Bayscape Blog 10/11/10
Blanketflower Best in Show
By Judy DeFiglio

Do you keep planting annuals each year because you want color all summer long in your garden? Are you afraid that perennials will be too much work? It’s time for you to discover the Blanket Flower (Gaillardia). These colorful native perennials start blooming in late spring and continue re-blooming until hard frost. The daisy-like flowers are red with yellow tips. They add a big boost of color to the spring garden, yet are bold enough to stand up the intense sun of summer without fading. Their color scheme also works well with your fall garden design.

Easy to care for, blanket flowers couldn’t be happier with our shore conditions. They prefer poor soil and require no fertilizer. In fact, fertilizer makes the plant get floppy and produce fewer flowers. They are drought tolerant requiring no additional water once established. Blanket flowers do reseed, giving you additional plants for next year, but they are not invasive. I love to get extra plants for free but if you have a small garden and don’t want more plants just cut the flowers before they go to seed.
As an additional bonus, gaillardias attract butterflies to your garden and the seed heads are a favorite of the goldfinch. Fun to watch and even more color for your garden!
While Gaillardia is available at most garden centers, you can grow your own from seed. Unlike most perennials they flower the first year. If the red and yellow combo does not fit your existing garden colors, you can find blanket flowers in plain yellow, or burgundy. Give the gaillardia a try and you’ll have a garden full of flowers all season long.