Late Summer Gardens
With this intense heat here in middle Georgia, it is often difficult to get much flower power during this time of year.
The daffodils and other bulbs from spring are long gone, and May and June flowers have flowered out. We are still a month or so away from fall mums and other plants from their glory.
Even butterfly bushes and coneflowers are looking a bit haggard, as well.
Yet, there is one plant in my garden that is putting on a great show, despite the heat right now; the Black Eyed Susan.
Also known by its genus name as the Rudbeckia hirta, this drought tolerant plant will stand up to the long Georgia summer with it’s glorious yellow petals and black center with very little attention or effort from you.
Black Eyed Susans are common throughout the South, due to its ease of growth.
This perennial can grow up to 18 to 24 inches in height, with it’s long green stem supporting the stiff yellow petals atop it.
The flower typically blooms in July and August, though you may prolong it’s blooming period by deadheading spent flower petals. When not deadheaded, the Rudbeckia will re-seed itself quite easily, and the result being many more Black Eyed Susans for you the following summer, as they quickly multiply.
As an extra bonus, they are quite easy to transplant, and soon your garden beds can be full of this nature magnet. Butterflies will spend a great deal of time concentrating on this beauty, and the birds will thank you for the seeds atop the petals in the fall.
When planting, dig a hole three times as large as the root ball, and add some organic matter. Place the plant in the center of your hole, placing your organic matter, mixed with the native dirt, around the plant. Cover the sides with plenty of mulch.
They enjoy full sun and well drained soil. Give them plenty of room, about eighteen inches apart, as they will soon carve out a path in your garden bed.
The only real problem you might have with Black Eyed is powdery mildew, which the plant does suffer from when exposed to too much water in the evening hours. Watering early in the morning is best for this plant, as well as all plants in your garden.
There are many varieties to choose from in the Rudbeckia family. Golden Glow, Indian Summer, Goldsturm, and Little Becky are all wonderful varieties, offering both small and large plants, as well as different shades of browns and yellows.
If you are looking for a flower that will bloom year in and year out for you, even in the worst of the dog days of summer, and with very little effort from you, the many varieties of Rudbeckia are the perfect plants for your late summer garden. Enjoy!