Well Rounded Gardens

I just love plants with round flowers. They are bright and cheery and really liven up any garden. Today we’re at the LSU AgCenter in Hammond, and I have to say the sun garden is looking good with some of my favorite plants with round flowers. I think I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m crazy for coneflowers. Though named for the color purple, newer selections like Cheyenne Spirit with orange, yellow, and red flowers. But I’m drawn to a couple of older, reliable selections like Bravado, with its two to four inch flowers with bright purple petals and dark center cones, and White Swan, which was the first non-purple coneflower. Another surefire garden hit is Early Bird Gold rudbeckia. This is a showy perennial featuring bright golden petals with a dark brown center cone. Early Bird Gold has long bloom season because it’s a day neutral variety. This means it starts blooming earlier in the spring, and also later in the fall season than other rudbeckia. This is fast growing and will reach up to two feet tall. Gaillardia is another great flowering perennial that has few pests and has many selections with bright warm colors can really liven up the summer landscape. I really like Mesa Bicolor with its bright yellow blooms with copper red center and halo. They are held on sturdy upright well-branched plants having a uniform and compact habit, and are early flowering blooms that shows well in the landscape. So if you want a well-rounded garden, you need to consider planting coneflowers, rudbeckia, and gaillardia. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.