Part if the reason I got rudbeckia was that the seed heads would give structure to garden during winter...but to my eye they just look bedraggled and messy!
Should I tidy these up, (and if so, how?) or they meant to look like this?
Yes they do look like this. Last year I removed them as they were planted new and were small and looked grubby. This year Ive left them as they are around 4 feet and looks nice. If you don't like the look, you can cut them down all the way to the ground.
I would say please leave them as they are. I ignore mine and each winter they are visited by a small flock of goldfinches who then feast on the seeds. It's a beautiful sight to see if you're lucky to see it. Other birds will visit them too.
The goldfinches love them here too ... it just means we have to adopt a different mindset and be open to the beauty of those dark mahogany stems and chocolate drumsticks.
will those containers look look any better with the stems chopped off ?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Wish mine even looked like that as it would mean that they had flowered! Plenty of foliage this year but not one flower! Obviously I must have neglected them in some way
Hi Fran - two principal reasons, one - too much nitrogen in the soil so leaf at the expense of flower (are you feeding them) two - may need dividing - I divide mine every two years. I started with 4 plants and now have 24 plants and having to give them away.
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will those containers look look any better with the stems chopped off ?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
i was more thinking of taking the leaves off or something so the stems and seedheads were clearer - I’m not sure, hence the question.
But chopping them off isn’t on the table
If it goes wrong, I’m looking to grow some from the seeds anyway