Echinacea is the tricky one. They establish roots slowly, but need to do so before supporting top growth and flowering. They are much better potted on and grown on in a greenhouse for a year. All flower buds should be removed in the first year, even in a greenhouse. By preventing them flowering (which expends a lot of energy) you get good rooted plants better able to cope out in the big wide world. E. White Swan seems a toughie, though, much stronger than many modern cultivars, but still, I would be removing flower buds for the first year, harsh as that sounds!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
@rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 yes, clay soil though I did dig out deep and wide holes and put in a good few handfuls of compost with each plant to mix with the existing clay.
@Fairygirl lesson learned I think! Fingers crossed they will thrive given time.
@Nollie thanks for the tips re:echinacea, I shall remember that.
Well you should be okay then. When you water, if the water seeps in quite quickly it's sign that there is enough drainage. If it sits on the top then perhaps it is indeed a bit too compacted still. Good things come to those who wait
Great news. I have an area that's clay and so troublesome, the whole darn thing needs digging out after the summer!
@Bijdezee - good idea! Popping in some instant blooms for a bit of brightness would help in the meantime. I just did the same thing with a bunch of blooming cosmos + Dahlias, whilst waiting for a set of wild flowers and poppies to arrive in full
I would be wary of putting too many annuals in, that might compete and crowd some of the perennials. Certainly steer clear of nasturtium, which will smother everything else! I really would be tempted to keep it simple and maybe just give it a mulch to give a tidy look.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Holy cow, a mulch doesn't half make everything look a million times better! Luckily i had a few bags of compost so i thought I'd make a start, so glad i did!
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@Fairygirl lesson learned I think! Fingers crossed they will thrive given time.
@Nollie thanks for the tips re:echinacea, I shall remember that.
It might need some support as it can flop. Have you considered putting out some annuals just to fill in until everything has filled out?
@Bijdezee I think I may well look at putting in some annuals now, back to do some research!
@Bijdezee - good idea! Popping in some instant blooms for a bit of brightness would help in the meantime. I just did the same thing with a bunch of blooming cosmos + Dahlias, whilst waiting for a set of wild flowers and poppies to arrive in full