This was my first try and I'm happy with the number of plants. I'm in zone 7 and direct sowed mine in the early winter (after the larkspur was sown in late October) when the ground was wet. I have lots and lots of seedlings that are about 8 inches high, but no blooms yet. I sowed 'Prairie Splendor' seeds that I collected and 'Ruby Star' seeds that I bought and also collected. I have just started 'White Swan' directly in the garden since we're having a lot of rain. They have already germinated and I hope they'll be a good size before our first frosts in October so that they can be established before winter. I have to watch the rabbits and just tonight, I sprayed all of the young seedlings with "I Must Garden Rabbit Repellent" since these coneflowers aren't behind any fences. Cameron

I would definately start them now, you'll get good growth now and then come springtime they will have the established root systems needed to really explode into growth and flower. I usually start them in a flat of soil or in pots in a spot that doesn't get more than a couple hours of sun. You can move them to a sunnier spot later. The biggest problems will be drying out and bugs such as slugs. A cover of either light cloth or plastic will help keep in the moisture, just be careful of the plastic getting too hot in the sun. Don't over it all the way of your not sure. Transplant them into the ground as soon as they're a decent size, a good mulch after the first freeze will protect them from frost heaving up out of the ground over winter.... Dry leaves, evergreen branches.... I just got an email from one of the seed catalogs reminding people what a good time summer is to start perennials.... Here's the quote, it's copied right out of the link I attached. "Many people donâÂÂt realize how much floral beauty can be had for just a few dollars. Growing perennials and biennials from seed a year in advance in early summer is inexpensive, remarkably easy and incredibly rewarding. ThereâÂÂs no need to fuss with grow lights and timers, repotting or hardening off. Simply sow the seeds into moist growing mix and set the flats or pots outdoors in a sunny protected area. Or easier yet, simply sow the seeds directly into a little nursery bed right in the garden. Water and weed them as needed over the summer. By fall, the seedlings will be large enough to either stay in a nursery bed until spring, or be transplanted directly into their ultimate home" Here is a link that might be useful: Summer seed starting

Hi Bev, I've done zillions of Echinaceas - or so it seems. :O) If you purchase seeds you will get what is on the packet, but if you get a trade from a cross pollinating garden, then you are taking your chances. I have done the Double Decker from a purchased seed packet and they did come true but took about three years to show-off the petal top. Last year I traded for a lot of Echs. Many were named and this year I will see what comes of them. Sometimes you get quite the surprise. A friend of mine got seeds of Echinacea Sunset and out of 20 seeds only 5 formed plants which were good and strong. Out of those five, two were stunning with peachy coloured petals and the other three had a purple hue in the colouring. A few of my trades from two years ago flowered last year and one had pastel lilac petals with subtle white streaks. It was a beauty and we will see if it returns as such in it's second year. I tried to get seeds from a Double Delight which I bought but there was no seed as the plant matured. Just dust. Might be what happened to you. Maybe the trader didn't know what the Ech seed should look like? I see another gardening adventure in the making if you decide to plant some of these beauties this coming year! :O)

I am having a horrible time growing echinacea from seed. I´ll spare all the details, but I did do the cold stratification in my fridge - I only got one seed of about 20 to germinate but was a short-lived success. It (barely) started to get small leaves and then just shriveled up and disappeared. Seriously, it suddenly got smaller and then just - poof! - it was gone, not even a trace of it remained. I had more seeds in the fridge, so I tried again. And again I got one to germinate and now it too seems to be going backwards and getting smaller. I fear that it is going to do a disappearing act as well. This is the strangest thing. Anyone have any advice for growing echinacea seeds indoors?