There are many different beautiful flowers loved by flower growers.

Each of them can claim the championship in the flower garden.

But how many of them are those that will delight you with flowering under any circumstances?

Some are luxurious, but do not bloom for long … The second freezes out in harsh winters … Others require pruning, supports, shading and moisturizing. But is it possible to cater to such “whims” in the country, when the development of the site has just begun?

Of the unpretentious «cottagers», perhaps, only the perennial gaillardia is both hardy and blooms from the beginning of summer until the very frost. That’s why the queen

My acquaintance with this plant was accidental: at the beginning of summer, a bright sun shone in the middle of the grass near the village shop. Self-sowing, and this is in the very sun … The grass was mowed, but after a while a whole bouquet appeared in the same place, which bloomed until autumn. History repeated itself the following year.

Surprised by the resilience of the plant, I decided to google what kind of «hard nut». Gaillardia turned out to be spinous. Too bright colors seemed rustic to me, but the photo of the Burgunder variety convinced me of the nobility of the origin of this beauty.

Of the 24 known species of Gaillardia, two perennials have taken root in our gardens, and we will talk about them.

Gaillardia spinosa (Gaillardia aristata)

• Growth area: North America
• Color spectrum: red middle, yellow border.
• Flowering period: June-September
• Height: 50-80 cm
• Growing conditions: unpretentious to the ground, but does not tolerate stagnant water and fresh organic matter.
• Peculiarities: perennial with high peduncles, frost resistance zone 3-4.

Gaillardia hybrida (Gaillardia hybrida) in some sources it is the same grandiflora (Gaillardia grandiflora).

• Growth area: a hybrid from crossing Gaillardia spinosa with other species.
• Color spectrum: shades of red and yellow
• Flowering period: June-September
• Height: 30-50 cm
• Growing conditions: unpretentious to soils, but prefers slightly acidic, drained, withstands short-term droughtin cold regions hibernates with cover.
• Peculiarities: perennial, flowers up to 12 cm in diameter, hardiness zone 5b.

IMPORTANT: The dacha queen will only shine in full sun conditions.

Does not tolerate fresh manure. It will be grateful for the two-time (summer and autumn) top dressing with complex mineral fertilizers.

GAYLARDIA IN GARDEN DESIGN

Gaillardia is ideal as a flower border, here it is inferior only to evergreens and ornamental foliage plants. But the Queen of the Cottage blooms for a long time and brightly.

The same property makes it a welcome guest in sunny flower beds and container gardens.

Gaillardia will not get lost among the meadow grasses, as long as they are not too tall and dense…

If you do not know what to land on the south side of the fence, invite these bright suns there. They will decorate this place after the flowering of the spring bulbs.

In mixborders, variegated flowers are framed with monochrome herbs or monochromatic varieties of gaillardia are selected.

Red Gaillardia varieties: Burgunder, Carnelian, Mesa Red, Arizona Red Shades.

Orange: Bellini, Tokajer, Mandarin (terry variety).

Yellow: Kobold, Mesa Yellow, Golden Gobin, Croftway Yellow, Aurea Pura, Arizona ApricotMoxie.

COMBINATION IN SHAPE AND COLOR

In the flower garden, neighbors for undersized gaillardia are selected according to the principle «combine and do not obscure.» Tall neighbors with large leaves will have to be excluded or removed at a respectful distance.

Plant carnation-grass, alpine carnation, curb perennial asters, veronica bluish or undersized varieties of sage.

Tall varieties of Gaillardia themselves can outshine their lower neighbors). They are especially good in arrays of one or two varieties.

Inflorescences-baskets go well with candles of the same sage, lavender, peach spice, veronica, spikelet liatris, veronicastrum, etc. But consider the height: candles on top, baskets on the bottom.

Delicate transparent panicles of soddy pike or festuka will not obscure the space and will favorably emphasize the juicy color of gaillardia.

According to the conditions of keeping in a pair, stonecrop, oregano, thyme, gaura are suitable for Gaillardia.

REPRODUCTION AND TRANSPLANT

Propagating Gaillardia is simple: divide an old bush or get seedlings through seeds.

Optimal time for dividing: early spring, when the first sprouts appeared or autumn after flowering. An adult bush is divided into standard divisions (3-4 rosettes), which are planted in a flower garden in a permanent place.

Seeds for seedlings are sown in March, do not bury, covered with glass. Seedlings in the light and at a temperature of 220C will appear on the 10-12th day. After picking, the young are grown in a greenhouse. Planted in open ground no earlier than June. Such a seedling blooms late, in August, or even the next year.

Sowing seeds in open ground is carried out in mid-May in a school to a depth of 0.5 cm, covering the soil with geotextiles (white, density 35-42). The grown seedlings are transplanted into the flower garden in early September. Such a seedling blooms in the second year.

Humus and ash are added to the hole before planting. The distance between plants is kept 25-30 cm.

Perennial gaillardia grows in one place for four years, the fifth requires a rejuvenating division transplant.

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