Goldblitz black-eyed Susan gives you the classic golden daisy with a dark central cone, native to this part of the world and blooming from midsummer straight into autumn. It stays compact and upright, and the bright yellow flowers keep coming when most of the bed is starting to fade.

Plant it in full sun with average soil, where it handles our heat and dry spells once it's established, so skip the constant watering. Deadhead to keep the show going, or leave the seed heads standing for the goldfinches come fall, and tuck it into a border or a naturalizing strip.