Helenium

These daisies come in a choice of rich, fiery hues – yellows, deep oranges and reddish-coppers – opening from mid-summer. The centres become more prominent as the flowers age and the petals curve backwards. The upright, leafy, branching stems emerge from sturdy clumps.

Heleniums thrive in most soil types, and prefer full sun. It is best to support them by staking around the clump in spring.

They dislike very heavy, wet soil, and won’t flower in shade. Avoid planting in a windy position, as the tall flower stems may blow over.

Heleniums generally need staking to keep them upright, but to avoid this you can give them the ‘Chelsea chop’, in May, or cut them back to 30cm (12in) in mid-July. This delays flowering slightly but keeps plants more compact so you can enjoy the flowers on neat, unstaked plants.