Enchinacea

Echinacea is a perennial, so if you treat her right now, she’ll keep coming back year after year, even stronger. Once the flowers start fading, I like to deadhead them – just snip off the old blooms – and that usually encourages a bit more growth before the season winds down.

If you’ve got some compost or a bit of mulch, you can tuck that in around the base of the plant. Just a light top-up to feed the roots. No digging, just a little boost.

Let some of those flowers go to seed. I know it’s tempting to clean everything up, but those dried-out cones are full of seeds, and Echinacea seeds are proper treasure. Let them dry out on the plant, then snip them off and store them somewhere cool and dry. You’ll be so glad you did. I always say – save what you can, because buying heirloom seed again isn’t always easy.

And don’t forget, you can also harvest the leaves now while they’re still fresh and green. They’ve got loads of goodness in them too. I just dry mine in a shady spot and keep them for winter teas.

As for the roots – patience… Don’t dig up young plants. You really want to wait until they’re at least three years old before harvesting roots. And only in late autumn, when the plant is starting to die back. That’s when all the medicinal strength has gone into the root. Clean them well, dry them properly, and then use them as you need – tinctures, decoctions, whatever suits.

So that’s how I care for mine. Nothing fancy, just little things that make a big difference. Echinacea really gives a lot, if you give a little back.