how do you keep purple coneflowers from being so messy?

20 years ago

a few years ago, i got my first purple coneflowers...i loved them and was so excited. i told my friend (a more experienced gardener). her response was: "on purpose?!"

several years later, the 5 plants have become dozens and they pop up everywhere...even several feet away from the row (loosely defined as a row...really, more of a large and growing larger section of the garden).

so, how do you keep your purple coneflowers neat? do you dig them out and throw/give them away? do you replant them closer to the original "row"? how often do you have to dig them to split them (if ever)? and, do you have anything planted in with them? i alternated some plantings of gladiolus but they've never been much more than weedy looking as they struggle amongst the robust coneflower foliage.

i have such trouble throwing away nice plants and i still do love purple coneflowers. because of that, my side garden, which used to be a mixed cottage garden is pretty much...my coneflower garden.

anyone in the western side of pgh area want some nice plants? :) i'd be happy to dig some out and give them to a good home.

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Comments (7)

gillian_
20 years ago
What I do with baby coneflowers, phlox and other perennials that pop up where I don't want them is transplant them to my "give away" bed. I have a 4X8 bed that is strickly for that purpose. Plants that I am not using or have too much of I put there to give away to friends/co-workers or save for a swap. I try to keep a record of what I put in there...emphasis on the word try!

~Gillian
witsend22
20 years ago
give away bed sounds like a good idea
now where can I put another bed
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Lisa_Michelle
20 years ago
I moved bunches of Rudbeckia this year, but then started pulling them out like weeds as I had nowhere left to move them. The deer ate them last year, so I didn't move them to the back of my property like I'd planned. I do have purple coneflowers that look scraggly right now, and I fully expect a bunch of new seedlings next year. I may try moving them to the back of the yard and use Liquid Fence, which seemed to really deter the deer this year. They seemed to find tastier perennials elsewhere.
Going back to the original topic, I'm sure that I will regret having planted the coneflowers in the first place, as I forsee the same fate as fusty overalls.
Annie_nj
20 years ago
Deadheading will eliminate a lot of extra plants. I get rid of the unwanted extras on the forum exchange pages (under "free"), friends, garage sale, or through my county freecycle program.

I like my purple coneflowers, as they are not fussy plants, and the gold finches love the seeds.
fusty_overalls
Original Author
20 years ago
i love my purple coneflowers, too. the goldfinches invade my yard in the fall and some sort of small black and orange butterflies live on them all summer. it's interesting to see how different people solve the same problem. some of you sound very organized. :)
User
20 years ago
The goldfinches and butterflies more than make up for the mess!! I pot up and give away what I can't use somewhere else and do just throw some away. ( ouch!)
linlily
20 years ago
After pulling out hundreds of tiny seedlings this spring that came up in spite of the mulch, I promised myself that I would be more careful about dead heading. I too enjoy the yellow finches but all those tiny leaves that need to be pulled up and cleaned out in the spring are such a pain. I think dead heading is the key to control.

Linda