Super Bowl XLIX has come and gone, and with it the football season.  All is not doom and gloom though, the end of football season is synonymous with the end of winter!  Soon we, the gardener, will be getting dirty in the trenches, tackling the weeds in our yards and beating our opponents in the neighborhood Landscape Super Bowl!   Keeping with the spirit of football I think its time to discuss one of this years number one landscape ideas.

Rudbeckia, known better as Black Eyed Susan has the pedigree to be one of your star perennials this growing season.  Native to North America, Black Eyed Susan are wildflowers that grow well in masses along a border.  They tend to over take the surrounding competition, so planting them with ample space and yearly maintenance will help keep this plant looking its best.  Black Eyed Susan can grow to around three feet tall and when in bloom will catch the eye of all.  Butterflies, bees and other nectar loving organisms will love your new addition, pollinating it and allowing it to naturalize seamlessly.  The plant blooms from Late June to October, bringing life to your yard when others are slowing down.

Black Eyed Susan prefer full sun, and are best planted in the spring.  Water them regularly and prune dead flowers to prolong blooming.  A lovely plant that will have all the critics of your landscape eating their words!  Get excited for this years growing season and consider Black Eyed Susan among your landscape ideas!