About Me

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South Carolina, United States
Vetsy is my nickname that my family have fondly called me since my childhood. My blog reflects my personal views about the world around me. My topics may be anything that interest me but the majority of it is about my favorite past times...nature and gardening. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment or becoming a follower.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Why I love them



My Black Eyed Susan's are a burst of sunshine. I love them because they greet me with a cheerful smile in the middle of a  heat-wave, or pouring rain, no-mater what, they stay the same.!



I love them because they have been the backbone of my garden... when all others have given-up, died, or went back to sleep as the summer moved on..they have continued to flourish, batting  their pretty brown eyes as they strut their stuff.



They are  member's of the Sunflower family,  I call them my Happy face flowers. Bright sunny yellow.


They can grow over  three feet tall and spreads very quickly... Some call them invasive, but  I could never use such a term about my Susan's, I equate invasiveness  with  rudeness.,they are ladies and ladies are never rude.


To control spreading divide them during the dormant season and plant some cheer in other areas.

..

In some places they are biennial and will grow only leaves her first season, however they came up every year for me.  You may plant them in the spring or in the fall.


I love them because they are drought tolerant and can take some heat,

( Metro Detroit had the wettest spring and the hottest summer in 134 years! )  So even though they are drought tolerant...they will  flag or faint occasionally under extreme temperatures, water them and they'll bounce right back.... However be careful not to over water them or their feet will rot! .. They will grow in sun or partial shade. If you live in the south grow them in partial shade.



They are the state flower of Maryland and was named after Swedish physician and botanist Olai Rudbeck (1660- 1740)... thus their genus (Rudbeckia ).

They are loved by gardeners' across the nation who have learned of their value in the garden. If you don't have them I suggest you go out and get them, Susan will reward you with little effort and care, that alone should make you smile!




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19 comments:

  1. Bumble Lush GardenAugust 1, 2011 at 9:02 PM

    Beautiful flowers! They really are like a burst of sunshine. Thanks for sharing the history of how they got named too. They seem really low maintenance--sounds perfect!

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  2. VetsyAugust 1, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    Thanks Angie..

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  3. annAugust 1, 2011 at 11:20 PM

    I totally agree with you. Have a nice stand of them and do perform and perform and make the garden look good when the others are succumbing to the heat. Yours are lovely.

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  4. The Sage ButterflyAugust 2, 2011 at 7:26 AM

    My 'Susans' make me smile as well. They have cropped up in unexpected places, but sometimes it is a pleasant surprise. Thanks for all the 'Susan' trivia...very interesting!

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  5. Monica the Garden FaerieAugust 2, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    Hi Vetsy, they are also impossible to kill, trust me!They also grow in part-shade, even though some people insist they don't. :)

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  6. VetsyAugust 2, 2011 at 10:35 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. VetsyAugust 2, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    Ann... so far I like them a lot they have been good standbys.

    Sage Butterfly..... Yes thanks I found the back ground of it's genus interesting as well.

    Monica... Impossible to kill sounds scary!

    Thanks for that tip...I'll watch where I place them in the future, perhaps even place them in containers instead.

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  8. CanadianGardenJoyAugust 3, 2011 at 6:48 AM

    Vetsy girl : ) hello there !
    I am SUCH a fan of BES (aka rudbeckia_) too!! .. No matter what the weather is and it has been WEIRD .. they literally SHINE as you have described .. I have patches of them all over the garden and they do perk it up .. even in my Ho Hum state they make me smile too .. I didn't know some of this information, so thank you ! I'll be thinking of it as I look at them now.
    Joy : )

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  9. VetsyAugust 3, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    Thanks Joy.

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  10. StephanieAugust 3, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    Mine has very stift leaves and when the plant was in bloom, it feels like a plastic plant ;-) Oh yes the flowers are amazingly pretty and very robust. Holds up well to heavy rainfall. Now I am seeing a bloom, small but still pretty! I am sure yours are stunning :-D

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  11. VetsyAugust 4, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    Thank you Steph.

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  12. Heather at Dusty BayAugust 5, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    They are out already? Shows just how far we are behind here on the PNW - it's sure been a bad year!!!

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  13. Chloe mAugust 5, 2011 at 5:19 PM

    I just can't keep these alive at my house. But I will keep trying because they are beautiful!
    Maybe I just haven't found the right location yet.
    Hope you are well!

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  14. VetsyAugust 5, 2011 at 5:47 PM

    Heather it had been a very odd year for gardening, I sure hope that next year is better.

    Rosey that could be possible. I have found that sometimes you do have to move plants around. My phlox stayed unhealthy looking for a whole year until I decided to move it to another location no it's much better.

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  15. lindalouAugust 7, 2011 at 1:24 PM

    They are a lovely flower. Glad to hear they have handled our Michigan summer well. And I really enjoyed the picture of Olai Rudbeck. Gardening and a little history all together. Perfect.

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  16. VetsyAugust 7, 2011 at 3:55 PM

    Thanks Linda.

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  17. JanaAugust 8, 2011 at 5:40 PM

    I love Black Eyed Susan's too. They add so much to the garden. Your garden looks particularly lovely! Thanks for sharing your lovely Susan's! Jana

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  18. VetsyAugust 8, 2011 at 5:47 PM

    Thanks Jana..

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  19. JillySeptember 13, 2011 at 7:00 AM

    Gardening is very hard as per my view. But for you it is very easy as per your wonderful work. I added this plant in my garden. It will grown soon.
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