A question about perennials

Well, Rudbeckia actually. I had a magnificent clump for several years in one of the borders but two years ago, I planted a DayLily (Franz Hals) in front of the Rudbeckia and this year, the DayLily has swamped it to such an extent that it didn't bloom, let alone show much signs of life.

Recently I did quite a bit of work on that part of the garden and have now cleared the border to the side of where the Rudbeckia was, so that sunshine will now get in. I know that herbaceous perennials grow from their root systems and the clump was quite large, so as there was some growth at the beginning of the year my question is, will it come back next year, now that it has light and some breathing space or is it dead?

 

There are a few errant Rudbeckia leaves still alive. I'll wait until next Spring and see if anything appears...

 

Rudbekias have a habit of running from their clump and dying out in the middle. To safeguard my plants I split them into several pieces and pot each up every year. I do this too because they are so late in shooting and they look so fore lorn and bare for much of the early summer that I plant wallflowers, stocks etc there instead. Then, mid summer I plant out my rudbekias from their pots to create a good show of flowers in late summer. So, SG, split the clump you see, pot up and plant those that shoot in spring or summer

 

My mother in law had a huge clump of rudbeckia in her garden that resembled a 4ft wide do-nut, nothing in the middle at all and just a ring of growth. I lifted and split it up for her, creating about 6 or 7 decent sized plants, a couple of which found their way into my patch and the rest I replanted..

 

Bilbo675, That's exactly what is good about gardening and gardeners...we can share plants. You have some new,plants,in your,garden and your mother in law has improved ones in hers. I constantly split and divide all sorts, doing this now for hardy stuff. People who have been asking me for plants in the summer can now have them

 

I'll keep an eye out next Spring and see what emerges...then get dividing. Thanks for the advice