A flower that seems to bloom year round is the native blanket flower, Gaillardia pulchella. It has many faces.
A pale face with just the tips of the ray flowers yellow.
The yellow tips getting smaller until.....
finally they disappear.
The ray flowers are deeper with some fused.
More fused flowers until....
all are fused.
Now returning to its roots. The ray flowers tipped with yellow. Always a joy to anticipate.
When we were travelling through some of the drier, higher elevations of Wyoming, we saw many gaillardia there. I was kind of surprised, as I thought those just liked HOT and dry. I guess it's the "dry" part that counts.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great look at the variety in these beauties! I don't have any this year and regret that. Maybe I'll start some seed for fall blooms...
ReplyDeleteI love gaillardia. They are so hardy. I threw a bunch of wildflower seeds into the empty lot next door, and gaillardia was one of the very few to come up. Beautiful! I started some seeds this spring for some burgundy gaillardia - hopefully they'll bloom later this year.
ReplyDeleteI never have noticed that change in colors until your photos...thanks for the series.
ReplyDeleteSo many pretty colors.
ReplyDeleteAnd, you got some great shots.
Have a great weekend.
Lovely post. Blanket flower is one of my favorites too. Blooms in hard conditions and deer don't eat it.
ReplyDeleteI too love this plant. While camping a couple of summer ago on Ocracoke Island, NC, I discovered huge patches thriving in the dunes one row back from the beach. That fall I added some to my garden.
ReplyDeleteHow clever of you to capture the pretty changes !
ReplyDeleteI have always done a double-take on this flower when viewing it on my bicycle rides. Your post explains a lot! I've even imagined there were several types, but instead I guess it's more like a tiny fireworks display...the same but yet always changing. I learn something everyday. Great post. David/:0)
ReplyDeleteThose are great pix. I loved my gaillardias when I was living in the UK, but they didn't love the rainy winters. Maybe now I'm in Canada I can start growing them as perennials again.
ReplyDeletehttp://missingmygarden.blogspot.ca/
They are some of the nicest flowers for hot gardens,,,love your photos of their sweet faces.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures would make an incredible frame arrangement on a wall! They are GORGEOUS!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful- I have never seen it in all the stages like that. Perfect. Great shots by the way. Sorry I haven't been by in a while. I got on today as I posted about a little visitor that showed up today - taking a breather from the heat and bouncing around. So much to catch up on!!!!! Love the grass post- the Ruby Crystals are one of my favorites as well- course I am partial to pink.... but they are just a nice little grass I think.
ReplyDeleteAren't they the most gorgeous things? I love our state flower.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteYou are magic! Thank you for such a beautiful,instructional tour!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful! I have put these on my long plant wish list. In many gardens I visit, I have admired them. They certainly do give a wonderful display.
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