|
Gaillardia pulchella ‘Dazzler
Mix’. Photo courtesy of Thompson and Morgan Seed Co. |
Gaillardia
'Razzle Dazzle Mix'
AT A GLANCE
Latin name: Gaillardia pulchella ‘Razzle
Dazzle’ ’
Common name: Annual gaillardia, blanket flower,
firewheel
Flowers: Double pompoms in multiple colors
Foliage: Mounding
Mature height: 20 in.
Width: 2 ft.
Hardiness: Annual
Soil: Well-drained
Exposure: Full sun
Water usage: Low
Sources: Mail order
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-seeds/herbaceous-border-seeds/gaillardia-pulchella-razzle-dazzle/4511TM
|
Photo by Jimmy Turner. |
You can always tell the real gardeners by how many seed catalogs they
have stacked up beside the couch during the winter. I won’t even tell
you how many I have, but let’s just say “too many.” Luckily for me, I
actually get paid to buy weird seeds and try them out in the Dallas
Arboretum Trial Gardens. A few years ago, while paging through the
Thompson and Morgan Seed catalog -- one of my personal favorites -- I
ran across a variety of our native gaillardia that had multi-colored
double flowers. They looked just too cute to be real! The description
read, “Ruffled Pompons in a Host of Bright Colors! Gaillardia Razzle
Dazzle has amazing fully double blooms up to 3 inches in diameter, in a
flashy mixture of cream, orange, yellow, burgundy and many bicolor
shades. Use these bushy plants for creating a display in borders,
containers or as a cut flower over a long flowering period.”
Those of you who have read or listened to me over
time know that I’m not the most believing of any plant description
written by a non-Texan. Three-inch flowers in all those different
colors? Really? Who did they think they were trying to fool!? So I
bought several packages of seeds and grew them out for the trial garden.
I have to add that they sprouted quickly and grew like crazy.
Personally, I think that’s due to their Texas heritage! Then the flowers
started to appear. They really were 2- to 3-inch wide pompoms in every
color the catalog claimed and a few it didn’t. There were creamy yellow
ones, pinks, oranges, reds, purples and bi-colors. The flowers didn’t
even resemble the orange-and-red pinwheels of the wild gaillardia we see
across the state, but they were just as tough. The plants flowered from
late spring right up until first frost and never even drooped in the
hottest part of the summer.
The flowers are produced on tall, 20-inch stems,
and make long-lasting cut flowers. ‘Razzle Dazzle’ doesn’t seem to be
particular about soil type, from clay to sand, and is relatively pest
free. Deer even leave it alone! Just be sure to remember that this is an
annual gaillardia, not a perennial, so you will get just one year of
bloom.
You most likely won’t find the plants in a nursery
near you, but this variety is easily grown from seed. Just start the
seeds inside anytime now, or sow them directly in the garden after last
frost. I recommend covering the seeds lightly and keeping them moist
until they sprout, which may take 14 to 25 days. When shopping, you may
see this plant listed as ‘Razzle Dazzle’ or ‘Dazzler Mix’, depending on
who is selling them. You can purchase seed directly from
Thompson and Morgan Seed Company or from
Park Seed Company.
About the author: Jimmy Turner is
the senior director of gardens at the Dallas Arboretum. Visit
http://www.dallasplanttrials.org/ for more information on his
trials. |
.jpeg.jpg)
