Our Autumn Rudbeckias

Red wanders around on Rudbeckia ‘Autumn Colors’

It’s no surprise that Benary, the German breeding firm, dominates our Rudbeckia program. They ship the most interesting material because they have a deep commitment to the genus and a long history of releasing good variations on the Black-Eyed theme. It’s funny that a German breeder has taken up the flag of an American native, but Benary has been a force in international horticulture since the Prussians nearly two centuries ago. They’ve been selling Rudbeckias since they started back in the 1850s.

In a sense, Benary is entangled in the story of America. Germans were the primary immigrants after the Civil War, during Benary’s go-go years. Most of these Germans were farmers, and since Benary was in the seed business they knew that quality Rudbeckia would appeal to the German families surrounding Cincinnati. This genus has been in their catalog since the beginning.

What we find interesting is that Benary considers Rudbeckia important enough for its own dedicated breeder—the post is held by an American working out of fields in California. This commitment results in the most useful Rudbeckias for the American home and commercial markets today. Let’s take a look at why these varieties work so well.

Broccoli ’Destiny’

Even though it’s hot in August it’s time to think about cool-weather veggies. They need to go in now to mature into harvestable autumn crops, so it’s best to use cold-hardy cultivars that are also heat tolerant. Identifying these traits is part of the work we do when we curate our Autumn Edibles varieties. We know  these plants must endure some heat before they get to the comfortable weather, so our list is composed of good-tasting varieties that work the best for autumn harvest.

Right now, we are shipping a fine selection across a broad range of popular vegetable plants. Here are a few of our favorites:

Broccoli ‘Destiny’ is a shorter variety originally bred for Southern gardens, so it’s right at home starting a fall vegetable garden in Cincinnati. It handles the early heat better and produces small to medium-sized beads on the heads.

Heirloom Cauliflower ‘Self Blanche’

Cauliflower ‘Self Blanche’ is an heirloom selection. You’ll notice that the leaves curl upward to wrap around the head, protecting it from the sun. We’ve been seeing Buffalo Cauliflower on menus lately as a hot wings alternative.

Kale ‘Blue Curled Vates’—it looks good and it’s good for you

Kale ‘Blue Curled Vates’ is aptly named, with finely curled blue-green leaves that form low, compact plants. Eat more Kale—it’s a superfood for Pete’s sake, packed with vitamins and iron. Then you can sneak in original Buffalo Wings with blue cheese.

Our cool weather veggies are available in the 1801 flat.

Pepper ‘Black Pearl’ develops deep black leaves in the blazing sun

Black or near-black foliage is only possible in the high summer months because it needs hot, beating sun to saturate the dark pigments. A good example is Pepper ‘Black Pearl’, a mid-sized ornamental that can develop nearly coal black leaves if you set it in a blazing sun bed. It often ships dark green or nearly black, because even clear greenhouses give it sun protection. A couple of weeks out in the open will darken the plant right up for you.

‘Black Pearl’ provides stunning contrast to lime or yellow Pineapple Coleus

Peppers are heat lovers, so they stand up to high August temperatures well. We find the black is a stunning contrast to lime or yellow foliage plants, like any of the Pineapple Coleus varieties. What’s even better—the berry-shaped fruits start out deep glossy black like the leaves before turning bright red, holly-style.

Ornamental Pepper ‘Black Pearl’ is shipping right now in the 8-inch pot.