Could be the residual effect of last Summers' brutal drought and this Spring's long cold wetness.

Chances are it'll behave more normally next year, time will tell.
:-)
Deb

That's pretty late for a coneflower to bloom but whatever the reason, be glad they bloomed. Might be the watering issue--they're prairie plants and tend to thrive on whatever moisture Ma Nature doles or doesn't dole out. I've never watered mine and they're thriving 3 years down the road. My neighbor has had a butterfly garden filled with them for more years than I've lived here and she's never watered it. The coneflowers have thrived.

Yes we're a zone warmer than you but Echinacea/coneflower is mostly rated to Z6 so you should be okay unless you plant some of the fancy hybrid cultivars.

I recommend you do your research on the perennials you plant and get acquainted with their needs. Chances are you'll be surprised. They honestly need quite a bit less help from you than you might think.

Happy gardening!