“Plant late-season colour for a blaze of sunshine,” says Louise
If you want late-season colour and a blaze of sunny flowers to brighten up your border, try rudbeckias, says Louise Curley, as she looks at both annual and perennial varieties
IT might feel strange to be thinking about autumn when spring has only just arrived, but if you want your borders to be filled with flowers later in the year, now is the time to get sowing and planting.
One of the best plants for late-season colour and interest is the rudbeckia. Native to North America, rudbeckias have become synonymous with the prairie-style planting made popular by Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.
Rudbeckias are members of the Aster family, with daisy-like flowers in shades of yellow and orange, ranging from fresh lemons and golden hues to apricot, copper and russet brown. Each flower is made up of a ring of petals that surround a prominent central cone, which is generally dark brown or black, hence their common name of black-eyed Susan.
Autumn and winter structure
Rudbeckia flowers are held on sturdy stems, which are sometimes hairy, above mounds of dark-green leaves. They emerge in midsummer, and flower until the first frosts. As the flowers start to fade, the central cones remain. These provide attractive autumn and winter structure, particularly when they’re dusted with frost.
Some rudbeckias are hardy perennials, and these tend to grow tall with statuesque stems that can be used to add height to the back of a border. There’s also a great selection of annual rudbeckias, which are easy to raise from seed. Some are low-growing and perfect for containers or placing at the edge of a border, while others grow to 60-80cm (24-32in), making them ideal for planting in bold drifts in borders intermingled with ornamental grasses and other perennials, such as salvias, heleniums and persicarias.
Great for wildlife
Rudbeckias provide a source of nectar for butterflies, and if the seed heads are left to stand over winter birds such as goldfinches will eat the seeds.
Both the perennials and annuals are easy to grow, thriving in full sun, in moist but well-drained soil. The perennials can be planted at any time from spring to autumn, and the annuals should be sown in mid-spring. They’re half-hardy, so they’ll need protecting from frost until they can be planted out in early summer.