I love those combinations! I'm not entirely sure about them blooming next year, but I'm sure you could plant the seeds............refering to the resident experts, however.
They do increase greatly but I think mass plantings of susans, daisies, coneflowers along with Russian Sage is beautiful! My favorite time of summer, actually. Mine went in the fall of last year and they are just about to bloom, but from what I've seen around town, they have a long bloom time. Good luck!

Your bouquets will be more intersting if you add some other shapes. What about something tall and spiky like liatris or a mullein. I grow a creamy white one that is very pretty and not too refined for the wilder flowers. Something lacy like ammi majus or orlaya is very pretty mixed with them too and a bit less allergenic then Queen Anne's lace but with much the same effect.

And eare some fabulous new echinachea hybrids, like Art's Pride orange meadowbrite, MAngo, Sunrise, sunset, Moon something, and among the pinks there is razzle dazzle, doppleganger, ruby giant, etc. I am also trying Frangrant angel white ones this year.

I Also like rudbeckia triloba and Prairie Sun rudbeckias.They last a long time in a bouquet. I would go ahead and plant them now if you can keep the seed from drying out while it gets some roots grown. IF you lived closer I would give you some rudbeckia triloba seedlings. THis one is covered in sprays of mini black eyes susans. Cute as a bugs ear and they make a great splash of color or to mix with other rudbeckias. Totally trouble free for me.

I just started a few perennials in trays yesterday and stuck them in the greenhouse. Thought I'd grow them a for a while in there, so I can keep them watered properly, and they won't get lost amoung weeds that never stop sprouting! I'll plant them out around the 1st of Aug. if they are of decent size. This is the 1st year I've tried this, but I think if you get a good enough root system, and maybe mulch them to over winter, there shouldn't be a problem.
Cheryl

Echinacea and Rudbeckia require vernalization before they germinate. In order to trick them into thinking they have received the proper cold period, we seed them into plug trays, and stacking them in the cooler for about three to four weeks. We take them out and put them in the seedling greenhouse. Germination is usually around 98 percent. Otherwise, you are going to have very spotty germination right now; and, you'll be disappointed. Tossing the package of seed in the refrigerator or freezer does not have the same effect as sowing in the plug tray and stashing them in the cooler.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I've learned a lot already. I will check out the recommendations for the different shaped flowers to go along with the shastas, coneflowers and susans.

Welcome gardenlover. I'm also from Ohio, so I always check out the member's page. We have the same birthday!!! I have a lot of cone flowers and rudbeckia's. They really do re-seed themselves.
Cheri

Hey Cheri! Thanks for the welcome. I just checked out your page. Sorry that my page isn't a good read yet, I was in such a hurry to become a member and ask a question, that I didn't bother with it. I'll have to go back and do that soon.
I just love the coneflowers and rudbeckias. I think I'm going to go ahead and buy several plants (I was admiring them at a local nursery today) to get established while I wait on the seeds.

I have over four hundred rudbekia and coneflower in nursery flats waiting to be planted in the fall. I started some in the winter by winter sowing, some in early spring and some just a couple of weeks ago. I also recently sowed various sages and agastaches and have over 100 of each to pot up in nursery pots. The annuals that I have recently sown, however I am not having luck with, such as cosmos and zinnia. I defer to Flowerfarmer as far as germination rate goes. She really knows her stuff. It staggers me to think what I would have if I got 100 percent germination. These are not for selling as cut flowers as of yet. I am still trying to figure out how to grow on my three acres of sand. Some of the earlier sown rudbeckia will be flowering in a couple of days. albeit very small plants with puny flowers.

Dellare, Thank you for the compliment. The Cutting Garden is my stress relief. This is the week we start making 1000 bouquets. I'll be needing a stress relief --big time.

Another dahlia grower friend of mine grows on very sandy soil closer to Lake Michigan. She grows dahlias on a two acre piece of land; meanwhile, on a second two acres she grows green manure crops and adds compost for two years. Then, she rotates and grows her dahlias on the second two acres of amended soil for two years while amending the soil on the first two acres. And, back and forth. She has beautiful soil as well as beautiful dahlias.

BTW 400 rudbeckia and coneflower plants are impressive. Have you tried direct seeding the cosmos and zinnias? You will, of course, have to thin them. Direct seeded plants are stronger. And, we're stronger too from all that weeding that's involved in all this.

Yes I agree about the direct seeding. I actually do not know why I haven't tried that. Except to say I thought about it but am having well problems and can not water large areas since right now I can only use a watering can to water and the watering can is filled from a small swimming pool. The kind you would get from walmart. We paid for some water so that I could save the perennials that I have planted in the past year. Right now I can only water in a very limited area. We presently have a shallow, hand dug well and I think I taxed it too much trying to keep stuff alive the past few weeks. A new well will be drilled soon. I have a huge field of sand that I am hoping to do much of the same as your friend. The funny thing is I put down about a quarter acre of wildflower seeds from a place in Texas and they have flowered profusely from early spring and are still going gangbusters. All growing in SAND with no watering and we have not had a good strong rain since late winter. Makes me think of possibilities. Wild ones ha. Adele

Adele,
Cosmos self seed very well. The area I had them in last year, that was tilled, and then I changed the row to perennials, have cosmos coming up everywhere, including in between my oriental lilies. I have been moving them to other rows because they are so strong and healty looking. We've had a couple days of rain, so they should take just fine. Good luck to you.
Flowerfarmer, congraulations on your success with cut flowers. You have a very impressive business to be making up 1000 bouquets. I think that's wonderful. Best of luck to you this season.
Cheryl