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Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

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Cover Your Summer Garden with a Blanket of Color

18 October, 2008 By Dee Nash

by Dee Nash
18 October, 200820 October, 2008Filed under:
  • Annuals
  • Flowers
  • Landscaping
  • Oklahoma
  • Seeds
  • Summer
  • Wildflowers
G. 'Fanfare' with a Friend

G. 'Fanfare' with a Friend

I worked all week on a Power Point presentation for last night’s Central Oklahoma Hemerocallis Society meeting; so, if you don’t mind, I’m going to post the following article I wrote for the Oklahoma Horticulture Society’s newsletter last  month.

Cover the Summer Garden with a Blanket of Color

Previously published in Horticulture Horizons Aug./Sept./Oct. 2008

In planning your garden next spring, don’t slight the humble Blanket Flower, a/k/a Indian Blanket, Gaillardia species. Not only is G. pulchella Oklahoma’s State Wildflower, and therefore should be included for that reason alone, its relatives now come in varieties other than the standard orange and yellow. A genus of the sunflower family (Asteraceae,) Gaillardia was named after M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th century French magistrate who was a patron of botany.

Blanket Flowers can be planted as container specimens or by seed. Seeds take awhile to become established, so you may want to start them indoors for earlier bloom. Being impatient, I usually start with purchased container plants. Gaillardias are either annuals or short lived perennials that often perform as annuals by blooming hard all summer and then completely dying out in winter.

As seed heads mature, I scatter them across the ground. By doing this, I often get varieties not true to the original hybrids, but I enjoy the change. Who knows, maybe, I’ll find a new variety blooming in my garden someday. G. ‘Dee’s Impossible Dream’ anyone?

G. 'Red Plume'

G.'Red Plume'

Blanket Flowers like full sun and well-drained soil. Don’t plant them in the richest areas of your garden as they will become leggy and have fewer blooms. In mid-summer when many plants are nearly bloom free, the various Blanket Flowers provide nonstop color. If deadheaded regularly, they will bloom until frost. Flowers should be given an inch of water a week until well established. Later, when the foliage droops in the heat, it’s again time to water.

When I decided to turn part of my vegetable garden into an experimental flower meadow, I added several different containers of Gaillardia varieties to the area.

I knew I would be hard pressed to water this bed as frequently as other parts of the garden, so they were an obvious choice because of their drought tolerance and heat resistance.

Some of the best performers this summer were G. ‘Fanfare’, G. ‘Red Plume’ and G. ‘Yelllow Queen’. I also grew G. ‘Arizona Sun’ and the native G. pulchella which were great too.

Oklahoma's State Wildflower

Oklahoma's State Wildflower

If I haven’t convinced you that Gaillardias are a great addition to your garden, let me add one more incentive. They are butterfly magnets. Being an important nectar source, one plant will often be covered in butterflies and various species of bumblebees and honeybees. The humble Gaillardia is an important part of the ecosystem. Growing it can be one contribution you make to the planet and its smaller creatures.

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Comments

  1. LaDonna says

    22 October, 2008 at 8:58 am

    Dee I just discovered your blog in a link from another blog. It’s great! I love Gallardias and need to plant these new varieties. I missed your COHS presentation Friday, it was my youngest daughter’s birthday. I’m sure it was delightful! I just started a blog, but really don’t know what I’m doing, you have quite the talent for writing!

  2. Racquel says

    21 October, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    I love the color of Red Plume. Thanks for the great pictures and info on this beautiful flower. 🙂

    Racquel´s last blog post..Bloomin’ Tuesday

  3. Carla says

    21 October, 2008 at 10:55 am

    These are on my ‘grow list’ for my carefree front flowerbed. Thank you for the wonderful pictures!

    Carla´s last blog post..Son-Day: "Lord Move, or Move Me"

  4. Mary says

    21 October, 2008 at 5:07 am

    Love the new header. Love the flowers. One of my favorites for years! So bright and easy.

    Mary´s last blog post..Report Cards

  5. Anna says

    21 October, 2008 at 1:11 am

    Dee–I love your new header! It is so different and you kept the road which was my favorite part.

    Good post too. I had blanket flower at my last home and miss it here.

    Anna´s last blog post..John Deere and Pansies

  6. debra says

    20 October, 2008 at 7:04 pm

    Oh so pretty . . . I love the terra cotta (“red dirt”) color scheme, and the montage of favorite Oklahoma flowers and prairie grass across the banner! Your “signature” Dee is especially nice. A very sweet, very personal gesture. Kudos to you, Dee! It’s gorgeous, debra

    debra´s last blog post..Home of the (Los Angeles) Times

  7. Curtis says

    20 October, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    I am a bad OK gardener. I haven’t planted this in my yard at all. And I have the perfect spot for them.

    Curtis´s last blog post..Cone Flowers this Summer

  8. Carol, May Dreams Gardens says

    20 October, 2008 at 5:28 pm

    Great article! I need to add Gaillardia (did I spell that right?) to my list of flowers to try. I can’t remember if I’ve tried it before, but I might try it now!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens´s last blog post..Hurry Up! No, Wait, Slow Down…

  9. joey says

    20 October, 2008 at 4:27 pm

    Althogh not a favorite in my garden, I love them in others. You have presented a beautiful post!

    joey´s last blog post.."WINE IS SUNLIGHT, HELD TOGETHER BY WATER."

  10. Mr. McGregor's Daughter says

    20 October, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    While I’ve never been a fan of Gallardias (I’m not into red & yellow), ‘Red Plume’ could make me a convert!

    Mr. McGregor’s Daughter´s last blog post..Busy as Bees

  11. linda says

    20 October, 2008 at 11:51 am

    I wonder if they will grow in my area, zone 9? Love your blog and need about an hour to spend just reading it 🙂

    linda´s last blog post..Frustrations!

  12. Pam/Digging says

    20 October, 2008 at 10:07 am

    I’m convinced. My only trouble will be finding enough sun to try blanketflower at the new house. I may need to prune back some overhanging branches in order to grow my favorite sun lovers.

    Pam/Digging´s last blog post..East Austin garden blogger party

  13. Gail says

    20 October, 2008 at 9:06 am

    Hey Dee! I love this plant and tried to get it while visiting my fav native plant nursery. It was so popular they had sold out! I am so glad to know that it grows well from seeds. Thanks for the reminder and cultural hints! It’s a good looking plant and would play well with The Susans! …and with that name, Gaill-ardia, it’s a must have! Warmest wishes my friend! Gail

    Gail´s last blog post..A Walk Through The Garden on A Fall Day

  14. Marnie says

    20 October, 2008 at 8:35 am

    Great post. They are one of the hardest working plants in mygarden. I often have to replace them but they are worth the bother.

    I’ve never seen the red variety. I will look for that one.
    Marnie

  15. Liisa says

    19 October, 2008 at 4:26 pm

    Dee,

    I just love the Blanket Flowers!! I purchased some G. ‘Fanfare’ and G. ‘Oranges and Lemons’ this year… I really am hoping that they come back next spring!! (keeping fingers crossed)

    Liisa

    Liisa´s last blog post..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

    Liisa, ‘Oranges and Lemons’ didn’t come for me, but it did bloom its heart out last year. Fingers crossed for you.~~Dee

  16. Cindy says

    18 October, 2008 at 8:41 pm

    I’ve got seedlings of the native all over the corner bed but I’m coveting that Red Plume! I think I’ll go Googling for seeds.

    Cindy´s last blog post..A Rainy Bloom Day

    Hi Cindy, I grew ‘Red Plume’ for the first time this year. It bloomed nonstop & is still blooming.~~Dee

  17. Kathryn/plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com says

    18 October, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    Hi, Dee–These Blanket Flowers are a wonderful, happy addition. I will definitely try next spring! Thanks for the tip!

    Kathryn/plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com´s last blog post..Flower Mandalas!

    Hi Kathryn, I hope you do. They are fun flowers.~~Dee

  18. Kathy Purdy says

    18 October, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    I didn’t know they are annuals or short-lived perennials. I wonder if mine will come back next year.

    Kathy, they might, depending on which variety you planted; or, the seeds may grown into new plants.~~Dee

  19. Brenda Kula says

    18 October, 2008 at 3:24 pm

    I will have to try this, as red and yellow are my two favorite colors!
    Brenda

    Brenda Kula´s last blog post..Guest Bathroom Remodel

    Brenda, they will thrive in your Texas garden.~~Dee

Trackbacks

  1. » Blog Archive » And the Winner Is . . . . says:
    4 November, 2008 at 9:38 pm

    […] thought of Gaillardia, which is Oklahoma’s State Wildflower, but alas, the Gaylord family appears to have that one […]

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