If you love butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds then grow Echinacea flowers. This daisy-like wildflower is actually a herb that has a pinkish-purple flower. Commonly called coneflowers this plant is easy to grow from seed in a sunny garden with well-drained soil.
I grow echinacea in my herb garden and in my wildflower garden. If you have a large area then growing this flower in masses is wonderful especially if you grow with white Shasta Daisies and yellow Black-eyed Susan flowers. Echinacea is also will grow to the height of 3 feet and it is best to grow it in the back with other flowers and grasses in front of it.
Here is a photograph of Echinacea being grown with black-eyed Susan’s and ornamental grasses.
How to Grow
Plant your seeds indoors 6 weeks prior to last spring's frost. I find the best way to plant the seed is in starter kits. You can shop for grow kits at Walmart.com in the garden center or make your own. A Small container with good drainage is needed to hold the potting soil or peat pellet. Then use a pencil with an eraser to press the seed into the center of the soil. Do not plant too deep, a half-inch is fine. Cover the seed with soil and water.
Grow the seeds next to a sunny window or under an artificial grow light. Check the soil daily to make sure it is evenly moist but not wet. Never let the soil dry out as it is hard on the seedlings. Germination should occur in 7-10 days.
Transplanting Outdoors
When the seedling's stems are 6 inches in height with leaves and the threat of spring frost has passed you would transplant Echinacea to an outdoor garden.
Plant in a garden that has full sun and well-drained soil. Space the plants 18 inches apart to prevent overcrowding.
Maintain your echinacea by watering daily with a dripline soaker hose in the morning.
The flowers will bloom in the summer and continue to bloom throughout the warm months in the fall. I recommend feeding them monthly with Miracle-Gro Liquafeed bloom booster flower food.
Remove spent blooms to encourage new flower buds.
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