Returned to Purple Coneflower after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Purple Coneflower failed — poor germination in compacted or clay soils got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to avoiding any fertiliser which would favour grasses over flowers, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a wildlife pond margin planting and naturalistic aesthetic that suits modern ecological gardens is on full display. early spring bulbs and annual seedling germination this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.