Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) a Native Flower for the Sun Garden

Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) is a native flower for the sun garden. This native beauty will bloom from late spring through late fall attracting butterflies, bees, and insects to the garden. I have found it to be the longest lasting bloom in my garden and recommended this perennial for gardens in zones 3-10. Gaillardia is also known as a short lived perennial and can act as an annual in your area. For the beginner gardener, short lived perennial means the plant (Gaillardia) will reseed itself each year and the original plant may die. I let the seeds fall where they may and let nature take over when it comes to my flowers (you can see a bit of that in the above picture).

There are many cultivars of Gaillardia at the garden centers and they grow well with other perennials to attract the birds, bees, and butterflies. I love the fact that this flower will grow in my red clay soil of Virginia without any real care. I highly recommend this flower for any sunny garden but if you grow this native I want to suggest that mix it in with Coneflowers, Black eyed Susans, and other flowers because Gaillardia does not always have a perfect shape and can grow lanky and a bit funky. However, the bright orange and splashes of yellow make it a magnet for the butterflies and bees which makes it worth growing. 

Thanks for stopping by and check out Gaillardia if you want a perennial that will grow just about anywhere. Let me know how long she blooms in your area because here in zone 7b mine bloomed until December and survived a few nights of 32 degrees.  Happy gardening and always feel free to contact me with any garden questions.

Creating. Inspiring. Gardening without the rules!

2016 copyrighted material C Renee Fuller @The Garden Frog Boutique and check out more about the Gaillardia over at my garden blog www.thegardenfrog.me