Conservatory home for black-eyed Susan

Anyone looking to grow black-eyed Susans should keep them in a conservatory until they are ready to be moved outdoors, it has been suggested.

Writing for the Sunday Times, Neil Wormald notes that the plants should not be exposed to potential frost and should be kept indoors until the summer arrives.

However, he advises that they may be brought to maturity in a structure such as a conservatory or greenhouse, rather than in the main house itself.

"The plant is frost-tender and should not be put out in the garden until late May," Mr Wormald writes.

"In the meantime, keep any young seedlings in a greenhouse or conservatory."

Those hoping to enjoy the masses of yellow and orange flowers produced by the plants from June to September may have to hurry to sow the seeds.

Mr Wormald asserts that they should be sown indoors in early to mid-spring if they are to be ready in time to flower.

In a previous column, the author warned gardeners to monitor the temperature of their conservatories on sunny days or to install an automatic ventilation system to prevent the interior from overheating.