JM3030 said "They bush out quickly. I planted some 3 years ago (2 plants, one of each color) and should be getting about 15 flowers in each color this year when they bloom.
But, if anyone knows how to separate the clumps of them, I'd love some advice. "
You can dig them up and seperate them in the fall once they start to die back. Replant them right away.
And I agree with the others, maybe sunscald but really it looks like just normal life cycle. It's pretty hard to mess up perennials, as most thrive with a certain level of benign neglect. If they only do so-so this year, as long as they get enough water and sunlight they will likely bounce back next year.
Edit to add: Make sure you water deeply. When transplanting, I always start the plants off by watering the transplant hole before I even put the plant in. I will fill the hole completely, and wait for that water to fully absorb (and sometimes do that twice if it's very dry). That makes sure there's good deep moisture available to encourage deep rooting, which helps tremendously in this hot weather. Once you get past the first few weeks, water less frequently but for longer/deeper. In a "normal" year I rarely water my perennials.
Edited by Abbysmum, 2021-07-01 13:18:11