GAILLARDIA – Blanket flower
(Named for M. Gaillard, a French patron of Botany)
The bright, sunset colors of the Blanketflower are an asset in any garden. There are annual and perennial Gaillardias, and the various species have been blended to such a degree that it is difficult to say just which are which. Generally, the perennials are yellow and the annuals red, with tubular florets, but the various colors and forms grade into one another
The plants grow half feet tall, and bloom from early Summer till late Fall, producing a wealth of long-stemmed flowers. The two annual species from which the garden varieties are derived are: G. amblyodon, Maroon G., in which the rays are brownish-red throughout their length, and G. pulchella, Painted G., in which the rays are yellow at the tips and rosy-purple at the base. G. picla, Painted G., and G. lorenziana, Double Sunset G., are varieties of the latter species. In G. lorenziana, all or part of the florets are quilled.
Where to Plant: Gaillardias are excellent for beds, borders and for use as cut flowers. Especially valued when other flowers of the garden are cut down with frost.
GENERAL: Gaillardias prefer full sunlight and a porous, well-drained soil. The seed may be sown early in the Spring in the border where the plants are to grow, or started in a hotbed or sunny window. Thin the plants to stand at least a foot apart.
Information on 50+ annual flowers
