The right selection of plants for the herbaceous border can provide an abundance of colour from late spring right through to autumn. The cheery, fiery daisy-like blooms of Helenium still shine brightly when most other perennials have died down for the year.

The Helenium genus, known as sneezeweed from the snuff formerly produced from its leaves, offers around 40 species of plants originating from Central and North America.

Helenium first appeared in the UK during the 18th century and it has remained a favourite ever since. The cultivars on offer today were mostly bred in Germany, and many cultivars have both a German and English name.

Cultivars such as H. 'El Dorado' will start to flower in June, while others like H. 'Septembergold' will last well into October. H. 'El Dorado', being a strong repeat flowerer, will likely bloom right through to October if deadheaded regularly.

As for height, there are cultivars ranging from the 50cm-high H. 'Pipsqueak' up to large, back-of-border giants like H. 'Gartensonne', which reaches 1.5m. Most flowers have a large, protruding cone surrounded by hanging, level or upswept petals.

While many plants in the herbaceous border are propagated in autumn, Helenium cultivars are best divided in spring. The plants are relatively shallow-rooting and smaller plants often do not cope with replanting in the colder autumn months.

Young plants should be offered for sale in spring to ensure good garden establishment, though plants in full bloom later in the year will help to generate impulse sales throughout the summer and will be one of the season's last plants remaining in bloom on garden centre benches.

Helenium varieties are not the best choice for pots and planters unless regular watering can be ensured, as leaves will start to drop at the first signs of drying out. Plants in the ground should not be fed as they tend to stretch and look unruly. A bushy plant can be maintained with regular pinching-out of growing tips.

The plants lend themselves to a range of planting styles, from drifts in meadow plantings to more formal mixed borders. The striking oranges, reds, yellows and bronzes make good companion plants for other perennials including Kniphofia, Solidago, Rudbeckia and other daisy-like plants.

What the Specialists Say

Martin Blow, owner, Special Perennials (National Collection holder), Cheshire "Retailers should concentrate on the shorter cultivars as these generate the best sales. They flower earliest - from early June if started indoors - and will go right through to autumn if they are regularly deadheaded.

"In the UK, red varieties outsell the yellows 10 to one. Historically our best-seller is H. 'Moerheim Beauty' Award of Garden Merit (AGM). It's a great-looking plant but tends to flop over later in the season. H. 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' AGM is another popular one that benefits from some extra support. We supply the new variety H. 'Luc', which is similar but deep red in colour and holds itself up better.

"We start to see good sales moving into autumn with gardeners looking to fill gaps left by earlier-flowering plants. We do recommend planting Helenium in spring - if someone has lost a Helenium over winter it is probably down to getting it in the ground too late in the season.

"You can divide in late summer/early autumn but I wait until spring as it allows them to establish their shallow roots better.

"The key thing with Helenium is even watering - if allowed to dry out they quickly start dropping leaves. We don't recommend feeding plants in the ground as they tend to get too tall."

Martin Hugh-Jones, owner, Sampford Shrubs (National Collection holder), Devon "Helenium is a much underrated hardy perennial garden plant. It is best to concentrate on selling the plants in spring as they can prove hard to establish in autumn, with small plants particularly susceptible to dying off.

"We sell a lot of plants in 9cm and two-litre pots. Our best-seller is the dark red H. 'Rubinzwerg' AGM - people want red flowers and short stems."

In Practice

Claire Smith, planteria manager, Sanders Garden World, Somerset "Helenium plants are great for June and July sales as they come into flower and customers see that they can extend the flowering season in their borders. They are great for attracting bumblebees and other insects into the garden. H. autumnale is a good yellow-flowered variety for sales, as are H. 'The Bishop' and H. 'Butterpat' AGM. H. 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' AGM offers nice, orange-red tints to the flowers.

"We offer a good selection in a range of one- and two-litre pots. We also offer a larger three-litre pot at £6.99 to give immediate impact to plantings."

SPECIES AND CULTIVARS

H. autumnale is a long-standing garden favourite. This wild form is a tall variety with yellow flowers that are occasionally flecked with red.

H. 'Baronin Linden' is a tall variety reaching 1.1m and flowering from mid-August. The tan-coloured cone is surrounded by upswept, warm yellow petals.

H. 'Bressingham Gold' is a clear yellow variety with a dark central cone reaching 1.2m, which was introduced by Blooms of Bressingham. Flowering starts from mid-August.

H. 'Bruno' is a mid-red form reaching 90cm. It is a well-branched variety that flowers from late July.

H. 'Butterpat' Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a bushy, mid-sized variety reaching 90cm with a yellow cone and petals. It benefits from annual division.

H. 'Chelsey' is a modern, compact variety reaching 80cm. It boasts large flowers and upswept, mid-red petals with apricot edging.

H. 'Coppelia' is a heavy-flowering variety reaching just over 1m. Its mid-red petals are flecked with apricot spots at the ends.

H. 'Die Blonde' reaches a little over 70cm and offers the palest yellow flowers in the genus. It is a good repeat flowerer from late July.

H. 'Double Trouble' is more frilly than double. Each yellow petal on this variety has four layers. The flowers bloom from mid-July on stout, 1m stems.

H. 'Dunkelpracht', meaning "dark splendour", is a true dark red variety reaching 1.15m. It produces blooms from late July atop stocky, self-supporting branches.

H. 'El Dorado' is a very early-flowering form reaching 90cm. Yellow blooms appear from mid-June on long stems high above the foliage.

H. 'Feuersiegel' AGM is one of the best flower options among the genus, with fiery yellow- and red-streaked flowers, which appear from late July.

H. 'Fiesta' is a tall variety (1.3m) that requires little staking. It offers striking flowers of mid-red and gold from mid-July onwards.

H. 'Gay-Go-Round' is a popular form with attractive, banded flowers of red and yellow from early August. It reaches 1.3m.

H. 'Goldfuchs' is a compact form reaching 80cm and offering tawny golden flowers from late June.

H. 'Indianersommer' is a unique, orange-flowered variety reaching 1m and flowering from early August. It is recommended for companion planting with plants that have silver-green foliage.

H. 'Luc' is a recent introduction offering orange-red and gold blooms from early July. Plants reach 90cm and look great against dark-foliaged plants.

H. 'Moerheim Beauty' AGM is the most popular garden variety. Flowers range from deep red to red with flecks of gold, copper and bronze. It will bloom from July through to November and may need extra support later in the season.

H. 'Moth' is an unusual, light-orange-flowered variety reaching 1.2m and blooming from early August.

H. 'Pipsqueak' is a small form reaching just 50cm. It flowers with downswept yellow petals, which appear from late June.

H. 'Red Jewel' is a deep red form with gold edging and centres. It reaches 1.1m and blooms from early August.

H. 'Rubinzwerg' AGM is a popular variety for its deep ruby-red flowers that appear from late July. It reaches a height of 65cm.

H. 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' is a long-lasting variety, flowering from early July into November. Plants reach 90cm and produce drooping blooms ranging from reddish-orange to yellow.

H. 'Sunshine' is a warm yellow variety with red tints to the petals. It flowers from mid-August and grows to 90cm.

H. 'The Bishop' is a dwarf variety reaching 50cm. Yellow blooms of drooping petals appear from mid-June. It is a vigorous form that responds well to deadheading.

H. 'Wagon Wheel' is rare, with widely spaced orange and yellow petals from early August.

H. 'Baudirektor Linne' AGM is an old red variety reaching 110cm. Blooms of drooping petals appear from late July.

H. 'Septembergold' is a modern long lasting yellow flowered variety reaching 1.15m.