Black-Eyed Susans

We were goofin' around on the slopes, today, when I ran into this guy in a yellow and black jacket. He was all upset 'cause I bumped into him and he fell down.

While he was hollering at me, I started thinking to myself... he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me...

Oh, I wasn't the slightest bit interested in him. It was the jacket that got me going. I started all my seeds this week for the Fabulous Daisy Garden that will pretty-up the ugly half of my backyard.

The yellow and black of his jacket reminded me that I had forgotten the most important 'Daisy' of all. The predictor of love and so much more...

Rudbeckia hirta is a Black-Eyed Susan that grows wild from British Columbia to the southern tip of Texas. It's an easy-going sun-worshipper that thrives on neglect so it fits perfectly into my garden plans.

Magnificent yellow petals with brilliant black centers make this one of my most beloved wildflowers. This evening, I squeezed 36 more pots onto my already over-crowded window sills. Each one filled with Black-Eyed Susan seeds. Maybe this is the summer I can pluck the pretty petals and resolve that age-old lover's question.