OMG, I totally envy you! The cheapest I can find in my area is about $16 bucks!!! You will absolutely love the Tomato Soup. I have two of them and what I love about them the most is that the cones come out lime green! They stay that way for several days until they darken up and the contrast of the red (which doesn't come out as a tomato soup red, by the way) and the lime green is just beautiful. I'll see if I can snap a pic of mine tomorrow. The red coloring is much prettier than on the tag, just deeper--Oh, I can't describe it! OK, I think I've turned into a fanatic. These new varieties of echinacea are sending me over the edge.

Just a few thoughts: In an ideal world, plants should be tested thoroughly before being put on the market just like any other product, but there are so many variables with plants: region, heat tolerance, cold tolerance, different soil conditions, etc. New cultivars are typically produced by individuals and small nursery operations, not large corporations with lots of resources. So, to get your plants into QA so to speak, you have to rely on other nurserymen and universities around the country to test your plants for several years. That takes a huge effort and coordination with people outside the sphere of your control. If the margin of profit is small, the producer probably has to weigh whether it's worth it. Also, there are probably others working on the same type of hybridization, so there's pressure to get your cultivars to market before someone else does. I don't assume that every new cultivar will or should do well in my garden even if its touted to. That's why I come to sites like this to compare notes and I appreciate when others do share their experiences with the new cultivars. It gives me a clue (not a guarantee) whether a specific plant would also work for me. So, while I think alot of the info in this thread is valuable stuff, I really can't blame the failure of these plants for different individuals on conspiracy or greed. I just file it under: "Nice to know....maybe I'll wait and see how others are doing with these plants before I go out and purchase a slew of them."

It's Saturday and the sun is finially shineing which hasn't happened for about a week with all our rain. I decided to go to two local nurseries in my town just to see and because I felt like going out. First stop was this nursery out on the highway that I have watched to see when it might open for 3 years. I kid you not. It used to be a boarding stable and has a large property. I don't see how anyone could carry the taxes without opening for such a length of time but its finially open. They must not want anyone to notice as there is just a very small sign by the gate that said open 9-5 which is new. The grounds and buildings are stunning but there is a small amount of plants for sale. Not even a third of the place looked used to me. I bought a black eyed susan vine and just looked around. Went to another local nursery that I have been too many times before but they didn't have anything I needed so I am back home. Guess I will go outside and plant stuff I bought yesterday.

Here is how it went in my garden. I started planting perrenials and butterfly attracting plants and vines to redo my garden starting in 2001. Then added lots of shrubs. By the time I got the rose crazies I was running out of usable garden space. But my yard is multilevel and I had all these places gardens never worked because of the steep slopes. So in 2007 I started with the hardscape and had project after project done these past three years. During that time I concentated on roses, then daylilies and lilies. Because of the construction and needing to move things, plants that I used to have growing here died out. I was so busy planting daylilies many times I just did not replace them. This year I am on a strong campain to bring back those plants only many times in an improved version. Also started growing things again that were annual but not here for the past few years that I used to grow. All this to make it even more cottage garden and have an endless series of bloom. It is all coming along pretty good. In case anyone is worried that I am getting rid of my daylilies, its never going to happen. But like the roses with the rose beds, they daylily beds are full. If I want new roses, I have to move stuff around or get rid of something. That is were it is now at with the daylilies. I don't know why but if a rose displeases me, I have no problems kicking it out in favor of something better. But I just hang on to all my daylilies. I have sent away some that just couldn't cut it but its time to evaluate and stop enlarging beds.