Started Purple Coneflower at the wrong time — lessons learned

I planted Purple Coneflower at entirely the wrong point in the growing calendar and spent the first few months wondering what I'd done wrong. poor germination in compacted or clay soils didn't help matters. Once I understood sowing directly into poor soil as rich soil encourages weeds things improved substantially.

naturalistic aesthetic that suits modern ecological gardens is what makes this plant worth persisting with. In a naturalistic border at the edge of a garden it finally looks as good as I'd imagined. early spring bulbs and annual seedling germination redeemed the whole effort. If you're starting out: do your timing research before you plant.