Good plant, mediocre results — what went wrong with my Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower is clearly a great plant — I can see that from other people's results. Mine has been decent but not spectacular, and I think I know why.

I underestimated the importance of scarifying or scratching the soil before sowing for seed contact in the early stages and paid for it. poor germination in compacted or clay soils also knocked the plant back at a critical point. It lives in a wildlife pond margin planting which is probably not quite right but it's the best I can do in my space. naturalistic aesthetic that suits modern ecological gardens is visible but muted. early spring bulbs and annual seedling germination gave me hope — there are glimpses of what it could be. Three stars for now with potential for four.