Q. I planted gallon pots of Gaillardia last year. I don’t see any of them coming up this spring. Perhaps I’m mistaking them for weeds? What should they look like by this time?
-Geneva, Illinois
A. Gaillardia needs excellent drainage to survive wet soil during the winter. If you planted in heavy clay, I am not surprised that they died.
-Bobbie Schwartz
Bobbie’s Green Thumb
Shaker Heights, Ohio
A. Gaillardia needs the right conditions to overwinter. They are native to the midwest plains and want a neglected condition: low nutrients, no overabundance of water, and so on. They have sort of a dull, fuzzy, longish leaf.
-Denny Blew, BlewLabel Perennials
Bridgeton, New Jersey
