Perfect purple prairie daisies

Bring the American plains to your garden, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

WE have one wonderful stand of pink Echinacea in the garden and each spring I nurse it back to life with all the care of a mother with a sickly child.

Its cheerful pink petals and golden-brown centre have made it a star of the border and every year I hope it will return to glory.

My fears that it might not are rooted in the fact that Echinaceas originate from the prairies of America, where winters are freezing and snowy. Our winters tend towards the mild and damp, creating perfect conditions to rot the crowns of more delicate perennials.

Luckily we garden on chalky and free-draining soil, so plants are less likely to rot, and so far our echinacea has come back every year – but just in case, I’m going to be sowing this week’s free seeds so I have lots more plants to add to our plot!

Echinacea ‘Large Flowered’ are hardy perennials with tall, sturdy stems and daisy-like flowers with purple petals and dense central cones – hence their nickname ‘coneflower’.