We mingle
rudbeckia with crocosmias and other late-flowering daisies, heleniums, dahlias and helianthemums.
Rudbeckia hirta is one of the most widely cultivated groups with large showy single or semi double flowers and long hairy leaves.
Rudbeckia fulgida deamii is a godsend in any garden where the soil is reasonably fertile.
Clockwise from top left: Helenium,
Rudbeckia and Crocosmia can all add late summer colour to borders
Old fashioned
rudbeckias grew lanky and required some staking, but more modern cultivars such as 'Goldsturm' are naturally bushy and self-supporting with a long flowering season, although they need regularly deadheading to flower better.
Anyone who relishes September colour in their border should not be without
rudbeckias, grown for their brightly coloured daisies with the big black cone in the centre in shades from burnt orange to vivid yellow.
Rudbeckias, asters and the more spectacular lilies are a good choice, but what you buy depends on what's available at your outlet - and what condition it's in.
FILL fading borders with Michaelmas daisies and salvia or
rudbeckias, golden rod and helenium.
Rudbeckias, heleniums, dahlias and tangy-green euphorbias are high on the list if you want your garden to sizzle, while some varieties of canna provide the reds, oranges and variegated foliage you need to prolong that tropical feel.
Best of the Bunch
Rudbeckias - the cone flowers TO add that mad splash of colour to the late summer garden, alongside Michaelmas daisies, Echinaceas and Anemones, why not treat yourself to some of the excellent hybrids of
Rudbeckia that are now widely available through garden centres and nurseries.
CHOOSE a mixture of hardy evergreens, such as palms and bamboo, along with vibrant perennials such as crocosmia, day lilies, canna lilies, dahlias and
rudbeckias, ready to plant into fertile soil in a warm, sheltered, sunny spot.
The striking yellow
rudbeckias form a collection within the National Plant Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.