Echinaceas bloom in late summer. They have pronounced rounded centres (known as cones), horizontal drooping petals and are loved by bees and butterflies. There are many varieties and the plant is often used to help alleviate skin rashes and to boost the immune system.
All photos by Toni Abram.

Echinaceas can be grown from seed and should flower in their first year if planted by March but I have always purchased well grown plants from a garden centre or online.
They can be planted in pots or garden borders but once planted you should try not to disturb them – if you do have to move or divide them, spring is the best time and you must dig as large a root ball as you can manage around the plant and replant it immediately.

A perennial plant, echinaceas die back over the winter months but will re-grow the following summer, spreading and self sowing each year.
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