Rudbeckia
September 25, 2018As Summer draws to a close and the sun sinks lower into the Autumn sky, there are
glorious perennials that soldier on to end the season in a blaze of glory, and
one that shines brighter than the rest is the Rudbeckia.
Born of the North American prairie-lands, the Rudbeckia paints the perfect picture of every childhood drawing; the quintessential daisy. Easy to grow and easy to divide, give it some good fertile soil (added organic matter at planting time or as a mulch) and let it mix and mingle.
It prefers a bit of moisture at its roots and can cope with some dappled shade too where its colour will lift the shadows. It can also be sown as an annual and these are easy and quick to grow.
Not for the faint-hearted, the audacious colour of the Rudbeckia can’t fail to be missed but luckily there are a whole host of other brazen perennials that you can team it up with - crocosmia, dahlias, cannas and heleniums. Or tone it down a bit by mixing with tawny grasses and dainty asters.
It’s never going to be a shy or subtle plant but let it bring glorious sunshine to your borders.
All photos by Natalie Ashbee