GAILLARDIA 45 



GAILLARDIA 



" Blanket Flower " 



In localities where some difficulty is experienced in keep- 

 ing the perennial Gaillardias {Compositce) safely through our 

 damp winters the annual species have the greater value, for 

 their large and brilliant flowers are peculiarly useful for 

 cutting, and the plants are first-rate subjects either for beds 

 or borders. The flowering season is a long one, the long- 

 stemmed flowers following each other in rapid succes- 

 sion. Although the Annual Gaillardias may be raised out- 

 of-doors from a sowing made in July, there is a great risk of 

 losing the plants during Winter, even though they are planted 

 out in September. The protection afforded by the tops of 

 dead stems of Michaelmas Daisies will assist the plants to 

 withstand wet and cold, but even then there are sure to be 

 losses. The better plan is to sow seeds in a warm greenhouse 

 in February or early March, prick off the seedlings into boxes 

 of rich soil as soon as possible, duly harden them in a cold 

 frame, and plant out at the end of May or early in June, 

 according to climate and season. 



The annual species of Gaillardia are G. amblyodon, 2 

 feet, vivid crimson ; and G. pulchella (syn. G. bicolor), 2 feet 

 to 3 feet, crimson and yellow. Of the latter there are several 

 natural and many garden varieties. G. p. picta is crimson 

 with gold tips, and is often catalogued as G. Drummondii ; 

 G. p. coccinea is dark crimson and gold ; and Lorenziana is 

 a form with quilled florets and rounded, double heads, in 

 various shades of deep red and yellow. 



