At times this summer Scotland has felt like somewhere else. Unfathomably high temperatures have given plants a rare opportunity to turn their faces skywards and bask in golden rays.
We can’t always count on barbecue summers, but there are ways to heat up the garden whatever the weather using plants that radiate a warm glow.
Some of the best and most robust of these come from the damp meadows and wide prairies of the USA. Undemanding and easy to grow, they are characterised by their daisy-like flowers that start to bloom in mid season and just keep on going.
Grow them with grasses or scatter them around the sunniest parts of the borders, where their height and rich colours add drama to the show. Bees love them and butterflies too, so plant a selection and you’ll be rewarded by the flutter of any wings.
All of them are fully hardy, but while most enjoy damp soil they don’t like to sit in water, especially during the winter months, so add plenty of organic matter to provide the free-draining conditions that suit them best then sit back and watch them do their stuff.
Helenium
The yellow and orange flowers of Helenium gained the name ‘sneeze weed’ because the leaves were used in snuff, but this bright bloomer is not to be sniffed at. Tall varieties can top 2m, so place them at the back of the border where they can deliver summer on stilts and support them with canes and twine to prevent them toppling over.
Monarda
This sturdy perennial, with flowers in shades of red, rose, lavender, yellow and white, is commonly known as ‘bee balm’ because bees find it irresistible. It’s not a giant, growing anywhere between 0.5m to 1m, so it can be placed at the front of the border without overwhelming its neighbours.
Echinacea
The purple cone flower is a herbalist’s dream. It’s flowers aren’t just attractive, but they contain active ingredients that have been used for hundreds of years to ward off colds and infections. It likes deep, humus-rich soil and grows best in the sunniest part of the garden. Recent breeding programmes have resulted in many different colours, but these are less tolerant of winter damp than Echinacea purpurea, so stick to this if you don’t want your flowers to be here one year and gone the next.
Helianthus
This perennial form of the common sunflower is another giant, reaching at least 2m. Flowers grow profusely at the top of tall stems and they come in shades from golden yellow to pale lemon, some with red centres. Despite its size Helianthus seldom needs staked and can be divided and replanted in spring to make more plants.
Rudbeckia
With its strong gold and russet tones, rudbeckia packs a powerful punch and it is ultra-hardy, surviving even the harshest winters. One of the best varieties is ‘Goldsturm’, which has long been a favourite for summer colour. It benefits from a feed of manure or compost at the start of the growing season.
Heliopsis
The North American Ox Eye is a tough customer and grows happily in Scotland so long as it doesn’t get waterlogged. At 1.5m it hovers somewhere in the middle between the tallest and smallest of the daisies from the plains, making it ultra-useful in the garden. Heliopsis can be divided but can also be increased by taking basal cuttings in spring.
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