Greetings, gardener. From our perspective as plants, a successful life begins with understanding our fundamental needs. We are not demanding, but we thrive when our basic requirements for sun, soil, and space are met. Think of this as the foundation for the vibrant display we promise to provide.
First and foremost, we are sun-worshippers. To produce our best blooms and strongest stems, we require a location with full sun, meaning at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. While we can tolerate partial shade, insufficient light will make us leggy and our flowering will be significantly reduced. As for soil, we are remarkably adaptable. We prefer well-draining soil but can prosper in a range of conditions from clay to sandy loam. The key is to avoid waterlogged ground, as our roots are susceptible to rot in consistently soggy conditions. When planting, please give us room to grow. Space us about 12 to 18 inches apart. This ensures good air circulation, which helps prevent fungal diseases like powdery mildew, and gives each plant ample resources to develop a robust root system.
You can begin our journey in your garden in two primary ways: by sowing our seeds directly or by planting young seedlings (starts).
From Seed: This is a very natural method for us. You can sow our seeds directly into your garden in the fall, after the first frost. This allows the cold of winter to stratify us (break our seed dormancy), and we will germinate when conditions are right in the spring. Alternatively, you can sow us in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. Simply press the seeds lightly into the soil surface, as we need some light to germinate effectively. Keep the area moist until you see our seedlings emerge.
From Transplants: If you purchase us as young plants from a nursery, the best time to plant is after the danger of frost has passed in spring. Gently remove us from our containers and tease apart any circling roots. Dig a hole twice as wide as our root ball and place us inside, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Backfill the hole, firm the soil gently around our base, and water us thoroughly to help settle the soil and eliminate air pockets.
Once established, we are quite drought-tolerant, a trait inherited from our prairie ancestors. However, during our first growing season, consistent watering is crucial for helping our root systems develop deeply. Water us regularly, providing about an inch of water per week, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. After the first year, we will only need supplemental watering during prolonged periods of drought. We are not heavy feeders. In fact, overly rich soil or too much fertilizer can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers. A light application of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring is usually sufficient. We also enjoy the company of other sun-loving, well-draining soil companions. Consider planting us with ornamental grasses, Coneflowers (Echinacea), or Russian Sage (Perovskia). These companions share our cultural needs and create a beautiful, ecological planting scheme.
We are perennial in many climates, meaning we will return year after year from the same root system. To encourage a long and prolific flowering period from early summer to fall, a practice called deadheading is very helpful. This simply involves snipping off the spent flowers before they go to seed. From our perspective, this signals that we should produce more blooms to try again to set seed. If you leave the last blooms of the season on the plant, we will develop seed heads that provide food for birds and often self-sow, creating new plants for you the following year. In late fall or early spring, you can cut our old stems back to the ground to make way for fresh new growth.
