growing blanket flower

Technically speaking, a wildflower is defined as a native plant that grows naturally in the wild, and is not a cultivar that is different from what nature created.  That's a pretty broad definition.  Most of us would most likely imagine wildflowers in a meadow or wooded area with a large variety of random native flowers growing in conditions that each plant has adapted to over eons.  

When we decide we want to create some of that wild meadow feeling in our own home gardens, it often turns into a battle to contain the wanderings of these wild-flowers as well as attempting to provide the right conditions for our favorite varieties.  It can require lots of water to keep the wildflowers looking fresh and not weedy or scrappy.  It can be an ongoing challenge to weed the volunteers that appear where they aren't welcome, as well as the true weeds and grasses that often creep into the mix over time.  

But, it doesn't have to be that difficult to enjoy a little bit of the meadow look at home. 

The trick is to choose plants that are native to your area/climate (and therefore require less water and just less fussing) and are likely to grow in a way that's suited to the amount of space you have and the tidiness that you prefer.  Don't get me wrong, any wildflower will always have a loose and unplanned look to it.  But then that's part of the true charm that appeals to us in the first place.

Over many years of experimenting in my Northern Arizona mountain garden, I've found a few superstars that strike that balance. 

One of them is the Evening Primrose (I recently did a blog post about Growing Mexican Evening Primrose) and the other that I wanted to explore today is commonly called Blanket Flower.

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​Background

Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)

Native to North and South America, this flowering perennial (there are also some annual varieties) is related to sunflowers (Asteraceae family).  They have a daisy-like structure to them, but with some really interesting petal shapes as well on some varieties.  And the colors to me are almost all in what I like to call "sunset colors" - vibrant reds, corals, yellows, with many varieties having stripes and elaborate patterns.  

Of course now there are many cultivars of this plant, bred for their ornamental use.  The majority of the native species are in fact from the southwest, so these are perfectly suited to our high desert climate.  

What I like about Gaillardia is that you get a huge impact in a small area with a plant that flowers literally from late spring to fall and is easy to control and extremely drought tolerant. 

​But I have to say that more than the actual flowers, I truly love the seed pods that form all throughout the season after the petals drop.  They are like soft little balls of color and texture. 

I will admit that some of the varieties are a bit "garish" for my taste, in my personal garden, but many are a bit more subtle and a little bit goes a long way.  They fit right in with that wildflower meadow feeling that I wanted in one area of my front garden.
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Gaillardia in my Prescott Garden

Gaillardia - Blanket Flower

I'll be honest and admit that I really have no clue which variety I'm growing any longer.  I have scattered seeds a few times over the years and I didn't keep track.  It's probably a mix of a couple of different  cultivars now, and they reseed a bit on their own so it is now a wildflower patch doing it's own thing. 

I started these in the same kidney shaped wildflower bed we built in the front garden where the Mexican Evening Primrose grows.  While the two don't blend perfectly (one is pale pink/magenta and the other is brighter sunset colors) it works beautifully since they flower at different times of the season.  Aesthetic problem solved!

I mentioned earlier that I absolutely adore the seed pods that form.  What's neat is that they are forming throughout the growing season, not just in the autumn.  So you have a mix of buds, mature flowers, and seed pods all at the same time.  The texture is just so wonderful.  

In many cases, I don't love plants that reseed like crazy because it can just be too hard to manage in a small landscape.  But these Gaillardia reseed enough to maintain a patch without taking over or spreading too much.   And if an odd one does pop up, I just pull it - no big deal.
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You may have met Nellie the cat before, you'll see her in lots of our garden and home images (and Ibis the yellow lab too).  Anyway, she loves to go "off road" in the grasses or wildflowers and just hangout. 

Here I did a small patch of Gaillardia and Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), which is another native wildflower, from seed a couple years ago.  This shot gives you a feel for the size of the mature plants.

This spot gets full on southern facing sun all day long and these plants flourished.
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Thanks so much for reading.  It's been fun to share some tips and tricks this summer for high desert gardening.  I know that many folks like that cottage garden feeling where things are lush and gently organized.  I think these perennial wildflowers can be a wonderful addition to landscape and I hope you'll consider some of these plants.  Let me know what you think in the comments below - I read and respond to every comment!

Peace and contentment,
~Miriam
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want more inspiration?

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