Gaillardia aristata

‘Arizona Apricot’

APRICOT BLANKET FLOWER

Gaillardia aristata ‘Arizona Apricot’
APRICOT BLANKET FLOWER

Gaillardia aristata ‘Arizona Apricot’ gives a continuous show of quilled daisies.
With petals in delicate shades of apricot, around rich orange and green cones, and blending to sunshine yellow frilly tips.
So a blanket of unfading colour covers the plant from early summer right through to autumn’s end.
On a very compact and neat plant.

Exceptional dry and heat hardiness

Gaillardia aristata ‘Arizona Apricot’ has exceptional dry and heat hardiness; combined with excellent flower production; plus long lasting cut flowers.
So ‘Arizona Apricot’ is highly valued by water-wise gardeners as a prolific blooming, colourful, water-saving and hardy groundcover.

Neat ground-cover with blankets of colour

Gaillardia aristata ‘Bremen’ is well named as a “Blanket Flower”.
As it grows as a tight blanket of foliage and flower, that remains neat and compact as it covers the ground.
So no sprawling about from this newly bred beauty, unlike its more unruly older cousins.

Because is an unstoppable bloomer, and even the fluffy seed heads are an attraction, ‘Bremen’ is always a colourful blanket.

Waterwise & hardy Groundcover

Gaillardia bask in Full Sun, plus they are very water-wise plants.
So ‘Arizona Apricot’ is extremely tolerant of dry and hot conditions once established, thanks to its desert origins.
Although good drainage is essential. After all Gaillardia are desert plants from Mexico and the wild west of North America.
These native origins also make Gaillardia tolerant of poor, sandy, and rocky soils or gravel gardens, as well as making them extremely frost hardy.
So Gaillardia can withstand severe frost to well below -10C if needed.

As well, these sheets of bright colour are very forgiving about soil pH, tolerating both acid or alkaline lime soils, and positively thriving in sandy, poor or rocky soils.

Easy going & low maintenance

Gaillardias are rarely if ever plagued by pests and diseases.
Plus the only maintenance attention they may need is a tidy up with the secateurs after their long and enthusiastic blooming.
Bees, butterflies and human garden visitors adore them, but rabbits and deer are not so attracted.

Where to use in the garden

Use Gaillardia anywhere you would like sheets of lovely colour in the Sun.
Enthusiastically flowering ground-covers can be made by planting multiple plants. Allow about 40cm. between each.
‘Arizona Apricot’ will also happily provide continuous colour in a pot or container.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suitable for beginners & kids

Sow any time indoors in punnets, or scatter directly in garden from late winter to spring.

First sow the seeds on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then pat gently into the surface of the mix and only just barely cover with sieved mix, sand or vermiculite.

Now thoroughly moisten the sown punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath.
And allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Then place punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in direct sunlight).

Temperatures of 15-22°C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.

And continue to keep moist by misting the mix surface with a spray water bottle when required.

Seedlings emerge in approx. 14-21 days.

SEED COUNT: 10 per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

GROWING: Gaillardia aristata ‘Arizona Apricot’

– Height with flowers: 25cm approx. and covered with flowers.
– Width: 30cm approx. evergreen foliage blanket.
– Position: Full Sun. They can also tolerate Partial Shade in very hot and dry districts.
– Soil: Well Drained. Tolerates dry conditions well as they are native to desert and rocky areas. Will thrive in sandy, poor or rocky soils. They are also very forgiving about pH, tolerating both acid or alkaline lime soils.
– Frost: Frost hardy, even in hard frosts to well below -10C.
– Growth: Evergreen perennial that can be used as a long blooming ground-cover.

Good for bees & bad for rabbits

– Beneficial for wildlife: Bees and butterflies adore Gaillardia, because they are so long blooming. Thus they are very reliable, long lasting food sources for them. So the Royal Horticultural Society feature Gaillardia high on their “Perfect for Pollinators” List.
– Care: Very hardy and easy care, plus little to no maintenance required.
– Deer & Rabbit resistant: Gaillardia are not first choice for these guys, although they are not immune.

Snippets of history

– Origin: Native to arid areas in the wild west of North America.
– Snippets of history: Gaillardias gained their common name of “Blanket Flower” because they resemble the colourful blankets of the native American tribes of the wild west. Although others say it refers to their ability to cover the ground with colour.
The botanical name Gaillardia honours Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau. He was an 18th century French magistrate who was also a talented amateur botanist.

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