Autumn daisies

HELENIUMS are hardy perennials that ignite the heat of late summer by blooming in rich fiery colours. The daisy flowers – which reflex around a central boss as they age, like a shuttlecock – are mellow shades of gold, copper or ruby and inject borders with informal charm. Flowering from July or August into September or October, they provide vital late nectar for bees and butterflies before the cold weather sets in.

The common name, sneezeweed, relates to the plant sometimes causing one to sneeze. In the past, dried helenium was made into a snuff that induced sneezing (which was deemed to be a kind of purging that boosted health.

Moisture and sunshine

“I prefer the romantic German name for helenium: sonnenbraut, which translates to ‘brides of the sun’,” says David Warden, who holds a UK National Collection of heleniums.

This tough perennial is certainly a sun worshipper, thriving in its native North