What is it about Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) and Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum), that make me so HAPPY?? I don't know but that's the emotion they elicit from me every time I see them growing in my garden. They just look like such happy flowers!
When I first started my perennial beds, I bought a few pots of Black Eyed Susans. I planted them and transplanted them and over the years they have spread a lot. Not a big deal, though - they are very easy to dig out and give away. In the photo above, they are pictured with the annual Cleome.
They look quite delicate when they first start to open up but that's a misconception. They are unbelievably hardy, forming sturdy clumps with strong stems . They were the Perennial Plant of the Year in 1999.
Later even the black "middles" - the seedheads - are interesting if left in the perennial border as seen below, combined with Sedum 'Autumn Joy'. You could also put them into a flower arrangement.
Plant websites and catalogues often say that Rudbeckia is an autumn-blooming flower. Not for me. They tend to appear in late July already and are often gone by early September. They can handle partial shade but do best in full sun. They tolerate just about any type of soil.
Black Eyed Susans pair very well with other garden perennials, including grasses.
Below they line a path. (Please ignore the big weed thistle between the Rudbeckia and the Sedum :)
Black Eyed Susans are an easy care, low maintenance plant that may do well in your garden.
Shasta Daisies are another easy-to-grow flower that seems to be a staple in most perennial borders. Daisies have a yellow eye and white petals.
They are fabulous when massed together but pair well with many other plants.
Here I've got them with a red Daylily.
One large clump of daisies is beside my polyantha rose 'The Fairy'.
I have allowed the wild bellflower (Harebell) to grow in certain areas because I love the colour.
The daisies go well with it.
Daisies of various heights thrive in average or poor soil in Zones 4-8.
Just a small hint: daisies look good in bouquets but they do NOT have a nice fragrance. At all.
Rudbeckia and Shasta Daisies - two more ideas for your garden next summer!
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