In article , "Rick"
wrote:

We would like to have black eyed susans in our yard. Do we buy plants or do
they come in seeds? When is the best time of year to plant. Thanks...

There are many species of black-eyed susans, but the majority sold will be
either Rudbeckia fulgida, which is an annual, or R. hirta, which is a
long-lived perennial, & I think the latter is more to be recommended.

If you want the annuals, from seed would be preferable. The perennial also
grows easily from seed, but you can get a head start on them planting them
from potted starts or gallon clumps already mature. The most popular
cloned cultivar of R. hirta is "Goldsturm" which does not grow true from
seed & is best purchased as a mature gallon sized. If you settle for seeds
that are labeled "Goldsturm," they'll grow into something "close enough to
get by" but probably taller, thinner, &amp less compact. Most other R.
hirta varieties grow true from seeds.

I grow R. hirta with Echinacea purpurea which have the same soil &
watering needs & the same kind of tall reflexed flowers, but purply pink
instead of bright yellow. Also there's a white Echinacea. The white,
purple, & bright yellow flowers last all summer & much of autumn in a
mixed border in full sun.

Here's a page about "Goldsturm" Black-eyed Susan:
http://www.paghat.com/rudbeckia.html
Here's a semi-dwarf echinacea that looks great with rudbeckia:
http://www.paghat.com/echinacea.html
And here's the white echinacea:
http://www.paghat.com/echinacea3.html

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/