant butter yellow. While we often use the term "fade," reflecting that a flower lost some pizzazz, in the case of One in a Melon, its mature color is just as beautiful and complements the new emerging blossoms.
