My Mac and Cheese made it, but I have yet to see a bloom on that one. I think TS did not make it. I doubt I will replace them either. I just don't have much luck with echinacea's, I guess they don't like me lol. Maybe, I'm thinking of just moving over my Tiki Torch (haven't seen a bloom on that one yet either), Mac and Cheese, and After Midnight, to give each more room anyways. I also hesitate to just replant because I don't really like the whole layout of the bed, and am thinking of redoing the entire thing lol! I think I get too much shade on that side of the house, and maybe I need to go with more shade lover plants.

Prairiegirl, I put in one 'Paprika' last fall that I got from a swap, and it is just now starting to bloom. There is a 'Walter Funke' a few feet away in the same bed, so I'll be able to make a good comparison this summer. If I like the 'Paprika' better, I'll just divide it in the fall, and replace the 'Walter Funke's. ... on the other hand, some of those 'Tomato Soup' Echinaceas would make a fine replacement for the 'Walter Funke's ; ) This is my second year for the Achillea 'Terracotta', and I am very pleased with the bloom color, and like the golden yellow color that it fades to. My only problem with them is that I placed them in a spot that gets too much wind, so they are leaning on some other plants a bit. I may try staking them to tidy them up. Someone on this forum suggested using a peony hoop, but mine are way too big for that. Sorry, Echinaceamaniac, for wandering off the topic. Bonnie

Yes, you can start them now from seed, anytime between now and about early Sept. I personally would say morning sun and afternoon shade to avoid the soil baking on hot days and drying out too much, but I'm not home on the weekdays to tend to them. Pots/trays/cell packs all would work. As far as coming true to seed, hard to say. Genetics is always a mystery to me. Many things come close to the parent, in my experience, not necessarily exactly the same but similar. Every once in a while, something is radically different in some way, but that has been the rare exception in my experience.

echinaceamaniac, my Mac and Cheese, and my Tiki Torch are growing better, but no bloomstalks yet either! I can only hope that next year they will be alive and do better. Another one that really impressed me this year is After Midnight. I planted that one late in the season and its already 2 ft tall almost and blooming up a storm.