About Gaillardia Mesa Bright Bicolor
Do you see the Praying Mantis on the Gallardia to the left? He was a fast little guy to photo! All colors of the “Mesa” collection are amazing for their extra-long bloom period. They start early and continue to bloom into November despite repeated frosts. Gaillardia “Mesa” branches nicely filled with yellow flowers with an inner red circle. In summer the butterflies love them; in the winter, the goldfinches love the seed heads. Gaillardia Mesa Bright Bicolor is a blaze of color all season long! Numerous universities list Gaillardia as deer resistant including Penn State, Colorado State, Oregon State and the University of Maryland.
Gaillardia Mesa Bright Bicolor
Planting and Growing Gaillardia
Make sure your Gaillardia “harden off” to cool nights and windy conditions before planting. This requires leaving them outside in a protected area for a few days otherwise, they may wilt after planting. Choose an area that is mostly sunny. Prepare your planting hole by turning the soil at least a shovel size deep and wide and be sure the hole is filled with plenty of organic matter for best results. Remove your plant from its pack and gently loosen the root ball. Plant deep enough to cover the top of the root ball. Press down firmly on the soil and then water it in. Consider fertilizing once or twice a season. You can mulch if you like but not too close to the plant to avoid rot. Clip spent blooms to increase continuous flowering.
