Hi Jim and all,

Congratulations! I really like coneflowers (as do seed eating birds). I have better luck with rudbeckia, but I grow both now and then. Starting them in mid-summer or very early autumn is a great way to give them a head start. Almost all will bloom next summer after their first winter. I don't have any in my current garden, but started quite a few from seed from Burpee Seed Company.

When it's really hot, I start them indoors. When it's cooler in autumn, I just start them outside in pots, but either way, your instincts are good--an early start will do nothing but help. Obviously just keep an eye on moisture since the seedlings will be small and delicate.

Let us know when and how you try them, and how they work out for you.

Take care,
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Just one of several types of coneflower seed from Burpee