Yes, Mac 'n Cheese and Tomato soup were a waste of my money! Died within months. Last year I had Raspberry something, I think maybe Truffle. IT was so pretty, one of those with the poof center. It went gang busters. This year it came up, looked great and then all but one tiny shoot died! So bummed. Same exact thing happened with my Tiki Torch, which had been huge and happy for years. At least my Hot Papaya is doing great.

The newest one I bought is Cheyenne something, maybe Spirit. It is a pretty irridecent yellowy/orange.

Cheyenne Spirit - I read that the Sombrero plants are selections from those. They should be good.

I planted Cheyenne Spirit. That would be great if I git one that color. They are all healthy, just no where ready to bloom yet.

Yep, I've had the same experience of many of you with the 'Designer' Echinaceas when they came out. I bought almost all of them and the only one that still hangs on is 'Twilight.' Please post if any of these actually manage to survive a winter in a moderate climate!

These did. This is the second year for all of them.

Been looking at Cheyenne Spirit. Would be interested to know how well they do for you, Arlene.

floota said:Yep, I've had the same experience of many of you with the 'Designer' Echinaceas when they came out. I bought almost all of them and the only one that still hangs on is 'Twilight.' Please post if any of these actually manage to survive a winter in a moderate climate!

The ones that died actually rotted. They need excellent drainage. I don't think a pot is good for the overwinter thing but a raised bed is great.

Got to get my hands on 'Salsa' and them others; but unfortunately I've not seen them here in my corner of the world. HD & Lowe's - NOT!

Forestfarms has them but they are not shipping to the east this time of year. Also if they were the shipping to my zipcode would be 36.50 for 4 plants (tubers) not gallon pots, just tubers.

I'll keep you posted on the Cheyenne Spirit. I bought seeds for another variety Clint mentions in cubits (brain fart here, can't remember the name), and the seeds were expensive, but they haven't blossomed yet and may not this year. I'll have to go check my database.,.

I misspoke, Cheyenne Spirit is the one Clint spoke of. The other one I got is Magic Box Mixed from Thompson & Morgan.

http://www.tmseeds.com/product...

I think I have some seed for the Cheyenne Spirit. I planted one packet in the fall and they grew to one inch and stopped, that was it, would not do anything else. then they fell over and died. I was going to wintersow the other packet but it never got cold enough here to winter sow. Too busy now for seeds!

Holy cow, and those seeds were EXPENSIVE! You can try again this fall though. I'll try and remember to take a picture this week, if I can find them for all the grass. DH did take the lawnmower down the row it was getting so bad and I just can't get to it so far.

If your DH is like my DH they probably got mowed down! My DH is mowing down shrubbery! ... I have to put bricks around everything. I need some Cast Iron or Wrought Iron fencing. LOL
Last week I could not find one of my blueberry bushes and then I looked under a stepping stone. He just tossed it aside and of course it landed on the baby shrub, that thing was flat as a pancake! He said, sorry but there was no tag. I looked again and the tag was flat as a pancake too! Gardener is not a good name for my DH.

He may have mowed some down but it wouldn't have been his fault this time because I swear, with the rain and hot weather we had, that grass grew so fast it's almost knee high! There are a couple of spots in some rows where I had new seedlings planted and I can't even find them! I don't know how it go so out of had. But my tomato rows, root rows and beans are nice and clean at least! Peppers were weeded but if I don't get to them soon they will be fighting the grass too.

Did the blueberry survive? I have one of those and DH is actually the one who put a big stick by it so he wouldn't mow it. I'm really not sure it's going to make it anyway.

Oh yeah, I did have to go to Lowe's tonight so I kinda wandered into the garden section but they didn't have any Sombrero echinacea, just Pow Wow's. Probably a good thing right now. I'll check around in the fall, better time to plant it here anyway.

I will try again in the fall. Yes, the blueberry bush died but I got a couple of others so I am fine for now.

Aw, too bad. Glad you have more. We are picking blueberries like crazy. I think my son has about 15 bushes. Loaded! Yummy!

Wow, you son must have a lot of room. I wish I did. Mine will be big soon enough, I should have a few this year, hopefully.

Yes, that's what we call "the farm," 7 acres. Me, I have a small residential lot. But we do have four blueberries here too. Just starting to ripen. Just enough to put on our cereal in the morning!