The subject of my blog this week is gaillardia, or “blanket flower.” It makes the gloomy weather this afternoon a distant thought.  Gaillardia is a North American native perennial that produces bright red and yellow, daisy-like flowers.  Their cheery abundance of bright blossoms are able to warm our perennial beds and borders, even on this cool, overcast day.

The Arizona Series produces compact and dense plants that, at 12″ tall and wide, are perfectly proportioned for garden edges and rock gardens.  Their long-lasting flowers are good for fresh cutting, and can bloom for three months or more; attracting butterflies from early summer into fall.  Gaillardia thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and once established, they are drought tolerant too!