Experienced grower's notes on Purple Coneflower

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Purple Coneflower remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is sowing directly into poor soil as rich soil encourages weeds. Everything else follows from that.

rabbits and slugs targeting young seedlings is the challenge that trips up most beginners and some experienced growers too. I've been growing mine in a wildlife pond margin planting for three seasons now and the results are consistently good. self-seeding and naturalising without annual replanting is what makes it worth coming back to year after year. peak flowering from early to midsummer is when I show it off — it earns its place fully then.