How to Grow Gaillardia Oranges and Lemons

Gaillardia is also known as blanket flower and is a drought-tolerant perennial with sunny, bright blooms. The variety 'Oranges and Lemons' was introduced by a breeder from England in 2002. The plant produces 4- to 6-inch peach-colored flowers with yellow petal tips and gold centers. These are set off by the bluish-green foliage. The plant grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9. Gaillardia thrives in full to partial sun in very well drained soil. This cultivar is a prolific bloomer and has more erect stems than the parent Gaillardia. You cannot grow this cultivar from seed, as it is a sterile hybrid; you will need to purchase plants from a licensed nursery.

Shovel
Sand
Pruners
All-purpose fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Dig a 3-inch-deep hole and fill it with water. Let it drain and then fill it again. Check back in half an hour to make sure it has drained. If it hasn't, you will need to add grit or sand to your planting bed.
- 2
  Remove weeds from the bed and loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches in a 2-foot-square area. Incorporate 2 to 3 inches of sand if your soil failed the drainage test. Excellent drainage is mandatory for this cultivar.
- 3
  Plant the Gaillardia at the same depth it was growing in its nursery pot. Water to settle the soil, and then give the plant a half-inch of water weekly during the summer.
- 4
  Remove the spent flower stems as they occur to encourage more blooming. Cut the plant back to 3 inches at the end of summer to stimulate bushy growth.
- 5
  Fertilize the perennial in early spring with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer. Apply 1/2 cup per plant and work it into the soil out to a distance of a foot from the plant. Water well after application.

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