Latest / The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners / Episode 48 – Blanketflower – Bold, blazing and resilient

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Episode 48 – Blanketflower – Bold, blazing and resilient · The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners

0:28
Welcome back to the Beanstalk, fellow beans.
0:32
My name is John, your neighborhood garden buddy, and
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today we are diving into a flower that looks like a swallow
0:40
to sunset and decided to show off about it.
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We're talking about blanket flower, one of those plants that
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doesn't just survive tough conditions, it absolutely
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thrives in them. If you've ever wanted color that
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refuses to quit in the middle of summer heat, this is your plant.
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It's cheerful without being delicate, hearty without being
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boring, and it might just earn a permanent spot in your garden
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once you get to know it. Why should we grow blanket
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flour? Well, first of all, if you live
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anywhere with hot summers, dry spells, or less than perfect
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soil, this plant is going to feel like a breath of fresh air.
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Blanket Flower, commonly known by its botanical name Guyardia,
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is famous for its fiery red, orange, and yellow blooms that
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look like little painted wheels. Some varieties lean more red
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with golden tips, others glow almost entirely yellow with deep
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burgundy centers, and there are even newer cultivars with softer
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Peach and apricot tones. What they all share is stamina.
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These blooms don't fizzle out after a week.
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They keep coming from early summer all the way into fall if
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you give them even a little encouragement.
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Beyond the looks, blanket flour is a pollinator magnet.
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Bees, butterflies, and even occasional beneficial beetles
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will flock to it. If you're building a garden that
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supports local ecosystems, this one pulls its weight.
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It's also deer resistant in many regions, which is always a
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welcome bonus if you ever walked outside to find your garden used
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as a midnight snack bar. And because it tolerates drought
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so well, once established, it fits beautifully into water wise
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landscapes, Prairie style plantings and those wild cottage
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gardens that look a little chaotic but feel completely
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alive. Now let's talk about how to grow
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blanket flower. The first rule is simple.
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Give it sun. Full sun, I'm talking 6 to 8
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hours minimum, but the more the better.
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This plant does not want to sit in shade.
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In fact, too much shade will make it floppy and reduce
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blooming. It loves open skies and warm
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soil. When it comes to soil, Blanket
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Flower actually prefers it a little on the lean side.
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Rich, heavily amended soil can sometimes lead to lush foliage,
3:59
but fewer flowers. It thrives in well draining soil
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and will struggle in heavy clay that stays wet.
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If your soil tends to hold water, consider mixing in some
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coarse sand or planting on a slight mound to improve
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drainage. You can start blanket flour from
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seed directly in the garden after the last frost, or you can
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transplant nursery grown starts in spring.
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Seeds benefit from light for germination, so press them into
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the surface rather than burying them deeply.
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Keep the soil lightly moist until they sprout and once
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established you can back off on watering.
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Over watering is one of the few ways to upset this plant.
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Think deep but infrequent watering rather than constant
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dampness. During the first season, give it
5:03
consistent moisture while roots establish, then let it stretch
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its drought tolerant muscles. In future seasons.
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Dead headings, spent blooms will encourage more flowers.
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You don't have to be obsessive about it, but trimming back
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faded flowers keeps the plant looking tidy and often triggers
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another flush in late fall. You can cut plants back to a few
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inches above the soil or leave some stems standing for winter
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interest and for birds to snack on the seeds.
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How to harvest blanket flour is a little different since we're
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not harvesting for food in the traditional sense.
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If you're cutting flowers for arrangements, do it in the
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morning when stems are hydrated and just as the blooms are fully
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open. Use clean, sharp pruners and
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place them straight into water. They make surprisingly long
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lasting cut flowers, especially the more compact varieties bred
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for sturdy stems. If you're harvesting for seed
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saving, allow some blooms to fully mature and dry on the
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plant. You'll notice the center
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becoming spiky and brown. Once fully dry, you can clip the
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heads and let them finish drying indoors before separating the
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seeds. Now let's get into common pests
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and problems because even tough plants have their moments. 1
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issue you might see is powdery mildew.
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This is a fungal disease that looks like a white or Gray
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powder dusted across the leaves. It tends to show up in humid
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conditions or when airflow is limited.
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It can weaken the plant over time and reduce blooming if left
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unchecked. Powdery mildew often happens
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when plants are spaced too closely together or when
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overhead watering keeps foliage damp.
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The solution is simple but important.
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Improve air's circulation by spacing plants properly, water
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at the base instead of overhead, and remove affected leaves
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promptly. Organic fungicidal sprays like
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neem oil can help if the problem becomes persistent.
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Root rot is another potential issue, and this one is almost
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always related to drainage. Root rot is caused by soil borne
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fungi that thrive in overly wet conditions.
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You'll notice yellowing leaves, wilting even when the soil is
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wet and an overall decline in vigor.
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The reason it happens is simple. Blanket flour does not like
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soggy roots. Prevention is your best
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strategy. Plant in well draining soil.
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Avoid over watering and never let pot sit in standing water.
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If a plant is severely affected, it's often better to remove it
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and improve the soil before replanting.
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Aphids occasionally make an appearance.
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These are tiny, soft bodied insects that cluster on new
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growth and suck SAP from the plant.
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They can cause distorted leaves and sticky residue known as
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honeydew. Aphids show up when plants are
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stressed or when natural predator populations are low.
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You can knock them off with a strong spray of water, introduce
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beneficial insects like ladybugs, or use insecticidal
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soap for heavier infestations. Usually, blanket flour handles
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minor aphid pressure without much trouble.
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Spider mites can also appear during hot, dry weather.
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They're so tiny you might only noticed fine webbing and
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stippled pale leaves. They thrive in dusty, dry
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conditions. Increasing humidity slightly
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around the plant and rinsing foliage periodically can help
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keep them in check. In severe cases, insecticidal
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soap can help manage populations.
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When it comes to companion planting, blanket flower pairs
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beautifully with other sun loving, drought tolerant plants.
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Think ornamental grasses, cone flowers, Yarrow and salvia.
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The contrasting textures make the fiery blooms pop even more.
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Because it attracts pollinators, it benefits nearby vegetables
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and fruiting plants that rely on bees.
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Just be sure not to crowd it with aggressive spreaders that
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might out compete it. Seed saving with blanket flour
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is fairly straightforward. Allow flower heads to dry
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completely on the plant. Once they're crisp and brown,
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snip them off and gently break apart the seed head.
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You'll find slender, slightly hairy seeds tucked inside.
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Let them dry for another week indoors before storing in a
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cool, dark place. Keep in mind that hybrid
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varieties may not grow true to type from seed, so if you're
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attached to a specific color pattern, that's something to
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remember. Pros of blanket flour are easy
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to spot. It's drought tolerant, long
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blooming, pollinator friendly, and low maintenance.
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It thrives in poor soil and handles heat like a champion.
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On the con side, it doesn't love heavy clay or consistently wet
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conditions, and some varieties can be relatively short lived
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perennials, behaving more like a biennial in colder climates.
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The good news is, is that they often reseed themselves, keeping
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the show going. And now for the best part.
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The recipe. Since blanket flour isn't
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typically eaten, we're going to lean into its Southwestern vibe
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and make a roasted summer veggie and herb skillet that visually
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matches those bold sunset tones. You'll need 2 cups of diced red
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bell pepper, 2 cups of diced yellow bell pepper. 1 cup of
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sliced red onion. 1 cup of zucchini rounds, One Cup of corn
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kernels, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of smoked
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paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, half a teaspoon of salt,
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half a teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh
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cilantro. Preheat your oven to 425°.
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Toss all the vegetables in olive oil and the spices.
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Spread them evenly on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 to
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25 minutes, until they're tender and slightly charred at the
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edges. Finish with fresh cilantro and a
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squeeze of lime, if you like. It's colorful, bold, and pairs
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beautifully with grilled chicken or tucked into warm tortillas.
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Here are some fun facts about Blanket Flower.
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The name Blanket Flower is often said to reference the colorful
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patterns of Native American woven blankets, which the blooms
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resemble in their vibrant Reds and yellows.
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The G in his name, Guyardia honors an 18th century French
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magistrate and patron of botany named Guyard de Charontenot,
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which is a fun reminder that plant names often carry little
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historical stories. Some species are native to North
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and South America, particularly prairies and open plains, which
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explains their incredible heat tolerance.
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Blanket flowers can bloom continuously for months,
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especially in climates with long summers.
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Certain compact cultivars grow only about 12 inches tall, while
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others can reach 2 to 3 feet, giving you options depending on
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your garden layout. And interestingly, they're often
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used in roadside plantings because they can handle poor
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soil and neglect better than many ornamental flowers.
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Welcome to the Gardenerd Corner, Fellow Beans.
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Blanket Flower belongs to the Astoray, CA family, which means
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it's related to sunflowers, daisies, and chrysanthemums.
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What looks like a single flower is actually a composite bloom
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made-up of many tiny florets. The central disc contains
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tubular florets, while the outer petals are ray florets, each one
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technically its own flower. This composite structure is part
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of why pollinators love it. There's a lot of nectar and
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pollen packed into one showy display.
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Many Gallardia species are adapted to Prairie ecosystems
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and have deep root systems that help stabilize soil and survive
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drought. That root structure is part of
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why they're so tough once established.
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Next time on the Beanstalk, we are shifting from blazing Reds
16:03
and oranges to a golden late season powerhouse.
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As we talk about goldenrod, we'll dig into why this
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misunderstood plant deserves a second look and how it supports
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pollinators right when they need it most.
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If you've ever blamed it for your allergies, we might clear a
16:24
few things up. It's going to be a good one, so
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stick around and we'll keep exploring together.
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Thanks again for hanging out with me today on the Beanstalk,
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Fellow Beans. If you want to keep the
16:40
conversation going, we've got a growing community over at the
16:44
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16:52
little deeper into all things that grow together.
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