Oranges & Lemons Blanket Flower

Blanket Flower

Gaillardia aristata 'Oranges & Lemons'

(gay-LAR-dee-uh) (a-ris-TAH-tuh)

Synonyms: Common Blanketflower

I love this flower however the plant doesn’t seem to make through the winter. Not even a stray one has come back the following year so we are officially treating it like an annual now. The color and habit of the plant makes it worthwhile to grow but it is tough to justify annuals at perennial prices. This has just been my experience here in Southwestern Connecticut. We have tried locating it in good winter drainage areas and it just won’t cooperate. The other varieties seem just as stubborn. It must be perennial in some circumstances as it is a native wildflower to Northern and Western North America. They grow on the plains but not my garden? It maybe a case of loving the poor things to death in the garden. They like a hot, dry sandy soil and it has been recommended to try and recreate the plains type of conditions (hot and dry) when siting in the garden.

My Christmas present arrived. It is still under wraps although I went to music store to play it before Santa actually bought it. It will be exciting to have a new ax. I really wanted to get the blonde model (truly what could be better than a blonde Fender, ha, ha) but they had the black in stock and it was 30% off as a floor model. That deal couldn’t be refused. Plus I already have a black Fender so it fits. The guitar is a unique mash up of two of my all time favorite guitars the Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster. A true hybrid it is based on prototypes and modified guitars seen over the years. It is correctly called a Bastardcaster. Here is a link to it:

Fender '51 Pawn Shop

I also got a postal monkey ‘evil doctor’ case, which is now discontinued.

Buying a guitar without a good case is something I will never do again. Having learned that lesson the hard way.