Here comes the sun

Catch some sunshine in your garden this summer with some of the brightest and best ‘happy’ plants which can be relied on to bring colour and cheer– something many of us are in real need of during such a strange year. Let’s Talk’s gardening expert Charlotte Philcox hails the sunflower and its smile-inducing floral friends.

- Charlotte Philcox

Bright perennials like rudbeckia, asters and hellenium are always good value, but sometimes it’s more fun to forget good taste. So for me, some of the best flowers for a display which will uplift everyone’s spirits are the bold blooms of sunflowers, zinnias and dahlias.

All three hail from Mexico, and are characterised by their wonderful colours. Of course, it’s too late now to start sowing sunflowers, so you might want to make a note in your diary to buy seed next year, and grow some for yourself. ‘Russian Giant’ is the best for size, and while some of the dwarf forms and F1 cultivars are attractive, they don’t quite have the impact of these golden monsters, which can reach more than three metres in height.

The smaller annual zinnias are a personal favourite, and are ideal for the hot, dry conditions we seem to be getting more of these days. They also make wonderful cut flowers, in daring shades of orange, shocking pink, lime green and red, in addition to more everyday soft pastels. Sow them in May where they are to grow, or start them off under cover from February to March, and they should keep growing until they get clobbered by the first autumn frosts. Combine them with lush foliage plants in a border or container, for a taste of the tropics.