There are some beauties in the AARS Winners list for 2010. Several of them are Zinnias which make wonderful cut flowers, and two are exciting prairie flowers, including "PowWow Wild Berry" Echinacea, pictured.

The AARS site gives instructions on growing from seed and flower data. For the Coneflower [Echinacea], that includes:

Genus species: Echinacea purpura
Common name:Purple Coneflower
Unique qualities: Flower color, branching and plant size
Flower size: 3 to 4 inches
Flower form: Single daisy
Plant height: 20 to 24 inches
Width: 12 to 16 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 16 to 18 inches apart
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 20 weeks for June flowering

Closest comparisons on market: ‘Primadonna Deep Rose,’ ‘Prairie Splendor’ and ‘Magnus’

Each plant selected has this form of  growing data included, which I found very convenient. It is easy to check if the plant will fit within the growing conditions of your garden, before you invest time considering whether to grow it or not. so many times I am tempted by plant suggestion in an article or catalog only to find with later research that it isn't ideal for my chosen garden area. 

 There are three Zinnia choices: Zinnia ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ ,
Zinnia ‘Double Zahara Fire’, Zinnia ‘Double Zahara Cherry’ .

All three would produce a bright spot of summer-long blooms alive with bees and butterflies. To grow Zinnias is a simple matter of planting seed when the soils are warm. Zinnia seeds are large and the seed packets show all the info for growing, which is usually 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, pressing  down the soil. Some information and planting directions from the National Garden Bureau will complete most of what you'd like to know about these festive colored annuals. Zinnia Factsheet

Other choices which I liked were:

Snapdragon F1 ‘Twinny Peach’

Viola F1 ‘Endurio Sky Blue Martien’

-So I liked about all of them this year!

See all the winners at the AARS site.