Sombrero Sangrita is a compact coneflower with daisy-type blooms that lift a raised cone at its centre through the heat of summer. Its sturdy, low habit makes it a dependable mid-border plant, with flowers arriving when many other perennials are fading.

Give it full sun and soil that drains, because wet winter ground is what kills coneflowers here far more often than cold does. Once it has rooted in, drought stops being a problem. Leave the spent cones standing in fall and the goldfinches will do the rest of the deadheading for you.