August 2019
Mother Nature’s colour palette has been changing as we have progressed through the summer, with a distinct change from the cool pastels of June to the warm, hot colours of August. Record-breaking temperatures have been felt across the country from the end of July and through August so, not only have the gardeners been feeling the heat, this change in the colour palette has meant we have been seeing the warmth as well. This sensation is from the warm glow of yellow, orange, bronze, mahogany-red and gold of Rudbeckia. Grown from seed, our two favourites are Rudbeckia hirta ‘Chim Chiminee’, with unusual quilled petals around a brown centre, and ‘Cherokee Sunset’, with double and semi-double flowers; together they are emanating a sense of heat. However, these colours are also associated with autumn, reminding us that it is fast approaching.