To my eyes, coneflower leaves always looks scraggly. Mine are usually bug eaten by the time they bloom and there are always dying leaves at the base. I try to plant something to hide the bottoms.

That said, they're also in an area that doesn't get a lot of supplemental watering and maybe a wee bit less sun than they'd like. Maybe with more dedicated care they'd look better.

I was just reading in Tracy Disabato-Aust's new book that she cuts some of hers back mid season to delay bloom and have sturdier shorter plants. Maybe that would tidy them up.

Mine look good most of the time, but I do deadhead and remove withered leaves, and several of mine have had to be staked.

One of the big problems with echinacea, for me at least, is that they totally disappear in the winter. I've accidentally shovel pruned far too many of them. (I suppose little marker sticks would solve the problem.)
In terms of something to front your cutting garden, I don't think I could recommend them. What you may want to look for is a plant whose leaves are always attractive, and whose blooms are just a bonus. Maybe something whose leaves could be added to your bouquets?

Some look better than others. I cut them back after blooming to get a second show in the fall.

What about some taller sedums? You can cut the flowers in autumn, but the foliage is beautiful all summer.

For me echinacea foliage turns brown at the bottom as well and the deer eat them here. Heliopsis would be a better choice if not too tall. What about dictamus, aconitum, centranthus (maybe to seedy), or penstemon?
Flora

Thanks for all the input.

Ok, if deer eat them, they just won't make it. I was hoping deer avoided them. Deer just ate all my beet tops! They had left them alone all spring; I guess they were just waiting for a large enough portion!

Sometimes I cut VERY heavily (I sell bouquets to a grocery store at certain times). I'd love to find other perennials like baptista with attractive foliage with a long vase life. Monarda foliage lasts pretty well--I already have a few patches of that, but not right up front.

It disappearing in the winter isn't a problem here. EVERYTHING pretty much disappears under the snow. :D

I wonder how geum would be. I got one locally the other day, and although it is low, I might add some on the edges.

I have pretty heavy clay soil--I wasn't sure sedums would survive it. The drier edge is full of peonies. I'm going to look into heliopsis and the other suggestions. Thanks so much! I just tore out the last of the larkspur so I have room for more stuff. YAY! This year I had the larkspur right up front, and when I cut the flowers the poor plants looked completely hacked out of shape. People would pass by and say "Your garden is looking good." and I would just cringe inside because I know it doesn't look good--they are mostly just making polite conversation and are probably bewildered by us tilling up so much of our lawn. The houses here all have huge green laws. Anyways...time to hit the plant sales!