This garden measures ten feet long and five feet wide. All these plants are attractive to butterflies, and when July and August arrive, you should see a variety of them floating above the flowers, especially late in the afternoon. A close relative of milkweed, A. tuberosa grows two feet tall, blooms in late summer, and produces orange and yellow flowers. E. purpurea is the most popular, but there is a white coneflower, E. purpurea 'Alba', that is quite attractive. These common summer plants come in a variety of sizes and shapes.
Colorful zinnias come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
They are easily planted from seeds, or you can buy transplants at a garden center. My favorites are Z. angustifolia 'Persian Carpet' and Z. angustifolia 'Starbright'. These dainty varieties grow only 12 to 16 inches tall and produce smaller flowers on stalks that are much more resistant to mildew. Plant the garden according to the above diagram, with the taller Echinacea, Gaillardia, and Rudbeckia in the rear, and the shorter Asclepias and Zinnia in the front and center. Cover the entire garden with natural organic mulch, and look for a strong bloom from late June until frost.