These varieties of Echinacea and Eryngium alpinum will thrive in the garden. Dig a wide enough hole and thoroughly loosen the soil. Improve poor garden soil by adding some compost and granulated cow manure. You will need around 9 plants per m2. Plant the root balls at the right depth - the top of the root ball should end up just under soil level. Fill the hole and press the plant firmly in. Water immediately. These Echinacea and Eryngium alpinum will thrive in a sunny spot in loose, nutritious soil.

Echinacea species and Eryngium alpinum in your garden

Large daisy-like blooms on Echinacea are always eye-catchers in a border but Eryngium alpinum flowers are equally as lovely. This colourful mix can be displayed in so many different ways. Echinacea varieties and Eryngium alpinum look most impressive planted in large groups.
 
Growing your Echinacea varieties and Eryngium alpinum in grassy borders
If you have a reasonably large sized garden, you must know how trendy it is to have a prairie grass border specifically filled with large groups of perennials mixed with lovely grasses blowing in the wind. Looks as natural as it does on the North American prairies. These plants often make great cut flowers too so a grassy border is a kind of cut flower garden. Echinacea varieties and Eryngium alpinum are suitable for this kind of border. Be inspired and turn your garden into a prairie grass garden.

These perennials are easily grown and require little or no maintenance. Make sure that you keep the surrounding soil around the roots nice and moist but also not too wet as this won't be tolerated (especially in the winter). These plants die back above ground in the winter, but until then the overblown flowers on their stems ensure a nice silhouette. Cover the plants with a layer of leaf litter in winter. Cut back all remaining foliage in the spring and new shoots will soon appear.

Coneflower originated in North America and is related to the aster. These double flowers have a thick centre surrounded by a double ring of petals. The flowers can all reach to about 10 cm across. Echinacea flowers attract lots of butterflies and bees. Coneflower makes a terrific cut flower so there should always be Echinacea hybrids in any cut flower patch.
Exceptionally pretty Alpine Sea Holly (Eryngium alpinum) is classified under Apiaceae and is a very striking hazy blue. Alpine Sea Holly originated in the Alps - a typical alpine meadow plant. The flowers are blue-grey bracts and petals. Eryngium alpinum also attracts bees and butterflies and this perennial is great in beds, borders and boxes. Also a great hit in prairie gardens and grassy borders.