Ann wrote:
HettieŽ expounded:
I've always wanted to try to attract goldfinches, too,
Grow and let go to seed sunflowers and echinacea, and you'll have all
the goldfinches you want. As for the hummers, I do feed them, only to
get them close to the porch so I can see them up close. They'd be in
the garden anyways, I have all manner of flowers for them to enjoy,
salvias, agastaches, heucheras (they love the old-fashioned coral
bells), the list goes on. What attracts them also attracts
butterflies. Flying flowers 
)
I have one echinacea, a freebie with a plant order, pretty yellow one,
just planted it so don't know if it will be back in spring. I will try
some overplanting some bulbs in that "bad" spot (mix in some compost
well maybe a little peat despite the sunflower shells making the soil
lighter). But I wanted a few roses there. Decisions decisions. I hope
it is sunny enough. Until I open up the boulevard in front, and my rose
strip in back, I can't plant many more full sun plants.
I can't find any heucheras like I remember as a child or what was here
when we bought the place that my ex recklessly tore out. IIRC, I know
they had pretty pink bells, and I think the leaves had a darker green
tracing around the center of the leaf. A perennial agastache I wanted
isn't hardy in my zone, will look for one that may be.
I'm up to my eyeballs in seeds I have to plant for spring, but want to
make one more order because I see T&M has liatris in their new catalog,
will see if they have any you suggested about the others. I thought I
wanted that double decker echinacea, but the traditional one might be
nicer once the novelty wore off, don't know yet.
I've got way more going than will work in my small yard, my latest is
rooting rose cuttings and few places left to put them, don't want it to
look junky. My tomatoes will now have to go in 5-gal containers because
six rose bushes are going in where I grew some tomatoes from seed this
year.
Thank you.